when to replace battery

rimmy · **Joined:** Fri Jan 27, 2012 8:34 pm **Posts:** 57

I've noticed a few labored starts in my '04 V6 KJ. Not too bad, but enough that I had it tested. The battery is rated for 660 CCA (or somewhere around there) but was only putting out 350ish. The guy said my charging system was good, I just need to drive more (I mostly make short trips to and from work). I hooked it up to my trickle charger for a day and had it tested again. It went up to 450ish CCA, but could still use more charging apparently. Should I be worried about my battery? It is a Mopar 72 mo. from 2009 so it may be nearing the end. The only experience I've had with changing batteries is when they're dead and won't hold a charge, but I'd rather strike preemptively if this is a sign that my battery is about to go.

PALiftedKK · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2015 2:08 pm

replace the battery. seems like its shot. depending on your electrical load meaning if you have subs installed, that may be an issue on the stock battery. either way, throw a red or yellow top in there.

and yes, short trips kill the battery and engine components, especially in winter. minimize engine down time, meaning don't shut off the engine to save a couple of minutes of gas. keep it running if your by it to let the battery charge and for the engine to properly heat up. as well as clearing out any condensation left in the exhaust.

my 2012 kk will need a new battery this year. nothing is wrong with it but the oem batteries in my mind are unreliable; cheaply made. you will see a yellow top or equivalent in my jeep. the worst thing that could happen is your battery failing and your on a trail rarely traveled and no way to recover it.

http://www.amazon.com/Optima-8020-164-FFP-RedTop-Starting-Battery/dp/B006QH55WY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421690798&sr=8-2&keywords=red+top+battery&pebp=1421690805251&peasin=B006QH55WY

http://www.amazon.com/Optima-Batteries-8014-045-YellowTop-Purpose/dp/B000MSBUA4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421690860&sr=8-1&keywords=yellow+top+battery&pebp=1421690867178&peasin=B000MSBUA4

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2015 2:28 pm

PALiftedKK wrote:

replace the battery. seems like its shot. depending on your electrical load meaning if you have subs installed, that may be an issue on the stock battery. either way, throw a red or yellow top in there.

and yes, short trips kill the battery and engine components, especially in winter. minimize engine down time, meaning don't shut off the engine to save a couple of minutes of gas. keep it running if your by it to let the battery charge and for the engine to properly heat up. as well as clearing out any condensation left in the exhaust.

my 2012 kk will need a new battery this year. nothing is wrong with it but the oem batteries in my mind are unreliable; cheaply made. you will see a yellow top or equivalent in my jeep. the worst thing that could happen is your battery failing and your on a trail rarely traveled and no way to recover it.

http://www.amazon.com/Optima-8020-164-FFP-RedTop-Starting-Battery/dp/B006QH55WY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421690798&sr=8-2&keywords=red+top+battery&pebp=1421690805251&peasin=B006QH55WY

http://www.amazon.com/Optima-Batteries-8014-045-YellowTop-Purpose/dp/B000MSBUA4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421690860&sr=8-1&keywords=yellow+top+battery&pebp=1421690867178&peasin=B000MSBUA4

Forget the Optima's they are junk any more

PALiftedKK · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2015 2:56 pm

Really? that's disappointing. what agm battery would you recommend for the both of us then?

rimmy · **Joined:** Fri Jan 27, 2012 8:34 pm **Posts:** 57

Thanks for the reply. I read that Optima's quality went down after they moved their factories. I also read a lot of reviews stating they're still a good battery. So who knows... From what I've gathered, if they're going to crap out they'll do it within a year or so. With a three year warranty you'll at least get a replacement. But that is a big chunk of change to gamble with.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2015 10:14 pm

PALiftedKK wrote:

Really? that's disappointing. what agm battery would you recommend for the both of us then?

Either the Sears Diehard Platinum P1/P4 or the Odyssey PC1500DT(all the same battery).

papaindigo · **Posted:** Wed Jan 21, 2015 10:38 am

Comments:
1. winter is hard on batteries especially northern winters and especially if your trips are short hence a battery that's "ok" in summer won't handle winter.
2. based on decades of experience my rule of thumb is a battery will need to be replaced shortly after the warranty runs out. Yes there are exceptions but, unless you can routinely check the battery and not push it in winter, being stranded by a dead battery is not worth trying to save a few $s by pushing battery life.
3. Interstate makes pretty good AGM batteries also.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Jan 21, 2015 1:45 pm

papaindigo wrote:

3. Interstate makes pretty good AGM batteries also.

Optima's are not any good.

cobra_4 · **Joined:** Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:40 pm **Posts:** 53

Optima's have there advantages in certain situations, but in others, they aren't worth the money. (posting this from experience, I own an auto parts store and have worked in one since I was about 13 :5SHOTS:

) An optima is nice in something like an old street rod where the battery is inside the car. The sealed battery is nice peace of mind. If I was building a rock crawler, I'd put an optima in it. They are great in situations that take alot of extreme abuse, such as vibration, etc. They seem to thrive well there over a regular battery.

If your going to buy an optima, buy a yellow top, its worth the extra money to have the deep cycle.

The biggest mistake/killer of optima's is you can't charge it like a regular battery. They actually make a special really slow charger for Optima's, most people don't know this and charge them regularly, which kills them over time. It seems that Optima's don't do well sitting in a car that isn't driven every day or even every week. I see a lot of failures that way. Also, the sitting leads to them being charged which leads back to the first problem I mentioned.

I personally like an Interstate battery. Overall, I see more old interstates than anything else. Speaking of the AGM Interstates, they are pretty freakin' bad booty. The first one I got in and sold tested out at like 1300 cold cranking amps, that is a stud of a battery. I actually just got one yesterday to put in my Jeep to replace my regular Interstate, nothing wrong with it, just tossing in some more power for when I light the world up here in a week or two :POPCORN:

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 22, 2015 1:35 pm

cobra_4 wrote:

Optima's have there advantages in certain situations, but in others, they aren't worth the money. (posting this from experience, I own an auto parts store and have worked in one since I was about 13 :5SHOTS:

) An optima is nice in something like an old street rod where the battery is inside the car. The sealed battery is nice peace of mind. If I was building a rock crawler, I'd put an optima in it. They are great in situations that take alot of extreme abuse, such as vibration, etc. They seem to thrive well there over a regular battery.

If your going to buy an optima, buy a yellow top, its worth the extra money to have the deep cycle.

The biggest mistake/killer of optima's is you can't charge it like a regular battery. They actually make a special really slow charger for Optima's, most people don't know this and charge them regularly, which kills them over time. It seems that Optima's don't do well sitting in a car that isn't driven every day or even every week. I see a lot of failures that way. Also, the sitting leads to them being charged which leads back to the first problem I mentioned.

I personally like an Interstate battery. Overall, I see more old interstates than anything else. Speaking of the AGM Interstates, they are pretty freakin' bad booty. The first one I got in and sold tested out at like 1300 cold cranking amps, that is a stud of a battery. I actually just got one yesterday to put in my Jeep to replace my regular Interstate, nothing wrong with it, just tossing in some more power for when I light the world up here in a week or two :POPCORN:

Optima's in the last few years have trouble making it barely past the warranty,yellow tops are the biggest offenders(I know had 2 die just mere days outside of the warranty).Since they moved the production to mexico the quality went downhill real fast.

I wouldn't put a optima in any of my vehicles if you paid me.I'll stick with Odyssey batteries,4 year free replacement and 10 year service life.I have 1 coming close to 10 years and it still puts out 1000cca's+ and is only rated at 825cca's.My PC1750 in my Town Car is rated at 950cca's and puts out almost 1500cca's.

BKNY · **Joined:** Tue Apr 22, 2014 7:19 pm **Posts:** 13

Stopped using Optimas after they gave up the ghost after only a year or two. Partially my fault for under driving them but not worth the $$$ IMHO. Have had both the Red and Yellow tops (plural) in other vehicles. After noticing some weak starts with dealer supplied battery in the KK, I switched to Interstate which I have been familiar with for decades. Brushed up on their latest offerings and went with the MT7-34 AGM. A beast of a battery with 800 CCA and 48 month warranty. Not cheap by any stretch, but peace of mind is worth it when you absolutely have to rely on the Jeep to get you where you have to go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1Ah-PKJcfM

Function > Form · **Posted:** Fri Feb 20, 2015 11:39 am

I bought the biggest Kirkland battery I could fit (850 or 880 cca) and strapped it down. It doesn't fit that great on the battery tray, but it's a beast and in Ottawa, Ontario, it's been -20*C or colder almost EVERY DAY since NYE and it has started my lib up no problem even when it dipped to -35*C static temp for 8 hours (no windchill). It only cost me ~$100 Cdn, so that's a pretty smoking deal.

Coming from the track car world, I will caution you that AGM batteries also need to be charged differently than a conventional battery. Ensure that you have a charger that is made to charge an AGM. ALSO, if you have need for one, ensure that it is properly vented (edit -->) if mounted inside the vehicle. It can off-gas and WILL cause an explosion if the gas concentration gets high enough. Explore more with Miata owners - the battery is trunk-mounted and if not properly vented, or a non-AGM is used, many fires have resulted.

I also know many people that either absolutely LOVE or absolutely HATE Odyssey batteries (also track gar geeks). My observation from others' experiences is that if you observe the care requirements very closely (i.e. proper charger, never left out in the cold for weeks on end unused, etc), you will love the power to weight ratio of them. I have also heard that Odysseys are not the same quality that they used to be, but if you get a good one, they are really good. If you get a bad one, the warranty is usually not that bad to get a good replacement. Just might be a PITA to deal with. I feel that it might be overkill for a mild jeep build, but it depends how hardcore you want/need to be. I guess you need to ask yourself if you need lightness, smallness, and vibe-proofness of one of these?

ymmv

when to replace battery

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