Johnson Controls is probably the biggest manufacturer of batteries. They make Kirkland Signature, Diehard, Energizer, Duralast, Optima, Everstart, Autocraft, etc.
They even make batteries for Honda, Acura, Mitsubishi and Mazda
It’s not what brand of battery you buy, but it’s how you buy the battery.
If you go into a Sears store or anywhere else who sells batteries, you’ll see the batteries on a rack that slopes down. At the front of the rack are the batteries that have sat on the shelf the longest. At the rear of the rack are the newer batteries.
You want the battery at the rear of the rack because it’s less likely that sulfation has occured in the battery from sitting on the rack too long.
Tester
Totally agree with tester and would add that you should go to a place that sells a lot of batteries because the turnover is faster.
The last walmart battery I bought lasted a year. True the car was idle most of the time but still, a year for a $70 battery? The last three batteries I’ve bought have been Delco OEM. They have a long replacement warranty and seem to last 4-5 years. Yes they are a little more expensive and you have to look for a dealer but makes me feel better anyway. If you do it yourself, get one of those memory savers for $10, put a new 9v battery in it, plug it in to the accessory outlet and make sure it is on, then quickly change the battery.
depending on which battery you got from Walmart, your 100% replacement warranty is from 1-3 years, so why not just get it replaced?
It’s called pro-rata.
They deduct the actual use that was used from the product from its warranty period.
Tester
Yeah they replaced it after hemming and hawing an hour and having to run several tests on it by their “top” technician. Wouldn’t even turn the lights on it was so dead and wouldn’t take a charge. So who needs the hassle when its 20 below out. I understand they are OK batteries but most of the ones I’ve bought needed to be replaced in the 2-3 year time frame. Now it used to be that you could walk into any Walmart at 2:00 in the morning and get a battery swap which I had to do a couple times. But since they added their auto shops, returns have to be approved by the shop so after 9:00 you are out of luck for the day.
pro-rated is the second part of the warranty period. The first part is 100% replacement. Every battery has that, just depends on how long.
Thanks all for help full input. I did not know about CCA and learned something new!. My battery is 9 years old so I assume guy was not not lying when he said battery needs to be replaced. Recently (couple of weeks may be) I have noticed battery need little bit (may be 1 or 2 sec.) more cranking before engine fired up. But it was very cold in last 2 week as well.
I will retest that battery and it seems like Walmart is a good option.
Forget about the simple BRAND name aspect here .
Every brand…every one , has different levels of batteries within their brand name.
PLUS the LABELS on the batteries may have a choice of ‘‘BRANDS’’ yet the label-less batteries come out of the same factory prior to getting labeled such a Johnson Controls.
See YOUR owner’s manual for correct c.c.a. and do NOT just go buy the cheapest, because it’s the cheapest. Buy the correct or higher c.c.a. of any brand and definitely register your warranty.
Before you buy at Walmart…check with Sears/K-Mart. For some reason there’s always a Diehard battery on sale. And most of the time the sales price is hard to beat…even at Walmart or Costco.