Car Batteries - Update

[OnMyWay]

The latest in my saga, in red....

For my 2014 Trailblazer:

Battery 1 - OEM battery lasted about 17 months.  I think it was an AC Delco.  Side note, my regular shop just started stocking AC Delco batteries.

Battery 2 - Motolite Gold w/ 21 month warranty.  It lasted 24 months.

Battery 3 - Another Motolite Gold w/ 21 month warranty.  It lasted 27 months, until last week.

Battery 4 - I wanted to try Amaron and we now have at least one place that stocks them locally.  On Lazada, an Amaron  DIN 88 costs p9900 for the Hi Life Pro w/ 24 mo warranty.  That is a better battery than their entry level.  So I called the shop, and no stock for DIN 88 or 100.  He recommended one I had not heard of yet, Emtrac, and said they were as good as Amaron.  I had not heard of it so I looked it up.  Indian company, and their website says they supply for several car companies, and I found some positive reviews.  On Lazada, the Emtrac Plus DIN 100 with 24 month warranty is p8500.  I also called my regular shop, and he has Panasonic DIN 88 for p8800.  However, the Panasonic only had an 18 month warranty.

I went with the Emtrac Plus, 24 mo warranty, for p8800 less p200 trade-in.  It has the best specs, equal to the Amaron Hi Life Pro, of any of the truck / SUV batteries I have seen here.  100 AH, 900 CCA and 181 RC.  So now we will see how long it lasts.

I bought this Emtrac on 9/2/20.  One week after the 24 mo warranty has expired, the Trailblazer is me telling the voltage is low. Shopping for battery #5.

https://www.emtracplus.com/

 

 

Edited September 9, 2022 by OnMyWay

[Gator]

I’m not sure if they are available there, or what the cost would be since they would be imported from the USA, but for years I only tried to use batteries in my semi-trucks  and my personal cars made by East Penn Manufacturing. Namely the Deka brand when I could find them, but any “label” on them was ok for me (obviously the right size too). The few times I didn’t have any other choice and had to use those made by Johnson Controls I never had any luck. They would only last about 60-75% of their expected lifespan. It’s one of those “you get what you pay for deals”. 
 

Check the manufacturer’s date stamp / label before buying too. In the past I’ve come across batteries that had been sitting on the retailer’s shelf for years! Although the warranty doesn’t start until the date of purchase, a battery that’s already a even year old won’t last as long as a fresh one. 

Edited September 9, 2022 by Gator

[BrettGC]

8 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

The latest in my saga, in red....

For my 2014 Trailblazer:

Battery 1 - OEM battery lasted about 17 months.  I think it was an AC Delco.  Side note, my regular shop just started stocking AC Delco batteries.

Battery 2 - Motolite Gold w/ 21 month warranty.  It lasted 24 months.

Battery 3 - Another Motolite Gold w/ 21 month warranty.  It lasted 27 months, until last week.

Battery 4 - I wanted to try Amaron and we now have at least one place that stocks them locally.  On Lazada, an Amaron  DIN 88 costs p9900 for the Hi Life Pro w/ 24 mo warranty.  That is a better battery than their entry level.  So I called the shop, and no stock for DIN 88 or 100.  He recommended one I had not heard of yet, Emtrac, and said they were as good as Amaron.  I had not heard of it so I looked it up.  Indian company, and their website says they supply for several car companies, and I found some positive reviews.  On Lazada, the Emtrac Plus DIN 100 with 24 month warranty is p8500.  I also called my regular shop, and he has Panasonic DIN 88 for p8800.  However, the Panasonic only had an 18 month warranty.

I went with the Emtrac Plus, 24 mo warranty, for p8800 less p200 trade-in.  It has the best specs, equal to the Amaron Hi Life Pro, of any of the truck / SUV batteries I have seen here.  100 AH, 900 CCA and 181 RC.  So now we will see how long it lasts.

I bought this Emtrac on 9/2/20.  One week after the 24 mo warranty has expired, the Trailblazer is me telling the voltage is low. Shopping for battery #5.

https://www.emtracplus.com/

 

 

Admittedly your experience does seem extreme but I'm sure you're aware that car battery life reduces significantly in warmer climates.  I know when I moved from Gold Coast (temperate) to Cairns (hot and tropical) rather than a 5 year lifespan, I was changing my car battery (Ford Focus) every 24-30 months while I was there.  

Here's why:

Full article here:  https://www.rbbattery.com/car-battery-maintenance-tips-for-conditions-unique-to-asia/

[OnMyWay]

Looks like my hunch was wrong.  Battery might be ok.

Yesterday, I had a noise under the hood in the front area around the fan.  I could not spot anything.  This morning, took it to my shop which is very close.  When I jumped in, no power steering and charging system error.  Didn't bother to look under the hood because the shop is close.  Opened up the hood at the shop and the main drive belt was just hanging there.  Upon further inspection, the alternator pully was "warped".  Checking now to see if the alternator is damaged.

Now the parts hunt starts.  I think I will replace all the pulleys and drive belt.  Hopefully alternator is ok.

[OnMyWay]

11 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Now the parts hunt starts.  I think I will replace all the pulleys and drive belt.  Hopefully alternator is ok.

The parts hunt was not bad but the cost was higher than expected.  10,600.  3 or 4 years ago you could not find any Trailblazer parts locally but now there are some available.

I did not have time to hunt around for the parts, at a lower price than they gave.  The alternator was not damaged so all I needed was the belt and alternator pulley.  3500 and 2800, respectively.  They found them locally, and of course probably marked them up.  I could get them for a lot less on Lazada, but I needed the car back ASAP.

The alternator needed to be checked for damage, they said, and I could see why.  (That noise is external noise!).

 

They said they needed take the alt over to an alternator specialist so he could disassemble it and check it. My only objection to the overall cost was that this 3rd party changed 2500 for their labor of disassembling the alternator, checking it and testing it, then reinstalling it and and the new drive belt.

The owner of the shop is a bit of a friend outside his shop, and I questioned the 2500 the 3rd party charged, and he said that was the only option because they don't have the special tools or knowledge to work on the alternator.  To be fair, they did call me first, and I approved the 2500 before it was done, but I was stuck at that point.

So apologies to Emtrac, for now.  At 2 years and 1 week, the battery is still strong.  Time will tell.

[Mike J]

I should not have read this thread.  Motorcycle battery died yesterday.  Bad karma.  

[RBM]

 

Have had similar run to on my way  Chevi Spin.

Now battery of choice is Panasonic, not the cheapest but coming up to 3 years and still strong. Once the run is over will replace with same.

 

[JJReyes]

Our RV has 5 batteries.  My experience is the dry cell one dedicated for the engine lasted 6 years before needing replacement.  The 4 wet cells for interior lighting, water pump, microwave, coffee maker, electrical outlets, etc. had to be replaced every two years.  There is a 1200-watt generator that works through an extended fan belt to keep the 4 wet cells at peak whenever the engine was running and likewise, it is charged whenever you connect to a shoreline.  The dealer told me the wet cells would last forever because they are fully charged at all times.  Nope.  I have to stop believing dealers.

[OnMyWay]

On 9/9/2022 at 10:01 PM, OnMyWay said:

For my 2014 Trailblazer:

Battery 1 - OEM battery lasted about 17 months.  I think it was an AC Delco.  Side note, my regular shop just started stocking AC Delco batteries.

Battery 2 - Motolite Gold w/ 21 month warranty.  It lasted 24 months.

Battery 3 - Another Motolite Gold w/ 21 month warranty.  It lasted 27 months, until last week.

Battery 4 - I wanted to try Amaron and we now have at least one place that stocks them locally.  On Lazada, an Amaron  DIN 88 costs p9900 for the Hi Life Pro w/ 24 mo warranty.  That is a better battery than their entry level.  So I called the shop, and no stock for DIN 88 or 100.  He recommended one I had not heard of yet, Emtrac, and said they were as good as Amaron.  I had not heard of it so I looked it up.  Indian company, and their website says they supply for several car companies, and I found some positive reviews.  On Lazada, the Emtrac Plus DIN 100 with 24 month warranty is p8500.  I also called my regular shop, and he has Panasonic DIN 88 for p8800.  However, the Panasonic only had an 18 month warranty.

Battery update:

The Emtrac was finally dying and today I replaced it.  Got almost 3.5 years out of it!  Definitely the best battery I have owned in the Philippines.  The price went from 8800 pesos in 2020 to 10,000 now.  Not too bad of an increase in 3.5 years.  So my Trailblazer DIN 100 battery history is now:

Battery 1 - OEM battery lasted about 17 months.  I think it was an AC Delco.

Battery 2 - Motolite Gold w/ 21 month warranty.  It lasted 24 months.

Battery 3 - Another Motolite Gold w/ 21 month warranty.  It lasted 27 months

Battery 4 - Emtrac Plus w/ 24 month warranty.  It lasted almost 42 months.

Battery 5 - Emtrac Plus installed today w/ 24 month warranty.  

On 9/10/2022 at 12:36 AM, Gator said:

Check the manufacturer’s date stamp / label before buying too. In the past I’ve come across batteries that had been sitting on the retailer’s shelf for years! Although the warranty doesn’t start until the date of purchase, a battery that’s already a even year old won’t last as long as a fresh one. 

The guy and I checked all over the battery (except the bottom) and box and could not find any dates.  So I crossed my fingers, bought it, and hope it will last as long as the first. 

[Tommy T.]

As you have, no doubt, learned, battery life depends a lot on the usage. Wet cell batteries need to be discharged around 50% every few months, then charged up to top. If you have any batteries that you discharged fore than 75%, then it is living on borrowed time. If you discharge a wet cell battery flat, then you will need a replacement pronto. Wet cell batteries are not designed for deep discharge.

For an RV or other use (I owned and used a yacht for over 20 years) then you need to buys specifically "deep discharge" batteries. They are pricier than regular engine start batteries. After many years experience, I highly recommend gel-cell batteries for "house," or RV use. They are expensive, but can last many years if maintained properly. Do not discharge more than 50% and then recharge, and they will reward you with many years of service.

I also used a gel-cel battery for the engine start on my yacht and it lasted over 5 years.

Just some thoughts to consider...