Battery: What's Your Best Pick?

Sorry to further complicate this thread! I was sold on the Costco Interstate 27F but I happened to be at my local Toyota dealership this weekend and asked about batteries and they offer a lifetime battery for $189. The battery itself is no better or worse and likely just an OEM but they'll replace it at any Toyota dealership nationwide for the lifetime of the truck so thinking that might make sense. Anyone go that route yet and what's been your experience?

 

I will buy one of those the next time my truck needs a battery. I plan on keeping my truck for many more years.

 

My 2015 has the factory installed battery. 96k mikes and still going. If I go out of town for a week or 2 and my wife doesnt drive it the battery will be dead when I get back. But I jump it off a pack and let it idle and she's back going.

 

You can’t beat that offer.

 

"moot"

 

My tundra has 60,980 or 37,891 miles. My Tundra got impounded for a month, (don't ask why). I live in Canada and most of my American friends, and cousins know we get horrible frigid weather up here. My truck started in - 50°C. The impound lot guy was impressed cause he had to boost a Ford, and a GMC. Both were pickup trucks, and were 2 years old. Mine is 3 years old now. The impound lot guy wanted to buy it right there for $49,000, and I paid $52,000 Canadian when I bought it brand new. I kept it clean, and no accidents. I do sometimes wonder what battery is in it. I know it's probably a heavy duty one, but can I put any heavy duty battery in it? Again, Tundras rock

*During this covid situation, I hear alot of people want to get their hands on a Tundra and I've had people come up to me and try to give me a price, but I always said hell no.

 

Just finished my battery project today.

I started to 3 weeks back, but the cables were to short.

So I spiced them today.

I installed the Odyssey PC2150 deep cycle battery.

It's a group 31.

I choose this one, because I am adding a topper( AT Summit), that we will sleep in. It has a furnace and a fan, plus lights. Didn't want to kill my stock battery by pulling it down.

R65

 

Do you have a list of parts?

 

I had a relative in the city pick me up an Odyssey ODP-AGM27F to install this summer/fall, was originally planning to get Northstar but with the buy out/discontinuation and higher CCA I figured why not. Looks physically identical and same tech- bit of a gaudy colour but that’s just me being difficult haha.

 

https://www.odysseybattery.com/products/odx-agm31a-battery-31-pc2150t/


https://notmadeinchina.directory/pr...lly-assembled-battery-cables-made-in-the-usa/



https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item-159531-Stinger-SPT5210.html

 

HA! I did google search for replacement battery and this thread popped up. I completely forgot I posted in it, and here I am again. Today I put in another Costco battery in the Tundra for grand total of $122.61, up $19.17 from the last one. Previous one lasted 44 months and nearly 50K miles.

 

My OEM kicked the bucket 2 months shy of the 2 year mark. I bought the best flooded wet cell that AutoZone sells. Still strong at 5 years.

I put the highest CCA AGM marine starting battery in my boat. I went with AGM because of the location. Checking water levels in a flooded wet cell is a real pain. Boat has never failed to start but the AGM does not crank the motor like the previous battery.

 

Does Toyota still have the Lifetime battery?

I purchased a JCPenny Lifetime battery in 1979. I still own the car, and they are still replacing it FREE. You cannot beat Lifetime batteries.

JCPenney Battery Commercial 1974 (youtube.com) BTW here is the commercial.

 

I've heard about this before but never knew of anyone actually still doing it. What car, and do you take it to JCPenney or Firestone (which I think bought out that auto business from JCP)? That is amazing BTW.

 

I think Sears had a lifetime warranty at one time. Good luck with that.

 

I replaced mine at 3.5 years and 50k miles.

 

I went with the Odyssey battery and was pretty impressed with the quality.

 

I didn't take the car to Firestone. Just the battery.

This (to me) was actually an interesting story. I purchased the battery around 1979-ish for my 1969 Chevy. When JCPenny divested their automotive business and Firestone took it over, I found that Firestone honored the Lifetime guarantee.

The battery died in 2023 (not the original, I have replaced a number of them. Firestone usually gave me Interstate). I went to the Firestone dealer near me. The guy had a fit. He said he would not give me another free battery. The original was purchased in 1979 and I got all I should expect to get. I left the shop and and thought he was right. 44 years of free batteries was a good run. But then I thought…”Hell…Lifetime means Lifetime”. I call Firestone customer service. They called the shop. They still refused to replace it even though Firestone Corporate was telling them to do so. (that’s interesting that a dealer can refuse).

Firestone called me back and gave me a list of dealers that would replace it. I went to a dealer 20 minutes from me and he swapped it out with a DieHard. I asked what life I could expect and he said “Three years. They don’t make them like they used to.”

Just to get back to the question of Toyota and their Lifetime battery. Does Toyota have lifetime battery for $189. That would be a good deal.

 

I think Odyssey is a top of the line battery. I have one in my boat. But the cost has gone up....A LOT. I think for me to replace it was over $400.

 

My OEM battery on my 2018 died at 3 yrs. I bought a AGM die hard at AdvAuto and it's going strong at 3yrs and no diode. BTW O'Reilly sells the GM diode for something like $3.

 

What are you going to do the next time it dies? I love these stories. I've had a lifetime alignment since 2008 for my 2001 Tacoma, and I'm still using it. Paid $120 for it back then. That was the price of two alignments, no brainer. Too bad it's with Evans Tire, and they suck.

 

Bring it back to a Firestone dealer that will honor the Lifetime guarantee.

 

Ok , Good Morning

I don’t understand some of the things I’m reading so let me pick your brains.

if goto an AGM battery my alternator isn’t sufficient? What than would I need to do?
I’m going to a 31 from a 27F just to be clear

I don’t understand where this diode is supposed to go. Where I am looking to see if there’s one already there ?
Where is this ALT-S fuse and what’s the purpose of it? @Mallcrl

my cables are short to the battery so I am extending the post and not the wires , do you think that this is not a good idea?

forgive my ignorance

 

I love this. Thanks for the video link too. I actually remember that commercial. I was around 6 yrs old. Also, according to that commercial, their lifetime warranty was an unconditional guarantee.

I do not believe Toyota is offering the lifetime battery anymore; but maybe some dealerships do on their own. The longest OEM Toyota battery warranty I can find now is 84 months and that is pro-rated as you go:

"TrueStart batteries are warranted as free exchange from the date of purchase for 24 months, regardless of mileage, or the remainder of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty, whichever provides greater coverage, and on a prorated basis thereafter for up to 84 months. Proration is for the battery only (based on MSRP) and excludes applicable taxes, labor for installation and towing.

True-2 batteries are warranted as free exchange from the date of purchase for 18 months, regardless of mileage, and on a prorated basis thereafter for up to 60 months. Free exchange excludes labor for installation and towing. Proration is for the battery only (based on MSRP) and excludes applicable taxes, labor for installation and towing."

Still, the price and warranty of the TrueStart (at least for my truck locally) is far better than any other I can find locally: $127.

 

AGM battery takes a higher voltage to keep it fully charged. You would replace the factory alt fuse under the hood with the diode to bump up the charge volts. If you dont want to run the diode, you would have to use a battery maintainer like once a month to keep the battery fully charged.

 

In the past I've always bought Interstate Batteries from Costco but after reading some Bobistheoilguy posts and watching the FarmProject on YouTube it seems like the Walmart MAXX batteries made by Johnson Controls are also very good batteries both the lead acid and AGM versions.

 

Neither of which carry 27f(non-AGM)

 

I've used O'Reilly's Super Start batteries in various vehicles and had nothing but long lives out of them.

 

I know this sounds like a lie. But 2011 tundra. Replaced factory battery in Aug 2015 Advance auto part AMG gel battery and I still have it in my truck today 9 27 2024 at this point I want to see how lo g it will last.