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Old 07-16-2012, 11:57 PM   #21
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Re: Starting Batteries

Visually the Sears Die Hard Platinum batteries appear to be in the same cases as ones made by Odyssey and although I've read articles that say they are thought to be re-badged Odyssey's (EnerSys does make both), nobody has ever shown what Sears specs the batteries at. I’m not saying I know one way or the other but because the battery appears to be in the same case, it doesn't mean they use the same quality lead or build characteristics as in their Odyssey series. One thing about the Platinum series Die Hard is they have a good reputation, so chances are they truly are just re-badged Odyssey’s. It would be great to hear from somebody at EnerSys to confirm both batteries are the same and not just internet hype.

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Old 05-29-2013, 02:34 PM   #22
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Starting Batteries

Dave, I can't answer your question about the Sears batteries. But, I can say this:

I was just on an extended trip which got extended further than I had planned. My van sat for about two months and the batteries got completely drained. I'm pretty sure I read that kills the AGM batteries.

Sure enough, my charger said they were bad. I dropped them and took them back to Sears. They tested them and sure enough, one tested bad. They swapped it for a new one on the spot with no questions asked. Didn't even ask me for my receipt (was in the system).

I can't answer if they are as good as the Odyssey batteries or not, but I can say it is tough to beat the Sears warranty!
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Old 05-29-2013, 02:51 PM   #23
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Re: Starting Batteries

Quote:
Originally Posted by TwoVans
I can't answer if they are as good as the Odyssey batteries or not, but I can say it is tough to beat the Sears warranty!
I still hold a warranty from the JC Penny battery where they claimed it's the last battery you'll ever buy. This was from the 70's. I love taking my 67 Camero in for a new battery. It's been a few years but the last three times they had to call corporate. The manager said he thinks I'm the last person in the US to still hold the warranty. It’s now kind of a PITA dealing with the paperwork but it’s also funny that they got to call their lawyers…I love to aggravate them. I should frame the thing and hang it over the car
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Old 05-29-2013, 09:24 PM   #24
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Re: Starting Batteries

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Originally Posted by TwoVans
3. The cables are not long enough to set the batteries on the ground prior to disconnecting. I didn't have a floor jack, so I used a cooler that was high enough (13.5") to not leave the batteries hanging from the cables, but low enough to get a wrench in to take off the covers and disconnect the posts.
My 2004 has these wire support cables attached to each battery box that after lifting off the frame bolts the box will dangle and tilt so you can remove the covers and disconnect the electrical cables from the posts. Having done this 3 times now they are a very important part of making this procedure somewhat painless. I do have a floor jack and it helps but I don't use that till I need to remove those support cables. Just wondering if things have changed since 2004.
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Old 05-30-2013, 03:28 PM   #25
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Starting Batteries

Quote:
Originally Posted by PatO
Quote:
Originally Posted by TwoVans
3. The cables are not long enough to set the batteries on the ground prior to disconnecting. I didn't have a floor jack, so I used a cooler that was high enough (13.5") to not leave the batteries hanging from the cables, but low enough to get a wrench in to take off the covers and disconnect the posts.
My 2004 has these wire support cables attached to each battery box that after lifting off the frame bolts the box will dangle and tilt so you can remove the covers and disconnect the electrical cables from the posts. Having done this 3 times now they are a very important part of making this procedure somewhat painless. I do have a floor jack and it helps but I don't use that till I need to remove those support cables. Just wondering if things have changed since 2004.
YES! That makes WAY more sense. I was thinking those were grounds of some sort for the boxes. Next time will be MUCH easier!
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Old 03-20-2014, 05:20 PM   #26
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Re: Starting Batteries

Just wanted to let those that might care that I just replaced the two Optimas I installed back in May of '08. See above in this topic. I've had zero problems, but decided to replace them in kind as it's been almost six years since I installed them. They are still working fine, load test good, and I've had Optimas last ten years. But, even with the house battery backup, I go too many remote places to want to deal with a preventable problem on the road. Changing these out is enough of a pain in the butt at home with jacks and air tools to even think about doing it on the road. Besides when I dropped them to check them out, it seemed the best thing to do was to replace.

So, here's hoping that the new ones work as well as the others.
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Old 03-20-2014, 06:04 PM   #27
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Re: Starting Batteries

I have several and the only time I've had a problem it was my fault by letting the battery sit dead for a month or so.
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Old 08-09-2014, 08:43 AM   #28
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Re:

Quote:
Originally Posted by jage
Apart from the Optima I put in my Jeep last year (Blue top no complaints) I've always been a fan of the Wal-Mart battery. They usually don't even test 'em if you take them in and say "this is bad" they'll do the warranty.

I kind of wanted to go a little better on the van.
No longer the case at 2 Walmarts I visited last week. They do a voltage/temp test and if it passes they will not replace. I had to insist they do a load check which took 10 minutes and the battery failed. On the first test it showed 12.83V at 65 deg at a 70 deg ambient. The following day it showed 12.84V at 161 deg. A battery at rest should never be more than 12.6 V. May have been the typical Muscle Car tech who believed that more is always better but this is eldom the case with batteries.
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Old 08-09-2014, 01:41 PM   #29
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Re: Starting Batteries

That's a good point. It's one reason I switched to AGM starting batteries. I wanted the starting batteries to closely match the house battery system because they are often tied together during the day as the van sits under a solar charge. I was burning up the starting batteries on a yearly basis until I switched to all AGM's. I've gone 5 years now with no issues at all.

From the lifeline web site:
For a battery at room temperature, it can be considered fully charged when the charging current falls below 0.5A per 100Ah of rated capacity. The open circuit voltage (after at least 4 hours of rest) will be 2.17 volts per cell or higher (13.0 volts for a 12-volt battery), regardless of the battery temperature.
Different types of batteries have different specs.
I feel totally comfortable at 12.8 volts on my Lifeline and Odyssey battery banks.
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Old 08-09-2014, 03:21 PM   #30
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Re: Starting Batteries

Yes - the AGM specs are different to Wet cells. And we have to charge them differently too. So unless your alternator is putting out 14.4V (temperature adjusted) you cannot fully recharge an AGM. A problem for Golf Carts charged using automotive chargers.
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