My Walmart Battery experience

I have noticed my 2006 F250 Diesel PU turning over a little slow for a few months
I clean the terminal ends and topped off the water with distilled water every 6 mo.
Then give the terminal ends a fresh coat of Black Krylon paint
This morning I cycled the glow plugs and then it just went click-click at 32deg.
I know everyone here knows the dreaded click-click sound
I got my gf's keys and jumped it off.
I had work to do at home and didn't have an appointment earily so that was good.
Just locked it up running for a hour
My Fluke VOM said it was putting out 14.8 volts dc at Idle
I put 2 batteries on it on 07/30/09, Walmarts best Maxx 27s,3yr. no pay for replacement
I wanted Interstates but money was tight so I got Walmarts, No choice then
Drove to Walmart and told them one of my batteries was dead, they said they'd check it
30 min. later I went back out and the mechanic told he had checked them and they both
showed good.
I asked him if he checked them hooked together like it was or seperate, he said together
I told him you couldn't check them together and had to disconnect one of them
This pissed him off so I told him I would get my tools and and do it for him
he said he would do it and apologized, I told him no problem
He checked the one he disconnected in front of me and it showed good
he asked if he could check the other one still hooked up to the truck and I told him yes
as it was not connected to the other battery now
He checked it and said it needed to be charged and it would take 30min. to do so
Then he would check it again
When I came back after 45min. they told me My truck was ready to go with a new battery on it
At no charge of course and they put the little felt pads under the new and old battery posts
Sometimes its hard to be humble

I run Mal-Wart batterys because I have got them all for free or nearly free by taking in ones from junkers. If I had to pay they would be Megatrons.

had ok luck with wally world---have been exceptionally pleased with autozone's house brand--got a free 3 yr batt for one that barely went 2 yrs--no muss no fuss

My son purchased a new battery at AutoZone (I think it was AutoZone)
He purchased a Bosch. They didn't have a InterState and his was dead so no choice.
He researched the Bosch and had a friend with them on his Diesel pu recommend them
I don't have any idea about them but this is the first battery I didn't have to buy for him so I'm happy LOL

Once, long time back, I was privy to private testing data that could not be used by any company for advertising. Interstate beat the shit out of every other battery and was the only one whose batterys actually outperformed the advertised reserve capacity. Some come close and many fell way short. CCA don't mean squat diddely, reserve capacity is what gives a battery ass. Cheaper batterys won't even list it.

The original MotorCraft batteries that come on these trucks seems very good to me.
I purchased this 06 in April 06 and they lasted until 7-09
usually I replace them with Interstates and they last 3-4 years which I think is a
very good life span on a diesel pu.
I had a 88, 96, 99, 01, 05 and this 06 all diesels with a total of about 2,100,000 miles
I have purchased a lot of batteries

my az battery has something like 135 mins of reserve on 795 cca

it's an 8 yr batt with free replacement inside 3 yrs

Admin wrote:my az battery has something like 135 mins of reserve on 795 cca

it's an 8 yr batt with free replacement inside 3 yrs

Should be a pretty good one, I wonder who makes it for them.
I wish I had the $$ to try an Optima, heard nothing but good on those.

My nephew in Witchita Falls Tx. has a friend who works at he Air Force base there
He is getting me a couple of deep cycle batteries like the Optima's for my sail boat
They install them on some kind of communications equipment and change them every year
My nephew put one on his travel trailer at our deer lease and it looked brand new
This is our tax dollars at work and I want some payback lol

CJ,s 67 F100 wrote:
My nephew in Witchita Falls Tx. has a friend who works at he Air Force base there
He is getting me a couple of deep cycle batteries like the Optima's for my sail boat
They install them on some kind of communications equipment and change them every year
My nephew put one on his travel trailer at our deer lease and it looked brand new
This is our tax dollars at work and I want some payback lol

If you feel at all guilty about using the taxpayers batterys you could buy us a beer.

I ran an Optima red top in my bumpside for a while. It was ok, but not worth the extra $$ in my opinion. One thing they DON'T like is going dead! If they ever get discharged, you might as well throw them away and get another. When I finally got sick of it, I threw a new battery from Les Schwab in there and that's a crankin' mother!

No guilt at all here but I will still buy you a beer

I have not ran a battery all the way down on my sailboat yet
I had two (just one now) and if I thought it was a little weak I could use the changeover switch to change to the full charge one.
I will have a solar panel on them to maintain them and a battery charger to recharge them from shore power in my slip.
This combination has worked well in the past for me
Also in the spring I am going to change all the lights to Led

optima's are ok, but not all that--they don't mix and match with lead acid batt's--if u have an optima in your truck and a lead acid on your trailer winch do not hook them up for extra power--optima killer for sure--don't ask me to explain--but that's info from their site--after the fact research from 7 yrs ago--and u need a special setting on your battery charger to charge them properly


a small bottle of beam will do--thank ya very much

I will put the Optima wanna free bee's on my sail boat not my truck JD
I never buy anything unless it has a handle on it, like in BIG BEAM.
Learned that at Madi Gras. Tie a leather strap thru the handle and then put it around your neck. The chicks love it and no matter what you can't drop it and you can always find it

tie that beam around your waist--those chickies will be closer to where the action is--know what i mean vern

Admin wrote:tie that beam around your waist--those chickies will be closer to where the action is--know what i mean vern

Yeah, just hope those who look like chickies really are JD

I,m looking Timberlawns phone number up now JD
Think they are having a New Year Eve special going on the padded rooms

willowbilly3 wrote: Once, long time back, I was privy to private testing data that could not be used by any company for advertising. Interstate beat the shit out of every other battery and was the only one whose batterys actually outperformed the advertised reserve capacity. Some come close and many fell way short. CCA don't mean squat diddely, reserve capacity is what gives a battery ass. Cheaper batterys won't even list it.

I've been buying Interstate batteries since the early 80's. Just replaced the 72 month Megatron in my DD after 88 months. It never died but I like to replace them before they go to lead-acid heaven.