Got a dud battery

[Chris142]

Saw a few positive posts in the past about the $50ish 1 year batteries at Walmart. Thinking they were a good deal I put on in our FJ.

Exactly 13 months later it's down to 500 cca which is a fail on my tester.

Never ran down or abused... Darn.

 

[atikovi]

500 cca is plenty for an FJ. Battery could stay at that level for years. A few days on a battery reconditioner might even increase it.

 

[ctechbob]

I usually get just under 2 years on those in my Accord. For whatever reason, it is hard on batteries and always has been. No faults found. Charging voltage is always perfect, no vampire drain. Probably a combination of heat and factory charging scheme. So it is either a new $60 battery every 2 years or a new $120-150 one every 3 or so.

 

[GSCJR]

500 cca is plenty for an FJ. Battery could stay at that level for years

+1

 

[ArtDart]

Saw a few positive posts in the past about the $50ish 1 year batteries at Walmart. Thinking they were a good deal I put on in our FJ.

Exactly 13 months later it's down to 500 cca which is a fail on my tester.

Never ran down or abused... Darn.

 

[Warstud]

Exactly 13 months later it's down to 500 cca which is a fail on my tester.

How many CCA did it have when you bought it ?

 

[ArtDart]

It should last longer….but 13 months on a 12 month battery?
Hard to call it a dud

 

[ruhroh]

I've had good and bad ones. I bought a 'ValuePower 65' battery in summer of 2018 and it died 12 months and 3 weeks later, just out of warranty. Bought it again, it was rebranded to "Everstart Value" 65: same JC manufacturer, same specs, exact same battery. It has now been 3 years and 4 months and it still cranks the Jeep fine. I don't have a CCA tester, but the voltage is at 12.46V in the morning. I don't know why this one lasted much longer than the previous one. No electrical work was done on the vehicle during all this time.

 

[SC Maintenance]

What does your tester say for state of health and state of charge?

I have one of the $55.00 batteries as well - it came home not in great shape, but hasn't been diminished much. I think I am at 10 months.

 

[ka9mnx]

it's a 1 year battery and you got 13 months?

 

[atikovi]

it's a 1 year battery and you got 13 months?

No. He's had it 13 months and is concerned it's down to 500 CCA. Still perfectly usable.

 

[nwjones18]

I've got several of them in various vehicles. Including two group 65's one from 2018 and one from 2017 in two old f-150's that are both still cranking fine.. I did have one in my Mazda go bad at 13 months.

 

[NormanBuntz]

I don't know if the Everstarts are made by Exide or Johnson Controls. If it's Exide, they have a lot of work to do to improve them. Exide hasn't been worth a darn since its bankruptcy.

 

[RAR]

When I see a Walmart ValuePower in a used car for sale, I know it’s suspect and being flipped on the cheap. I scrutinize even closer.

That said, I’ve bought a few of these cheap batteries to get a niece or nephew by for a few months or so until they can get a better one. Or a better car. I’ve also bought them to bring an auction car home, knowing it will likely die in the months before I can get a good start on it. Disposable, and I’ll use the ValuePower as a core.

Now if this situation the OP brought up was on the Maxx Start or another better, more expensive battery, I’d understand the irritation. Consider the ValuePower a very disposable, short-term battery until you can get a better one. And don’t worry about it being only 500 CCA now.

 

[MParr]

I got 13 months on an Everstart Maxx. Sweet! It’s warranted replacement didn’t last much longer. Those were the good old Johnson Controls days.

 

[FZ1]

Saw a few positive posts in the past about the $50ish 1 year batteries at Walmart. Thinking they were a good deal I put on in our FJ.

Exactly 13 months later it's down to 500 cca which is a fail on my tester.

Never ran down or abused... Darn.

I got the Maxx for the warranty. So far so good. My car is garaged fwiw.

 

[Chris142]

500 cca is plenty for an FJ. Battery could stay at that level for years. A few days on a battery reconditioner might even increase it.

What does your tester say for state of health and state of charge?

I have one of the $55.00 batteries as well - it came home not in great shape, but hasn't been diminished much. I think I am at 10 months.

65%

 

[JHZR2]

The two $50 group 65 batteries still start my Cummins perfectly.

 

[JMJNet]

Does it still start the FJ?

 

[Chris142]

500 cca is plenty for an FJ. Battery could stay at that level for years. A few days on a battery reconditioner might even increase it.

Ya but I don't want my wife getting stuck somewhere