Battery suggestion for my Buick Century

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Looking to replace the battery in my 2002 buick century. I was looking at some suggestions i haven't bought a battery in many years and am trying to figure out who is manufacturing the good ones these days.

Pep boys has a nice big bosch battery with a good warranty for $120 installed, are these still made Exide OEM or are they any better?

Other than that i know it can take a group size 78 recommended or a 75 alternate, and i want to go with the bigger one if possible.

I saw a Duracell battery on sale at Meijer for $105 and i know nothing about their OEM.

Other than that i typically buy walmart batteries like the Everready MAXX.

I can't really afford an Optima and would like to spend around $120 or so. $200 just seems high for a battery.
 
Advance silver with coupon. I put one in my 2000 century and another in a 95 saturn. All the quality you could dream of. Don't let the bargain price scare you.
 
What about the Advanced gold? I like the 3 year warranty and i just called them and they have the 78 size Gold for $105.

Where is the coupon on the silver??
 
Any non Exide battery. Lead calcium, maint. free.

I think the Walmart MAXX (if JCI) are good batteries and easy to get replaced if there is a failure.

Call 800-CRANKIT for nearest Interstate dealer and get a quote.
 
A JCI battery has octagonal vent caps and a 1/2" circular "Plain readable" date code sticker. (Like 2/13)
 
I'm not sure if eljefino is talking about a specific coupon for the Advance silver battery, but there are AAP coupons you can use on their website. Most people buy online to apply the coupon codes and get the discount and pick up at local store that has it in stock(you apply the code and set pickup location in the cart). This post has the latest list of the coupon codes (you might need to add some cheap filler item to get you over when using some of these codes). http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2901124#Post2901124
 
The battery pictured at walmart does have the vent caps you mentioned but i just got the coupon codes from advanced auto part from the other poster and i don't think i can pass up those savings
smile.gif
 
I think i am going to get the Autocraft gold 78-2 with 770CCA, with the $40 off coupon code it comes down to $83 after i get my core charge back.

EDIT:

I did place the order for the Autocraft Gold 78-2, paid $102.81 upfront.
 
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Originally Posted By: eljefino
Advance silver with coupon. I put one in my 2000 century and another in a 95 saturn. All the quality you could dream of. Don't let the bargain price scare you.



+1 this is what Id go for.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Advance silver with coupon. I put one in my 2000 century and another in a 95 saturn. All the quality you could dream of. Don't let the bargain price scare you.



+1 this is what Id go for.




Is there something that makes the silver superior to the gold or is it just the warranty? If so i will stick with the gold because i have had many a battery fail between the 2-3 year mark and be outside the 2 year warranty.
 
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
Any dead sure way to tell if the walmart battery is a JCI by looking at it? Is it stamped somewhere?


It also says JCI or Johnson Controls on a label. The JCI batteries are harder to tell if there are no cell caps. But they should have a JCI label.
 
Silver just for its price point. "Forever ago" (2001) walmart had a mid-grade JCI semi-universal battery, the DT-3N. This is about equal to the present day mid-line silver. I've had great experiences over the decade since, though I had to avoid walmart after they went with Exides.

I agree with a philosophy that once your CCA needs are met you don't want too many more as the plates get thinner and are more likely to get damaged. Surely the Gold is well made inside but IMO it's past the point of diminishing returns.

There are sizes AA only carries in ghetto cheap and gold, but GM's nearly standard side terminal comes in midline silver. And it's probably fresh as they sell thousands of 'em.

PS look around the rebate section here and on advance's site; there may still be an active one on the gold.

PPS when you take your core in, make sure they process it properly, get a slip.
 
There is something to be said about the robustness of the grids, or lack thereof, when batteries are made for ultimate lowest impedance/highest power. Thin plates can be more easily damaged, can more easily flake, etc., under non-optimal conditions.

The silver is a screaming deal with coupon, and has a good compromise of power to energy without being built to the extreme upper end where neither the amps are needed, nor the chances of an issue due to a bad grid.

The gold is a good battery, for sure, but the silver is a better value and likely more robust in construction of the lead (others have said that they also have more acid in there, though Ive seen no proof of this). The added warranty youre paying for in the gold is what drives the cost higher, they arent giving you years of warranty for free...

Id personally go for the silver in most every application.
 
I will consider the Autocraft silver for my next purchase, but i have already submitted my online order for the Autocraft Gold and will pick it up shortly. Thank you for the advice, i am sure i will be needing a battery

I will probably put a Silver in my Taurus when it needs it.
 
I think AAP batteries are good.I have their "Economy" group size 75 battery in my Sunfire for 3 months,No problem.Not really sure if it can make it far past the 1 year free replacement though.

But for $46,I can't complain.Any ideas who makes their "Economy" ones?
 
Originally Posted By: Azeem
I think AAP batteries are good.I have their "Economy" group size 75 battery in my Sunfire for 3 months,No problem.Not really sure if it can make it far past the 1 year free replacement though.

But for $46,I can't complain.Any ideas who makes their "Economy" ones?


Mine has a JCI sticker. Put it in my wife's saturn. It's puking acid like no other battery I've ever put in any GMs. I had AA test it when it was 11 months old, hoping it would fail, but the poor thing passed.
frown.gif
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: Azeem
I think AAP batteries are good.I have their "Economy" group size 75 battery in my Sunfire for 3 months,No problem.Not really sure if it can make it far past the 1 year free replacement though.

But for $46,I can't complain.Any ideas who makes their "Economy" ones?


Mine has a JCI sticker. Put it in my wife's saturn. It's puking acid like no other battery I've ever put in any GMs. I had AA test it when it was 11 months old, hoping it would fail, but the poor thing passed.
frown.gif



Mine doesn't leak ,however, wish I bought the "Autocraft" silver for $17 more.But my theory was "I'm not going to keep the car for long time" but with the prices of dealers' pre-owned cars around me ,I may keep it for a while.
 
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