New Battery advice

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Camprunner

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Ok lots of talk on Battery's on this site since the cold snap so I need to narrow down my options. I need a new one for my 2012 Nissan Pathfinder and I can't replace it myself due to health issues so....

Are Napa battery's any good? Will they install one? There is a Napa close to me.

Is there a better brand and if so who will install it?

Thanks!
 
Another option to consider would be Everstart Maxx from Walmart... good price and warranty. If your WM has an auto repair shop attached, then they will probably install it for you as well.
 
Napa battery are made by Deka, I believe, and they are fine. No Napa store I know of will install batteries. You may want to call and see what your local store says. My daughter had her Subaru battery replaced by Sam's Club and they did a good install with no issues. Sears, Advance Auto, Walmart all install batteries. These batteries are generally OK and made by either Deka or JCI.
 
Some Napa batteries are also Johnson Controls I'm pretty sure. Like O'Reilly, it depends on the actual model of battery and also is regional sometimes. If you can afford it upgrade to an AGM battery, otherwise, it doesn't really matter who makes it, just don't get the cheap ones with the 1 year warranty, they are junk.

I don't work at Napa, I work at the other place I mentioned, we don't officially install batteries but if it's an easy car, the person is friendly, it's not raining, and we have enough people, we might be able to do it for you.
 
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Originally Posted By: Camprunner
Is there a better brand and if so who will install it?


Do you have any neighbors? Friends who visit once in a while? Congregation?

Drive over (with a friend) to any Pepboys, Napa, Wallyworld, AAP, AutoZone and have a 10mm loop wrench in pocket, pair of latex gloves.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Another option to consider would be Everstart Maxx from Walmart... good price and warranty. If your WM has an auto repair shop attached, then they will probably install it for you as well.


That’s what I did earlier this fall except I installed.
So glad with the cold.
 
Yes, Sam's Club performs free installation with battery purchase; they carry Duracell brand auto batteries which are East Penn / Deka.

Also consider Pep Boys with 30% off currently on many items including Bosch batteries. The Bosch AGM carries a 4 year warranty. Bosch batteries are made by Exide. Go to the Pep Boys web site and input your vehicle to see if yours is a model they offer free installation with battery purchase. You can use the discount code on-line or in-store.
 
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Originally Posted By: JayhawkRoy
Napa battery are made by Deka, I believe, and they are fine. No Napa store I know of will install batteries. You may want to call and see what your local store says. My daughter had her Subaru battery replaced by Sam's Club and they did a good install with no issues. Sears, Advance Auto, Walmart all install batteries. These batteries are generally OK and made by either Deka or JCI.


Batteries Plus also installs.

This late into the cold snap many stores are out of several sizes. Your selection might be limited once you find out who still has your battery size in stock.
 
Originally Posted By: henni
.... and have a 10mm loop wrench in pocket, pair of latex gloves.


most modern battery clamps are 8mm (5/16")
 
I'm pretty sure my local Auto Zone will install a battery. Wherever, calling ahead may save you trouble.
grin2.gif
 
Walmart installed one in my 2001 VW Bug this past Saturday. No additional charge for the install. I checked online to make sure they had the correct battery (Group 47 / H5) before going to the store. Did not like a whole lot that it took 1.5 hours to get it done but they were upfront that it would be at least an hour when I got there and I chose to wait. Got one with a 12/17 date code and I believe is a JCI battery. $110 + tax out the door. Cheaper by at least $30 over Advance (even with $40 coupon code), pep boys (with $30 off but they wanted $10 to install due to difficult install), AutoZone, Oreillys, or Napa. Home Depot and Rural King had for the same price but was for an Exide battery and no install.
 
Walmart Maxx up this part of the country suck, they are JC and to date the absolute worst batteries I ever installed followed closely by AA Gold another JC unit.
Go to Sears and get a Die Hard gold, there will probably be two versions of the gold, one is by Deka and the other the dreaded JC, you want the Deka which is easily identified by its lack of top caps. Sears will install it.
What is the car?
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
Walmart Maxx up this part of the country suck, they are JC and to date the absolute worst batteries I ever installed

What sort of problems are you seeing with them?
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Trav
Walmart Maxx up this part of the country suck, they are JC and to date the absolute worst batteries I ever installed

What sort of problems are you seeing with them?

I have gotten from 5-7 years from three WM Maxx's and still going. My last Diehard Gold didn't make it to three years. I wouldn't buy anything from Sears as they(company) are likely to be history before the warranty expires. The reason I buy at WM is their fast turn over of batteries. I would take a fresh battery anyday than one which has dust all over it after sitting around for 6+ months.
 
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Multiple early failures, some as short as 4 months. All vehicles had not excess current draw or starting/charging system issues and all had clean terminals.
One suffered an instant death on the road, it started in Boston well enough but after a 50 mile drive the car was stopped at a store and no restart just click.

Alternator and cables fine, jump pack got it going and new Die hard installed, no more problems.
With all the misery I had had with these and AA batteries I wont take one under warranty as a gift, Napa/Deka or Die Hard Deka are the only easy to find options here and the Die Hard is always on sale and not expensive.

This was not one or two batteries but half a dozen in different cars.
 
Dekka is made by East Penn. There are only really 3 battery manufacturers out there, East Penn, Johnson Controls and Exide. Almost every battery out there is made by one of those manufacturers. Motorcraft,Delco and Interstate are Johnson Controls. Napa's are East Penn. I have a Napa (East Penn) in a 2002 LeSabre that was built in July of 2008 and it just passed a load test 2 weeks ago but granted it's under the back seat and not exposed to the under hood heat. Heat is the biggest killer of batteries.
 
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