OK, I am in the market for a new battery and was in WalMart today and saw they carry our size. The EverMaxx 36 month goes for $77. Warranty is a full replacement for 36 months, after that nothing. I did a search on the forum and see where some have apparently gone that route. Also from what I read on here, it looks like the Bosch is around $140 at Pep Boys or Autozone and I read it has a 96 month warranty, but I imagine that is pro rated, maybe after three years or so. Am I right?

So has anyone used the WalMart battery and if so what were your results?

All things being equal, would you get a 36 month battery for $77 or pay nearly twice as much for the Bosch? It looks like the WalMart brand has the same specs as the factory brand.

Thanks

 

Tarheel, take a look at http://jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/batbrand.htm and do some research there. If I remember right, for the most part, Bosch and WalMart (aka, Everstart Batteries) are made on the same assembly line, just have different stickers put on the outside of the box. There are only 2 manufacturers truely in the US, Johnson Controls and Exide. Everyone else purchases their batteries from them and have them put a different sticker on the outside. This can get a bit confusing (as you will see in the link I provided) in that the Everstart batteries (aka, Walmart brand) will sometimes switch to the other manufacturer because their warehouse/production center is closer, therefore they can be shipped cheaper (leading to a cheaper product).

If you really want to compare apples to apples, you will need to look at the manufacturer code on the battery and see if they are the same. But, for the most part, the big difference between the two batteries is going to be the amount of warrantee you get. Some people like the long warrantee, some would rather risk it. Up to you.

 

Thanks. So is it true that the Bosch battery is the same but carries a longer warranty? Or is it a high output battery?

 

Personally I wouldn't buy a battery from WalMart for moral reasons, then again, I also wouldn't buy one from PepBoys either for the same reason. I bought one from my locally owned, owner run independent battery shop just yesterday. Had it not imploded so badly that I couldn't even jump start it, they would have put it in too for a grand total of $130 and change. Not a clue what the warranty is.

As was stated there are only a handful of manufacturers. Had it not been on a Saturday I would have gone to a local rebuilder who charges all of $25 a battery for any rebuilt battery.

 

OK, after some research on the homepage of PepBoys and Autozone it looks like I can get the Bosch at Pep Boys or the Duralast Gold at Autozone, both are $144. The PepBoys says it is 730 CCA/800 CA. The Autozone specs are 730 CCA/912 CA. Warranty on both is a full replacement in first 36 months, prorated after that for five more years.

The WalMart Everlast Maxx is $75 with a 36 month full replacement but no prorated (none of WalMart's batteries have any prorated replacement since June 1 or this year). They do not list batteries on the WalMart web site, but I found a picture of the battery on the net and it shows 765 CCA/910 CA. There is also a model 94RN but that is not the model in my store. The specs for the 94RN seem to be a little different, they are 730 CCA/875 CA.

Now I have two questions. On the Autozone website it says the battery is vented. I know some BMW models use this battery and they are vented to the outside via a hose. I have not looked at my battery lately but I do not remember any venting or vent hose. Does our model have any venting on it?

Second, I read a post in a BMW forum that said if you used a non OEM battery with a higher CCA you had to take the car to the dealer and get it reprogramed to the new specs. One guy had an issue where a few of his idiot lights would not go off after he started the car and apparently this was the issue. I am pretty sure all three of these batteries have higher CCA than the OEM battery. Are there any adjustments that must be made after switching out the battery, other then resetting the radio, etc?

Thanks guys.

 

My factory battery had a vent hose. The replacement did not. I didn't have to reset my radio but did have to reset the key fobs.

Mine has a 730cca rating, factory was 680? or so, no resetting needed. Me thinks the BMW owners just like to show the world how much money they throw away at the ***********. It is a status thing.

 

So is there an issue if you do not use the vent hose? Where is it located? And which battery did you buy? Thanks

 

I have always done my battery replacements at Sears, they usually have some type of sale on them and I have always had good luck with them. They also hook up one of those devices so I don't loose my radio code! Very annoying having to goto the dealer to get that.

 

Facing the battery, it's on the left side. Why the factory thinks there's a need for venting I don't know. I do know that my motorcycle battery is also vented.
Just a thought, maybe there's no vent in the caps. I haven't looked at that. I know there's no vent in the caps on the motorcycle battery.

 

Although it seems sacreligious to have a Walmart sticker anywhere under the hood of a prized Jaguar, all things being equal - Bigger is always Better.

Simple science. More Lead, Greater Capacity. More CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) and a heavier battery can have a real "settling" effect on a car's electrical system, and the battery itself will last longer.

The Alternator produces AC current, and then changes it to 12v DC with rectifiers (diodes) before it pumps it out to run the many computers on your Jag. Those computers, along with everything else, run on Direct Current. Electronics always run better and last longer with nice, clean, stable DC. The heavier the battery, the smoother and more stable the system it runs in is going to be.

Take a scale with you, and shop by weight.

Better yet, get one of these batteries, they even have "Cat" on them: http://ohe.cat.com/cda/files/1259739/7/PEHJ0073-02.pdf (weights are given for comparison shopping, too!)

(It's the one on my Wish List!)

I am quite suprised to read Tarheel's comments that anyone would have a problem with a higher-capacity battery. I had never heard a mention like that before.

Any Electrical Engineers in the crowd?

 

What codes are required? Benebob siad he didn't hve to reset anything but I would assume you lose your stations that are marked. Are you saying the radio quit working until your entered a code? I'll have to check but maybe I have the reset code in my paperwork. Is that what you are speaking of here/

 

Ive used Walmarts batteries ever since Consumer Reports rated them a best buy for cost and performance a few years ago.
And if going by weight, then how do you explain the many ultra hi performance batteries on the market that are not only smaller but lighter(like half the weight). Of course they are around $1000 give or take a few hundred

 

There's a time limit on how long you can be off the battery before it affects the stereo setting. As you say thought reset the balance etc. the preset stations should be OK at least I don't remember having to reset them. Also reset the trip meter etc, to zero. I've had the battery out for up to an hour at a time.

 

The "High Performance" batteries you speak of Brutal are anything but Lead & Acid. They are some kind of exotic metals and weird paste configurations.

The guy at the local NAPA store sold me one ($200 USD+) for my 1979 Lincoln Mark V (last last last of the Big Boys), the selling pont being it was "Bullet-Proof" - you could actually shoot it and it would still start the car so you could leave.

(Long story...)

They only thing I think I left was way too much money with him. After leaving the lights on all night about twice, the "High Performance Battery" crapped out royal. It wouldn't hold a charge for anything. They ain't as forgiving (or as rechargable) as good 'ol Lead & Acid.

I stand by my statement that heavier is better!

 

A few quick pre-coffee remarks....

Just because there are only two manufacturers do we know that all the batteries are made to the same level of quality. Isn't it possible that (let's say) Johnson controls makes a premium battery for Bosch and a lower quality battery for...whoever? Is there more to it than just swapping labels? I dunno. I'm just throwing it out there.

That said.....

I don't ever recall having bought a bad battery, including Walmart. Every one I've bought has performed well and lasted several years.

I've heard that most batteries fail from falling apart inside. It's vibration that kills 'em.

Cheers
DD

 

If it has a vent hose nipple then you will drop battery acid through it and it will go where ever gravity takes it. There should already be the vent hose there and if your careful just plug and play if your battery has a vent. Mine didn't so I'm assuming it is vented through the fill caps.

As for the radio. Yes the presets needed reset on mine, I didn't have to enter the radio security code.

 

dont get a battery from walmart, my sis car was bought with a walmart battery and the battery was fine one day but the next the battery was completely dead and useless.
If you want to save money in the long run just stay away from walmat

 

lol I guess you should stay away from Jaguar and Interstate batteries too cause they do the same thing.....

 

I can't tell you have many expensive batteries I have seen do the same thing. When it is their time to go, it is their time to go. I have been pretty successful at getting the stated time out of them, but beyond that you are rolling the dice.

At this point I think I am going to go the WalMart route, I haven't anything that makes me think different. If I get a fresh battery every three years, for $77, I think that is a good deal and I will not have to worry about it dying on me hopefully. If it dies sooner, well at least I get a free replacement battery!

I will of course paint over the WalMart label and superimpose a high end label.

 

I bought the Walmart 94R yesterday. I couldn't see paying more since I don't know how long I'm going to keep the car. One parts store had the Exide 94R which he said he'd sell me for $120 (down from $143). Still went for the $77 EverStart.

The Walmart battery does have the vent. In fact it has 2 vents, one on each side and they include a plug to install into the unused vent. I charged it up and it slipped right in, perfect fit. I had it disconnected for about 5 minutes while I cleaned the connectors and box. Afterward, I had to reset the clock, temp setting, re-index the windows and all the mileage was cleared out (bummer, I hadn't cleared out B setting since I bought the car).

The only reason I went for a new battery was because I was getting a DSC error on almost every start. It used to only happen in cold weather but this summer it started happening all the time. Thanks to "Jagtec1", a tech on this site, he suggested it could be as simple as a low power condition which the DSC system didn't like while initializing. It could have just been dirty terminals but I figured I was on borrowed time for an original battery made in 04. I don't want to be changing it in the snow in a few months.

Thanks again to Jagtec1, I'll keep everyone posted if this didn't solve the DSC error.

Oh BTW, does anyone know the Reserve Capacity of the Walmart 765cca?