Hello everyone. I have moved from sunny San Diego to Casper Wyoming where it snows and gets really cold. My 2005 S Type still has its original factory Jaguar battery. I figure that I will have to replace it soon. And i am not sure which battery to choose. I am looking at the Optima, Sears Diehard, and Interstate. Any thoughts?

 

I would stay away from Interstate - I purchased a Bosch battery from Pep Boys - well priced and good CCA/Reserve above OEM standards - overall a very good battery for the money.

 

Hi Mark! I'd personally vote for BOSCH, since I've never had any problems with quality of any of their products! All the best!

 

You may not need a new battery quite yet. Heat is harder on batteries than cold. Ask any battery manufacturer.

When you do buy a battery, buy it locally as batteries sold in different regions have different constructions.

An Optima gel type may not be the best idea as they require a slightly higher voltage for charging.

Interstate batteries are as good as any. What you have to look at in any battery brand is the actual construction. There are at last count only three battery manufacturers in North America. Every brand is made by one of them. Within those brands are budget, standard and premium batteries. The premium batteries really are better. Premium fleet batteries are great.

 

I just got my battery replaced with a Jaguar Battery. The original lasted from 2005 till now and did an exemplary job up till Monday before Thanksgiving. The jaguar Battery cost me $230 dollars. With them doing it, there's 3 chargeable items on my invoice, 35.95 , 187.88 Battery itself and someting for 6.00 called battery Protectors (guessing those little red and black rubber covers that go over the positive and negative terminals. For another 7 years, to me 230's worth it.
s wprtj

 

I replaced the factory battery in my wife's 2006 XK8 in late September when the car began exhibiting the typical quirky mannerisms of a failing battery. Like several forum members above, I went with the Bosch vented battery from Pep Boys. But first I went to the Pep Boys website, found and printed a $20 coupon, took it along with my tools to Pep Boys and exchanged the battery right there in the store parking lot. Total cost with the coupon was right at $95. The warranty specifies a free battery replacement for the first three years, and a pro-rated replacement for the next five years. This was the best bang-for-the-buck replacement I could find. When our 2005 S-Type's factory battery begins to exhibit the typical quirky symptoms, I'll replace it with the exact same Bosch and hope that the $20 coupon will still be in play....

Casper must be quite a shock for you compared to San Diego. How cold do the winter temps get there? I'm familiar with Jackson Hole but not Casper....

 

My climate is similar to yours in Casper. And as much as Plums probably knows some stuff, any of us who live in extreme climates know that we don't replace batteries in our cars during the summer when it's 115d anywhere NEAR as much as we do in the winter when it's -10d. That's just fact.

I'm a HUGE fan of the Optima line of batteries. In the last 10 years, I've not replaced any batteries that didn't get replaced with Optimas. And in the last 18 years that I've been using Optimas, I've NEVER had one fail on me. (YES.... NEVER)

My only concern would be wether the optima can physically fit in the spare-tire location of the S-Type's battery. (at least that's where it is in my STR)

 

Size 353x175x190mm

 

Thanks for the heads up!! But it's only good thru 11-30 so two days left!!

I have no problems but my 2005 is still factory, with this $20 push I am going to change it out early. The trunk mounting sure makes them last longer. I have never had a factory battery last 7+ years.
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George (Androulikis) had an Optima mounted in his (former) S-Type...pics somewhere in here...search?

 

I will back up Plums on this one. I lived in Canada for 30 years and have now lived in Texas for 12 years. I have replaced more batteries here in the Texas heat in 12 years than I ever did in 30 years in cold Canada combined.

 

It is quite a shock in all ways. But I moved for a better job. Here I was able to buy a house. Something that I could never have done in San Diego. They dont have Pep Boys here. And I do miss shopping there. One of my customers is a mgr at the Napa store near my work. And he has offered to get me a deal. I found the Optima at Sams club for only 182.00 bucks. So, I was thinking that was a good price. Another bad thing about where I moved is that there is not ANYONE here that can do ANY work on my Jag at all! No parts, nothing!

 

Can someone please help me find those pics?

 

Here ya' go Mark:

See post #31 and #32

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...y-47807/page2/

 

+1. I use the Bosch Silver HSB019 battery - bigger spec than OE and five-year warranty.

I find that OE batteries in cars will do about six Winters before dying. Thence, aftermarket replacements will survive four at best, Bosch warranty notwithstanding! ;o)

Big luxury cars like Jags, with a lot of electrical toys and gubbins, give batteries a harder time than smaller, more basic cars.

 

I lived in Calgary for 8 years as well. Never had an Aptima go bad. Had plenty of DieHards ... well.... die HARD. :-)

I wonder if it is the from-one-extreme-to-the-other event that kills the battery? I'm not sure. But I know that battery failure is most likely to occur (especially with an already aging, perhaps marginal battery) on the first cold-snap of the year. not the first hot day of the year. This is as true in Utah as it was in Calgary.

 

A big thanks to Jon89!!

Not only does Pep Boys carry the correct Bosch battery but they have a $20 off Pep Boys coupon. Plus I just found out Bosch is having a $20 mail in rebate too!!

Hurry it all ends on the 30th which is tomorrow. You will not get the Bosch battery any cheaper!!
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It looks like I'll be paying a visit to Pep Boys since my car did the parking brake fault this morning. It was about 12 degrees or so. Other than re-setting the stereo access code what should I be looking for? Thanks in advance.

 

As I recall Mike, I only had to reset the clock and that was it. No radio code or stations, windows, seat etc...

But now thinking about it I might of had to reset the EPB.

*Edit- Post #21 Mike -->https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...k-32699/page2/

 

I had to redo the one touch up and down programming for the windows on my 2005.
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