i know this have been discuss before, but could some one please tell me, what type of replacement battery i need for the xjr. right now i have a duralast gold, and as all of you know what happens, after when you let them sit for more than 2 days. i do have a tender charger on it ,when i letit sit.

 

No, I don't know what happens - Either of my XJRs sit for 4 to 5 weeks and starts up fine. Maybe your "tender" burned the battery up. It sounds like you want advice to buy the $150.00 Interstate battery for the car instead of the $75.00 Advance or Auto Zone batteries, so thats the advice I will give you.

 

@Dell66 Just copy the numbers off the battery you have (CCA) etc.... and get what you can afford. If the tops can pop off of your old battery by using a small screwdriver make sure each of the cylinders has enough water in them. It should be almost to the very top. Use distilled water or bottled water if you dont have any around. Its not magic but it will get you few more miles before having to buy a new one. Good luck

 

Make sure any replacement battery you buy is the vented type, and that you install the vent.

 

2nd on the vent.


I use the Bosch branded battery from Pep Boys -- three of my cars use the same battery and I find they work well and come with a good warranty

 

Just a little hint guys, when you start buying automotive batteries, they are all made off of 2 lines here in the US when looking at lead acid batteries. You have your choice of Exide or Johnson Controls. From there, they slap a different sticker on the outside and call it someone elses battery. If you get into the spiral wound batteries, then there is a little bit of a difference there, but that is a different topic all in itself.

For example, a WalMart, Bosch, and Exide battery are all the same battery but with a different sticker on it. So, you have the decision of spending $75 on a battery or $200. The big difference between those batteries is how many year warrantee you get. Obviously, the more expensive the battery, the longer the warrantee. So, how much of a warrantee do you want?

 

I concur that alot of batteries are similar, however just because they are made in the same plant does not make them equal. I know for a fact that the Johnson Controls batteries have several different types of cells and even different types of acid based on their customers specifications. Basically buy what you can afford. Price does not always mean better. Consumer Reports actually rated batteries from Advance Auto as a best buy but did note that there was a bit of variance in the tests, even within the same model/size of battery. Also make sure its the newest battery you can buy, it should have a production date on them. Best of luck to you.

 

That is not new, nor unexpected.

Sure, between branded variants of the two main manufacturers there will be differences.

But, there are also differences within the same brand of a specific size, say a 93. This is normal given that a brand may have economy, replacement and premium models within any given size designation. And, within a brand, it is possible that different part numbers/sku's come from different manufacturers.

A workable approach for someone keeping their car a long time is to buy the largest, highest CCA premium grade battery that fits their application and budget regardless of warranty terms, brand, or manufacturer.

And ... the vent is important.

 

I replaced mine with a dirty big Bosch Silver battery which does the job very well. The battery I took out the car was the one that it left the factory with, and I think it did very well to provide 9 years of service It was a Jaguar battery made by Varta of Sweden.

 

Ok so let me ask what is the difference between a vented and non vented battery and how would I tell them apart? This is good information here and I sure am curious. Thanks

 

I think all of the batterues mentioned could be called vented. What was being referred to is an external vent tube to carry fumes from the caps out a small tube that pokes through the trunk floor, keepin them from filling the trunk. If the battery were under the hood, there is no enclosed spece to worry about.

 

As a general car rule, my impression is that all battery jargon is huey and my rule of thumb is to just use the largest battery with highest crank-amps that can fit in the battery bay. In my Jag and previous car this has proven to be have better results than OEM.