# Getting more from diesel Battery



## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Who makes the battery?


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

I have a feeling that battery will last a while.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

What did this battery replacement cost? Looks good sitting in there, haven't had any issues with my battery yet.


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## BlueTopaz (Aug 25, 2012)

I would think with higher CCA your starter will last longer since the engine might fire off faster. Looks good and will be interesting to see how well it performs over time. 

I was looking at an Odyssey battery when the time comes to replace mine.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

As I read the top of the battery I see it is a 'Deep Cycle' type.

These are not well suited for automotive applications.....they are designed to tolerate discharges of 50% or more between recharges as opposed to the 10% discharge a starting battery is designed for.
They are somewhat intolerant of heat (since it is anticipated they will be remotely mounted, such as use as a trolling motor power source) and generally require a charging voltage somewhat higher than a automobile alternator provides.
They are designed to discharge slowly....like a running electric motor over a few hours as opposed to a 'Burst discharge' that is a requirement of a auto starting motor.........this variation is a result of the batteries lead plates being thicker.

In extreme cold situations, a deep cycle battery may be unable to provide the 'Burst' amperage to crank the engine and provide the secondary current required to power the ecm and ignition system.

In more moderate climates, some have had fairly good success but keep in mind the underhood temperatures will shorten the batteries lifespan.

As a starting point, read up on Deep Cycle Batteries on Wiki and then go into some of the sub chapters relative to automotive use.

To other readers: if you are looking for more battery capacity the battery tray will accept up to a group 27 auto battery with no mods.....the Diesel Cruze uses a group 27 AGM type and this will fit a gas Cruze with no modifications.

Rob


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Robby said:


> .....the Diesel Cruze uses a group 27 AGM type and this will fit a gas Cruze with no modifications.
> 
> Rob


I can't speak for anyone else, but mine left Lordstown with a group 94 battery.

If I read the specs correctly a group 27 is 1.5" taller than a group 94.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

With apologies.....I should have said the group 27 is a industry case size....not specific to brand/type.
That means it could be a vented type, a sealed type, or a AGM type, or marine as the OP indicates.

The group 94 (group 27 case, AGM type) is indeed the original equipment Cruze diesel battery.

Good catch.....I was trying to reduce confusion as opposed to creating more.

Rob


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

Do we know what is causing battery issues in the CTD? Mine is about 15 months old and 15k miles, no issues to this point, mine sits in the garage when not in use in the evenings and the keys are in the ignition but not locked since it is in the garage, never sets ever for more than a week without being started. On occasion maybe sitting locked at the airport for a few days.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

There has been no known cause posted.....yet.

Other manufacturers have the same issue.....not a Cruze thing.

Ford folks have been going nuts for a few years.....seems Mustangs will occasionally kill the battery....no reason.....recharge and it may be fine for a few YEARS.....then do it again.
I mention the Mustang because one of my Car Guy buddies has an 06......did it twice the first year of ownership.......never repeated.....till last week.......stone dead after a three day layup.
He had decided it was time to replace the battery (age) this spring.

Anyways, recharged.....no draws evident....we'll see how long it goes.

My 09 Miata is known for this on occasion as well......Mazda figured out that a gremlin would initiate the purge pump with the car shut off.....and run it till the battery was dead........took them three years to nail it......mine was unaffected.

Rob


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## theonlypheonix (Oct 8, 2015)

Robby said:


> As I read the top of the battery I see it is a 'Deep Cycle' type.
> 
> These are not well suited for automotive applications.....they are designed to tolerate discharges of 50% or more between recharges as opposed to the 10% discharge a starting battery is designed for. They are somewhat intolerant of heat (since it is anticipated they will be remotely mounted, such as use as a trolling motor power source) and generally require a charging voltage somewhat higher than a automobile alternator provides. They are designed to discharge slowly....like a running electric motor over a few hours as opposed to a 'Burst discharge' that is a requirement of a auto starting motor.........this variation is a result of the batteries lead plates being thicker.
> 
> ...


Basically ALL misinformation... the 27FAGM X2 battery from Battery Plus is a "dual purposed" truck/car battery with starting/deep cycle capabilities. One needs to look at ALL the spec's to see the true difference between batteries but that also requires an electrical background to understand what the spec's mean. It is my understanding their X2 is a re branded NorthStar and it is expensive at $296 out the door, but one would expect to pay for quality with a 5 year FULL replacement no questions asked warranty.

Although not relevant in the case of dual purposed AGM battery's, cars using the new RVC or equivalent charging technology may lend themselves to a deep cycle battery due to the low charging rates to achieve gas mileage as a compromise.

By the way a "27F" (vs 27) is a reversed terminal polarity battery so it fits the Cruze without any strain on the cables and the Cruze diesel comes Standard with a lower power 94RAGM battery! The 27F is NOT suppose to fit the Cruze since it is 1.3 inches TALLER then a 94R but with a few simple mod's as I previously mentioned it can be applied to the Cruze diesel for additional cranking power COLD!

It might be a little early but with 200 miles on it I'm fully satisfied with the results. It will be more interesting when it gets cold again as the OEM Delco 94RAGM seemed anemic last winter at a low of -6F outside let alone if we get another COLD winter with -36F again! :th_salute:


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Yeah, it kind of looked like a Northstar case. 

If it is a Northstar than I wonder if it would have been one that didn't meet the assembly test standards to get the Northstar label and would have been diverted for a genericized brand or store label. 

The kind of thing that used to get sold in factory stores, home shopping network, etc. But to protect the Northstar brand equity they could be going another route. 

Any way you slice it, a nice upgrade to the factory unit.


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## theonlypheonix (Oct 8, 2015)

Tomko said:


> Yeah, it kind of looked like a Northstar case.
> 
> If it is a Northstar than I wonder if it would have been one that didn't meet the assembly test standards to get the Northstar label and would have been diverted for a genericized brand or store label.


Interesting point Tomko... a fortune 50 company I use to work for designed and manufactured engine controllers for Ford and sold the units that were functional but did not meet Ford Spec's 
to after market places like KMart (this dates back to the late 70's early '80's).

But note that Battery Plus is selling their X2 battery with a 5 year full replacement warranty while NorthStar only offers 4 year replacement warranty under their name. On the other hand this may suggest Battery Plus is really buying crème de la crème and also selling at a slightly lower price due to potential volume discounting for them?? Volume has a big reflection on what can be done with pricing. Another positive note, it has MADE IN USA print on it! :th_dblthumb2:


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

theonlypheonix said:


> Interesting point Tomko... a fortune 50 company I use to work which designed engine controllers for Ford and sold the units that did not meet Ford Spec's to after market places like KMart (this dates back to the late 70's early '80's).
> 
> But note that Battery Plus is selling their X2 battery with a 5 year full replacement warranty while NorthStar only offers 4 year replacement warranty under their name. On the other hand this may suggest Battery Plus is really buying  crème de la crème and also selling at a slightly lower price due to potential volume discounting for them?? Volume has a big reflection on what can be done with pricing. Another positive note, it has MADE IN USA print on it! :th_dblthumb2:


I'm guessing the five year warranty is cheaper to administer by battery plus themselves than the four year warranty that Northstar pays its retailers to administer for them. 

Plus, let's be honest. A person who buys a bargain battery is more likely to scrap the car in five years than a person who buys a very expensive brand name battery. 

The expensive brand name buyer may be the more car collector / enthusiast type. The bargain buyer more interested in transportation at the best cost:benefit ratio. 

I once read a forum post about someone working in manufacturing earlier in their career. They were involved with testing motors used in shop vacuums. If the motor rated above a certain point it was placed in one barrel for assembly. If lower than that point in another barrel. The good ones became craftsman and the less good ones became rigid. I could have the brands switched or wrong - but you get the idea and it confirms your own experience.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

there is a tsb about diesels killing batt. i just had mine replaced at 15k miles. GM has a TSB for Bluetooth draining batt after shut down. as the teck told me the Bluetooth system wont turn off if you turn car off and leave Bluetooth connected and walk away. he might have simplified it for me. ill try to pull up the tsb number and exact description


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## polaris91 (Jun 15, 2014)

My 2014 Cruze Diesel has been having battery issues starting about 2 months ago. I bought it new 12/13 and have 56,525 on the clock now. I had the battery and alternator tested and was told the voltage regulator went bad. After replacing that alternator a month ago I had it tested again and now this voltage regulator is bad. Could it be that my alternator is not actually the culprit even though the tests say it is? I haven't had a chance to have it bench tested yet because I'm back and forth to Louisiana working offshore.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

polaris91 said:


> My 2014 Cruze Diesel has been having battery issues starting about 2 months ago. I bought it new 12/13 and have 56,525 on the clock now. I had the battery and alternator tested and was told the voltage regulator went bad. After replacing that alternator a month ago I had it tested again and now this voltage regulator is bad. Could it be that my alternator is not actually the culprit even though the tests say it is? I haven't had a chance to have it bench tested yet because I'm back and forth to Louisiana working offshore.


In all likelihood your battery is failing. 

Who advised you to replace other parts?


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## 2014Oilburner (Feb 1, 2015)

pandrad61 said:


> there is a tsb about diesels killing batt. i just had mine replaced at 15k miles. GM has a TSB for Bluetooth draining batt after shut down. as the teck told me the Bluetooth system wont turn off if you turn car off and leave Bluetooth connected and walk away. he might have simplified it for me. ill try to pull up the tsb number and exact description


I've have already had the OEM battery replaced at 21K miles or so...then my car sits parked for 8 days and the new battery is dead...took it to the dealer and they say the draw on the battery is normal and nothing is wrong with the car..but yet the battery has drained dead twice now while parked in my driveway....just wondering if you have anymore info on that TSB with the Bluetooth not shutting off that you posted about?


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

I think my factory battery is on its way out after 3 years... I'm looking at this battery as we speak.


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## vwgtiglx (Jun 13, 2013)

Yeah, same here. I just did the same thing 3 days ago and went with the 2XPower Battery bought from Batteries Plus Bulbs.


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## plasticplant (Mar 26, 2013)

My OEM battery lasted 2.5 year. My replacement (not an ACDelco) lated 11 months. Just replaced last night with a DieHard AGM (850 CCA), hopefully this one goes the distance. This bluetooth issue needs to be addressed by GM though. It doesn't matter how good the battery is if the bluetooth is just going to stay on and drain it.


KpaxFAQ said:


> I think my factory battery is on its way out after 3 years... I'm looking at this battery as we speak.


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

plasticplant said:


> My OEM battery lasted 2.5 year. My replacement (not an ACDelco) lated 11 months. Just replaced last night with a DieHard AGM (850 CCA), hopefully this one goes the distance. This bluetooth issue needs to be addressed by GM though. It doesn't matter how good the battery is if the bluetooth is just going to stay on and drain it.


Agreed

I'm not a big phone guy and am rarely on it while driving so it hasn't been an issue for me. I can see how it would be for many though.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

KpaxFAQ said:


> I think my factory battery is on its way out after 3 years... I'm looking at this battery as we speak.


You probably have the longest lasting diesel battery of all!


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

diesel said:


> You probably have the longest lasting diesel battery of all!



I know lol. It's still working but has really been turning over slow below 20F. I'm just going to put a better one in before it's doesn't crank at all when I need it the most. Considering it on borrowed time based on everything I've read on here. I ended up buying the same type of battery as the OP but I went with the correct group because I don't feel like screwing around with it in the cold. 

I got this one. https://www.batteriesplus.com/batte.../cruze/2014/l4-2.0l-730cca-diesel/sli94ragmdp 

After 10% off and $30 rebate it will be around $200.


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## theonlypheonix (Oct 8, 2015)

Well we had a -17F real temp here in Northern IL this morning and with the car sitting outside 24/7 I can say that I'm glad I had a high capacity X2 (group size 27F AGM from Battery Plus) 5 year free replacement. She took a lot of cranking to get the junk B20 diesel fuel lit up this morning but this battery continued to supply CCA to get the job done! :th_dblthumb2::yahoo:. :hope:, All because I don't feel like screwing around with it in the cold!

Note this was without any external heating supplied for those that might have seen my bock heater postings on this blog, that's another story why I did not use it.


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## revjpeterson (Oct 2, 2013)

diesel said:


> You probably have the longest lasting diesel battery of all!


I'm at 40 months and 65,000 miles and still running OEM battery. It cranks a little slower and longer than it used to, but still starts reliably and tests as good. I've made several starts in single digit temps in the past week without incident. I'm confident I can make it through this winter with it and wait until past the 4 year mark before I replace it heading into next winter with an Interstate MT5 AGM.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

I started my CTD in the garage, it cranked a little slower than normal, it was 37 degrees in garage, was single digits outside. My car is 18 months old with 21K miles. Next cold spell may leave it outside and see if it won't start and get a new battery under warranty. Never had a car need a battery while under warranty.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

theonlypheonix said:


> Well we had a -17F real temp here in Northern IL this morning and with the car sitting outside 24/7 I can say that I'm glad I had a high capacity X2 (group size 27F AGM from Battery Plus) 5 year free replacement. She took a lot of cranking to get the junk B20 diesel fuel lit up this morning but this battery continued to supply CCA to get the job done! :th_dblthumb2::yahoo:. :hope:, All because I don't feel like screwing around with it in the cold!
> 
> Note this was without any external heating supplied for those that might have seen my bock heater postings on this blog, that's another story why I did not use it.


I'd love to see a video of this!



revjpeterson said:


> I'm at 40 months and 65,000 miles and still running OEM battery. It cranks a little slower and longer than it used to, but still starts reliably and tests as good. I've made several starts in single digit temps in the past week without incident. I'm confident I can make it through this winter with it and wait until past the 4 year mark before I replace it heading into next winter with an Interstate MT5 AGM.


Well, it seems like not ALL the batteries in our cars are crap. I suppose it's luck of the draw.



IndyDiesel said:


> I started my CTD in the garage, it cranked a little slower than normal, it was 37 degrees in garage, was single digits outside. My car is 18 months old with 21K miles. Next cold spell may leave it outside and see if it won't start and get a new battery under warranty. Never had a car need a battery while under warranty.


Is the batter covered under 3/36?


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## vwgtiglx (Jun 13, 2013)

You should be good to go. I missed the 3/36 mo. B2B by just 2 months. I also never had to get a new battery under warranty.


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## MilTownSHO (Oct 9, 2013)

Mine wouldn't start yesterday morning (granted we had -30 windchill all night.) Got it started with a jump and got it to work. 

Was dead again when I went out to start it. Battery tester states to replace battery.

Left it overnight at work and took a loaner home. Started right up this morning. Granted, it's twenty degrees warmer today.

OEM battery is over 3 years old with 80k miles. Probably go with OEM again as it's the cheapest option for me with my discount.


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## theonlypheonix (Oct 8, 2015)

MilTownSHO said:


> Mine wouldn't start yesterday morning (granted we had -30 windchill all night.) Got it started with a jump and got it to work.
> 
> Was dead again when I went out to start it. Battery tester states to replace battery.
> 
> ...


Sorry... but for me it just isn't worth a few dollars screwing around in the cold!:signs006:. I can understand cheapest when I'm trading the vehicle tomorrow.:hope:


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## MilTownSHO (Oct 9, 2013)

theonlypheonix said:


> Sorry... but for me it just isn't worth a few dollars screwing around in the cold!:signs006:. I can understand cheapest when I'm trading the vehicle tomorrow.:hope:


I never had an issue with mine like most people until now. Come to find out though, apparently it's a two week delay to get one so I'm spending the night searching for an aftermarket replacement.


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## sparkola (Jun 9, 2014)

Do I have to dismantle the front of the battery holder to remove the battery? There seems to be an angled piece of flat bracket that covers the front corner of the battery, i.e. Can't just lift it straight up


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## Christopher_2 (Jul 31, 2012)

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/...ttery-group-size-h7-850-cca-h7-agm/10210826-P

Use promo code SAVINGS


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

sparkola said:


> Do I have to dismantle the front of the battery holder to remove the battery? There seems to be an angled piece of flat bracket that covers the front corner of the battery, i.e. Can't just lift it straight up


You have to remove the bracket holding it down and flip over the fuse assembly.


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## theonlypheonix (Oct 8, 2015)

sparkola said:


> Do I have to dismantle the front of the battery holder to remove the battery? There seems to be an angled piece of flat bracket that covers the front corner of the battery, i.e. Can't just lift it straight up


the angled front bracket is a real pita to remove but you also do have to flip over the fuse block which also covers the back side of the battery.

On the very bottom of the front bracket is a hook which hooks into a tab on the bottom of the battery box(you can not see it with the battery in place). You have to kind of tilt the top of this bracket toward the battery while the bottom needs to tilt away from the battery then pull while it as angled. As a beginner I learned the hard way and forced it... breaking off the tab on the bottom of the plastic battery box. :sad010: Once you get it out you will see the difficulty in removing it.


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## MilTownSHO (Oct 9, 2013)

Christopher_2 said:


> AutoCraft Platinum AGM Battery, Group Size H7, 850 CCA H7-AGM: Advance Auto Parts
> 
> Use promo code SAVINGS


That is actually exactly what I did, with that promo code. Saved me $50. I just came back on here to post so others could use it as well. 

Came to be about only a few bucks more than the GM battery (at least at my cost) and has the same warranty.


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## sparkola (Jun 9, 2014)

Hey thanks a lot man, now I'll know what to look for.


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

Just an update. My new battery finally came in and got around to installation today. WOW is all I can say. The car never turned over so quick when it was brand new on a 70 degree day. Money well spent. 

https://www.batteriesplus.com/batte.../cruze/2014/l4-2.0l-730cca-diesel/sli94ragmdp

After 10% off with 30$ mail in rebate and added taxes I'm looking at around $230 out the door cost.


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