# Is $200 the right price for a new battery??



## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

That sounds like a fair price installed. Keep in mind dealers don't work for free. 

Its easy enough to do though that I would just buy your own battery and do it yourself. 

Sent from mobile.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The price is reasonable - installed. However I think you can get better batteries.


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## abhylash831 (Sep 13, 2013)

Thanks XtremeRevolution. I need to check videos on how to install a battery. Thanks for your response.


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## abhylash831 (Sep 13, 2013)

Better batteries as in Cheaper?? or better quality batteryies than what GM provides?


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

abhylash83 said:


> Better batteries as in Cheaper?? or better quality batteryies than what GM provides?


Both. 

Sent from mobile.


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## ParisTNDude (Oct 7, 2013)

One of the BEST batterys, bar none, is an Optima...sold at many auto stores for around $150 more or less. They are the chosen battery for hot rodders, car enthusiasts, and people looking for the best quality battery. Check it out before you buy.

Replacing the battery is one of the easier auto maintenance tasks. Just a couple of battery terminal nuts and one or two hold down nuts...easy as pie. Just be careful not to touch the positive with a tool that might also short to ground. Do it...and feel good about saving $20.

Also, take your car to an auto-zone or O'reillys and have them check it...I can't imagine a Cruze where the battery should be gone in the little length of time you've owned it. My Corvette battery is still original after 7 years. Just a thought.


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## abhylash831 (Sep 13, 2013)

thats a good point ParisTNDude. I will take it to O'reillys to check whether I do need to replace my battery or not. Yup the car is a 2012 model. Hard to believe that it already needs a battery replacement.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

Don't know what US prices are, when I need a new battery I wait until it shows obvious signs of failing and just call a battery service and they come to my house, give me a choice of new battery with longer warranty for the better more expensive ones and install it for free. They also do a free alternator check first in case it isn't the battery. Last time I bought one it cost $150.00 for a heavy duty with 3 years warranty.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

"The battery that comes with a GM vehicle or is replaced under warranty is
covered by the limited warranty of three years or 36,000 miles (48 months/4 years or 50,000 miles,
whichever comes first, for Cadillac, Buick and HUMMER) and should be taken back to the 
GM dealership. The six-year warranty is for the consumer who purchased the battery; the 

battery should be returned to the place of purchase or any ACDelco battery retailer with the receipt."

Would argue the receipt for buying the car should be acceptable.

Standard warranty is free replacement for the first 30 months and prorated linearly from 31 to 72 months. In my 2012 has the 47-6yr battery.

I won't even question what kind of POS he used to test your battery, have all the equipment I need to test it myself. Is a 60 AH battery, so even can do a capacity test.

Sounds like to me your dealer is trying to rip you off. Run into this now and then. Unless you ran into a tree.

Without too much searching for a 75 month warranty battery, coming up with much closer to that 100 buck level for a size 47 battery. at NAPA, but normally get an extra discount. In checking all the stores in my town, NAPA was the only one that has the proper battery testing equipment. Not pushing NAPA, just posting a simple fact. 

Did your battery every run down? If so, the BCM is not protecting it, two or three complete discharges can ruin a battery. Another cause is a low battery in below freezing conditions. Electrolyte turns to ice if not having close to a full charge. Lastly, are you experiencing problems with your battery, like slow cranking speeds. What does your DIC say about battery voltage? And how many miles on your car?


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Could also state, practically very little difference between a low warranty battery and one with a long warranty. Paying extra for that warranty.

Just a question of taking the risk yourself, or paying for it.


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

The last battery I bought was an Optima (for my GTO)- list price was over $200. With a discount I think it was about $150. My brother just bought a battery for his Chevy Van - list price was $150 but had a $50 discount at AutoZone or Advanced Auto not sure which one. So $150 to $200 is probably full price - you should be able to get for less and the install is easy. Just be careful these things have lots of amps.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

ParisTNDude said:


> One of the BEST batterys, bar none, is an Optima...sold at many auto stores for around $150 more or less. They are the chosen battery for hot rodders, car enthusiasts, and people looking for the best quality battery. Check it out before you buy.
> 
> Replacing the battery is one of the easier auto maintenance tasks. Just a couple of battery terminal nuts and one or two hold down nuts...easy as pie. Just be careful not to touch the positive with a tool that might also short to ground. Do it...and feel good about saving $20.
> 
> Also, take your car to an auto-zone or O'reillys and have them check it...I can't imagine a Cruze where the battery should be gone in the little length of time you've owned it. My Corvette battery is still original after 7 years. Just a thought.


I haven't seen one that fits the battery tray and stock terminal locations. In addition, their quality control has gone WAY down in the last 10 years. I've heard far too many stories of batteries with bad cells. 

They're used because they are more resistant to shock and flipping over. The durability aspect of it is no longer true. It used to be, but I don't trust them as much as I would an AGM battery like a Diehard Advanced Gold. 

Sent from mobile.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Don't buy another dealer battery. If yours lasted this long, so will the replacement. 

Mine was replaced under warranty just over a year in (and many others here have been in the same boat with their OEM batteries failing to hold a charge after a year or two). I don't trust the new one for much longer than that timeframe. 

Go with something with a known good reputation for lasting 4-5 years - Optima, DieHard, or Interstate. You'll get more reserve power (cranking amps) from any group 47 battery as well. 


Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## abhylash831 (Sep 13, 2013)

Thanks for the info Aussie


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## abhylash831 (Sep 13, 2013)

Hi NidkD. let me try and answer all your questions. 

I bought a used chevy cruze so I don't eactly know the battery history of this vehicle.
No my battery has never run down. The technician at the dealership showed me a graph which stated my battery was running low.
As of now I am not experiencing any battery issues. The only reason I am worried is I dont want to be stranded in the middle of nowehere.
I need to check my DIC for the battery voltage.
I have 43000 miles on it now.

Thank you for your response


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Delco, Delco-Remy, ACDelco, or whatever they call them now no longer exists, but GM holds the trademark. No telling who is making their batteries now, or how many different sources they are using. Last I heard, they did sell their battery division to Johnson Controls that has been a good company. Johnson Controls even sells the same battery under the Walmart brand, least they use to, haven't checked in the last couple of years. And with a good warranty, but for 97 bucks.

Somewhere on the label in super fine print, should find Johnson Controls. If not, don't buy it. You won't find any vendors name on an ACDelco product. And just because you received a defective one, doesn't mean they all are defective, could be that particular vendor that is bad.

In theory at least, your dealer should have the best price for a battery, GM purchases in huge quantity and gets the best discount with quite the distribution service. But dealers can get awfully greedy at times.

The key tools I use for searching for a battery is a ruler and a photo to make sure the terminals are located as the old one. Was surprised GM got away from that really old side terminal battery and now just like everybody else. And make darn sure the positive and negative terminals are in the same spot or you will really run into mounting problems the way the Cruze is set up. 

And not one product you want to order online, shipping and handling cost will kill you, and really kill you if you have warranty problems.


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## abhylash831 (Sep 13, 2013)

Yup true. If the original lasted just for over a year am sure the replacement would be the same. thanks for your response Jblackburn


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> I haven't seen one that fits the battery tray and stock terminal locations. In addition, their quality control has gone WAY down in the last 10 years. I've heard far too many stories of batteries with bad cells.
> 
> They're used because they are more resistant to shock and flipping over. The durability aspect of it is no longer true. It used to be, but I don't trust them as much as I would an AGM battery like a Diehard Advanced Gold.
> 
> Sent from mobile.


Part Number: Optima Redtop SC35R. Is the closet I have found to fitting g out tray with the terminals on the correct side.

Sent From My Galaxy Note 3.
Which is bigger than my hand.


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

I have a Optima 35 in my GTO and it saves a few pounds (maybe 5 to 10 pounds) off the front end of the car over the OEM AC Delco.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

I bought a Sears Diehard AGM battery that is a direct fit for $160. took 10-15 minutes to install my self, very easy to do. One can get a cheap replacement(probably about as good as the factory battery) for $100.


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## abhylash831 (Sep 13, 2013)

Thanks spacedout. I am gonna take my car to Autozone to get my battery checked. Maybe I won't need a replacement as of now. If I need a replacement then I will check on what are the options available =]


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

abhylash83 said:


> Hi NidkD. let me try and answer all your questions.
> 
> I bought a used chevy cruze so I don't eactly know the battery history of this vehicle.
> No my battery has never run down. The technician at the dealership showed me a graph which stated my battery was running low.
> ...


Car has to be less than two years old, not sure why I mentioned mileage, mileage has nothing to do with a battery warranty, strictly time. If your dealer feels its defective for whatever reason, still feel he should replace it for free under the standard 47-6yr warranty.


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## bartonmd (Jun 30, 2011)

ParisTNDude said:


> One of the BEST batterys, bar none, is an Optima...sold at many auto stores for around $150 more or less. They are the chosen battery for hot rodders, car enthusiasts, and people looking for the best quality battery. Check it out before you buy.


This was the case, before Johnson Controls moved the production of them to Mexico and quality went to ****. Used to be, red tops would last 10 years or more. Now, you'll be lucky if it lasts as long as a conventional style battery, and JC won't warranty them for ****, either. Keep saying "you used it for ____" and not warrantying them. The new (as in "for the last 3-4 years") "best bang for the buck" battery is the Diehard Platinum. It is a rebranded $450 Odyssey AGM for $200. More capacity than the Optima, better deep-discharge survival, more CA and CCA, and a full-replacement 4-year warranty. Another good one is the "Duracell" AGM available at Sam's Club. It is made in the US by East Penn mfg. I believe it's the same as the top of the line, US made, AGM from Batteries Plus.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

bartonmd said:


> Another good one is the "Duracell" AGM available at Sam's Club. It is made in the US by East Penn mfg. I believe it's the same as the top of the line, US made, AGM from Batteries Plus.


The direct replacement Sears Diehard gold and advanced gold(AGM) are both also made by East Penn mfg, from what I can tell. I could not find a Duracell AGM at sams but their Duracell(non AGM) comparable to the standard sears gold was $50 less then at sears. Sears it was only $10 to upgrade from sears gold to the advanced gold AGM. 

I decided to buy the sears battery from an previous manufacturing experience I had. I temporarily worked at a factory making Sears and Rigid vacuums(home depot). When testing the motor output the high test ones always got put into the sears machines, the lower output motors into the rigid ones. Had to wonder if the same thing is happening with batteries.


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## Private Cruze (Jul 16, 2013)

$200 is a ripoff!!<br>i paid $105 at Wally World for a battery with 3 year free replacement. Prorated for another 2 years after that.<br><br>That speaks volumes to me.


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## bartonmd (Jun 30, 2011)

spacedout said:


> The direct replacement Sears Diehard gold and advanced gold(AGM) are both also made by East Penn mfg, from what I can tell. I could not find a Duracell AGM at sams but their Duracell(non AGM) comparable to the standard sears gold was $50 less then at sears. Sears it was only $10 to upgrade from sears gold to the advanced gold AGM.
> 
> I decided to buy the sears battery from an previous manufacturing experience I had. I temporarily worked at a factory making Sears and Rigid vacuums(home depot). When testing the motor output the high test ones always got put into the sears machines, the lower output motors into the rigid ones. Had to wonder if the same thing is happening with batteries.


They're like $120 at Sam's Club, around here. Likely the same battery as the Diehard Advanced Gold.


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## 99_XC600 (Feb 24, 2013)

Realize this one thing. The dealer is not your friend. You are a source of income for them. Because of this fact, they may not have your best interests in mind. 

With that being said, if the car is out of the bumper to bumper warranty, find a good local mechanic for the generic maintenance items if you are not comfortable doing them on your own and let them handle any major drive train issues under the power train warranty.

Replacement of a battery is pretty basic. With basic tools you can have the job done in less then 30 minutes.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Replacing a battery on a Cruze is a snap. A 10mm deep socket on a 3/8" ratchet is the only tool needed. 

1. Remove negative terminal. ALWAYS REMOVE NEGATIVE FIRST!!!!!!!!! (shouty caps for pointing out this big safety tip)
2. Remove positive terminal. 
3. Remove 10mm hold-down nut on hold-down strap.
4. Lift battery out. 
5. Reverse steps to put new battery in. 

Should take 5 minutes, 10 if battling darkness or corrosion.


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## Erastimus (Feb 9, 2012)

However you decide to get the battery replaced, be sure to use or ask that they use an 
[h=1]ECM-ECU Memory Saver Tool ( ECM-ECU Memory Saver Tool - YouTube) Otherwise, you will be very unhappy when you have to reset all your radio stuff, etc. and the car has to relearn all it's driving stuff[/h][h=1][/h]


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

I suppose $200 is OK for a dealership installation. It seems pretty high to me. I guess it depends on where you live. I recently put a 570 CCA battery in my P5 for $85 installed at Battery Wholesale. That included a full charging system check, and 2 year full replacement warranty with a 70 month pro-rated warranty.


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## grs1961 (Oct 23, 2012)

Oh, if you are worried about being slow on changing the battery, just get a normal 9-volt dry-cell - you know, the rectangular one - and a connector for it with loose wires or alligator clips on it, connect it to the appropriate battery connectors before you remove them, and Robert is your parental sibling.


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## abhylash83 (Sep 17, 2013)

you got a very good deal. thats all I can say =]


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## abhylash83 (Sep 17, 2013)

thanks sciphi =]


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## MilTownSHO (Oct 9, 2013)

$200 is way to much, can easily replace it yourself with a higher quality battery for less money.


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## abhylash83 (Sep 17, 2013)

Yesterday someone asked me about the voltage. The DIC on my car shows battery voltage as 13.80 volts. Thank You


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

abhylash83 said:


> Yesterday someone asked me about the voltage. The DIC on my car shows battery voltage as 13.80 volts. Thank You


That just means your alternator is charging. That number will swing up and down due to the variable output alternator the Cruze uses. 

Get us a reading before starting the engine in the morning. Key in position "Ii" and flip through the screens to see what the battery is actually holding. Voltage isn't as good of a test as cranking amps, but below 11.9-12.0, it's time for a new battery. 


Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Had to remove the negative battery cable to install fog lamps on my 2012 2LT that disabled the entire electronic systems. Only thing I had to do as I recall, had to pair my cell phone to the radio. Everything else remained unchanged, all the digital readouts mileage, oil life, radio settings, were exactly like they were.

Only the tire monitor readings showed a blank, but after I drove it mile or so, they came back exactly the way they were. You can't even remove error code storage by disconnecting the battery, everything is stored in flashram. And this was true since 1996 when OBD II was first introduced.

Now prior to OBD II, disconnecting the battery, you would lose everything, on that 92 DeVille, had to drive it at least 14 miles so the engine electronics would relearn, ran like crap. All error codes would be erased, worse was a 20 minute procedure to set the idle speed control. Radio was blank, everything except that digital odometer that was the only thing that used flashram at the time. This is when I connected a 12 V power supply, alternator B+ output was the easiest to access. And had to be very careful not to let the positive battery lead touch any grounds, so just put it in a glove.

Even on the Cruze you attach the positive battery cable first, with the negative hold it center over the negative battery cable and push it down fast. BCM is always hot in these things, and needs a rapid attachment for the microprocessor power on reset. If you stutter in this connection, everything will be a mess. But no fear, disconnect it and try it again.


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## ParisTNDude (Oct 7, 2013)

bartonmd said:


> This was the case, before Johnson Controls moved the production of them to Mexico and quality went to ****. Used to be, red tops would last 10 years or more. Now, you'll be lucky if it lasts as long as a conventional style battery, and JC won't warranty them for ****, either. Keep saying "you used it for ____" and not warrantying them. The new (as in "for the last 3-4 years") "best bang for the buck" battery is the Diehard Platinum. It is a rebranded $450 Odyssey AGM for $200. More capacity than the Optima, better deep-discharge survival, more CA and CCA, and a full-replacement 4-year warranty. Another good one is the "Duracell" AGM available at Sam's Club. It is made in the US by East Penn mfg. I believe it's the same as the top of the line, US made, AGM from Batteries Plus.


Thanks for that info. I bought my Optima 5 years ago or more and it's still going strong. When you buy as many new cars 2 years apart you never get the opportunity (thankfully) to check the aftermarket for "best buy". The Corvette forum thinks a lot of the Optima, but you are probably right.


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