# Need help on choosing an aftermarket battery.



## trevor_geiger (Nov 29, 2012)

Hello guys I am looking into buying an aftermarket battery to replace the stock under the hood, and to put a reserve in the trunk. I'll be doing the "big 3" in all 0 gauge with my runs to the trunk and for the reserve in 0 gauge. I am trying to keep the prices and options reasonable while not cutting corners. I am looking into yellow top optima, xs power, dekas, or tempest batteries, but I do not know what to look for when it comes to specs when buying aftermarket batteries. I'll be needing the extra voltage soon, so I kinda want to overkill on the electrical, as for it'll be a daily ground pounder. So any help is appreciated. Thank you guys a lot.


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## giantsfan10 (May 25, 2013)

why not a diehard platinum from sears. heard good things about them


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

giantsfan10 said:


> why not a diehard platinum from sears. heard good things about them


IMO Diehard is a good battery I bought for my wife's car with no problems. I hear lots of great things about interstate batteries. I don't know their price tho. Honestly, batteries are made so much better now that I have not needed to replace one in @ 6 years and that was with a Duralast from Autozone. So it depends on your needs


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## Vetterin (Mar 27, 2011)

If you're going to the trunk you might want to consider an Optima.


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## trevor_geiger (Nov 29, 2012)

Well I'm only upgrading batteries for an audio build I'm getting ready to do soon.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

trevor_geiger said:


> Well I'm only upgrading batteries for an audio build I'm getting ready to do soon.


This is the battery I'm getting no moving wires needed. Optima Red Top SC34R

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## trevor_geiger (Nov 29, 2012)

H3LLON3ARTH said:


> This is the battery I'm getting no moving wires needed. Optima Red Top SC34R
> 
> Sent From An Antique,
> My Original Droid.


Is this the battery you are getting to upgrade under the hood or the reserve in the trunk? I am going to need enough juice to supply 2200 watts running at 1 ohm for daily use lol.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

This is to replace my under hood battert I will be getting a kenetic 1800 Watt battery for the trunk.

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## trevor_geiger (Nov 29, 2012)

Hmm..that's not a bad price for it. Let me know when you get the batteries and how your voltage holds up.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

I hav to get my sub back first lol. 

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## trevor_geiger (Nov 29, 2012)

Oh true lol, hopefully that'll be soon man.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

If you're putting a battery in the trunk it should be a sealed type. No question.

I have to recommend Odyssey batteries after being extremely impressed with mine. I have a tiny little PC680 as the only battery in my '02 Vette and it cranks that 10.5:1 CR 5.7L V8 over no problem... the amount of "power" it dumps is really impressive for its size. It weighs ~15lbs.

They make much larger batteries as well, which is what you will want for the higher reserve capacity.

I would consider my Vette's PC680 application on the verge of "abusive", and it has been great for several years now. I can't see paying for a regular lead acid battery ever again.

I know two people who have gotten bad Optima Red Tops. It seems they got old stock that had been sitting for a while, which may or may not be a legit concern.

What I do know is that my Odyssey sat in my basement for two years after I bought it before being installed and works like a charm. Also, the guy who stores the car in the winter removes it in the fall and installs it in the spring, and he's never seen another battery that keeps a full charge over the winter and doesn't need charging in the spring. He stores over 30 cars and 10 boats each year, and all the batteries come out as a precaution.


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## trevor_geiger (Nov 29, 2012)

So I should look into an Odyssey for the rear reserve? It should be fine for 2200 watts?


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## giantsfan10 (May 25, 2013)

Imo optima, kinetic etc are over priced. 
Get the biggest AGM battery you can fit up front from like I've previously said the diehard. Or something that Costco has. Or for us Canadian folk Canadian tire carries a nice AGM battery. And get the same one for the rear just a group size or 2 up from the front.. Most have a good replacement policy and around the 200$ mark maybe less when on sale. A good solid ground, big 3 and power wire with 1/0 should all be adequate. Your not going to be using 2200rms unless your driving around listening to test tones all day. Odessey makes a good battery aswell.


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## trevor_geiger (Nov 29, 2012)

giantsfan10 said:


> Imo optima, kinetic etc are over priced. Get the biggest AGM battery you can fit up front from like I've previously said the diehard. Or something that Costco has. Or for us Canadian folk Canadian tire carries a nice AGM battery. And get the same one for the rear just a group size or 2 up from the front.. Most have a good replacement policy and around the 200$ mark maybe less when on sale. A good solid ground, big 3 and power wire with 1/0 should all be adequate. Your not going to be using 2200rms unless your driving around listening to test tones all day. Odessey makes a good battery aswell.


Okay thank you, I appreciate it!


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## tecollins1 (Nov 6, 2011)

**EDITED**

Make sure to compare specs between each battery you look at.

Cranking amps
Amp hours 

Battery upgrade is prob one of the best things you can do for car audio. Make sure you pick the best one that's in your price range.

I'd personally go with this one. Specs are right where you want them to be for your set up.

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_7343_Kinetik-HC2000-KHC2000.html

** ALSO REMEMBER 1ohm load on your amplifier IS "ROUGHLY" 50% EFFICIENT**
so if your subs are demanding 1500 watts; you are pulling 3000 from the alt/bat and your amp burns off 1/2 as heat 

If your electrical system can support it, then 1ohm is fine. But if you want a more efficient system find a amp/sub combo that can give you the same power wattage at a 4 ohm load. (Usually cost a lot more money though)

Not saying what you are doing is wrong at all. I'm just giving you food for thought.

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## trevor_geiger (Nov 29, 2012)

tecollins1 said:


> Make sure to compare specs between each battery you look at.
> 
> Cranking amps
> Amp hours
> ...


Thank you sir, so what your saying is I should just wire them to a 2 ohm load instead? I was looking into these batteries 12v 100ah TR100-12B   Tempest AGM, Valve Regulated, Maintenance Free, Sealed Lead Acid Rechargeable Battery $174.00 what is your thought on these?


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## jstoner22 (Aug 21, 2012)

I have had decent sized systems in my vehicles for years now.

I have always used a yellowtop optima as my second battery. I will not use another. 
I currently have four amps with a potential 2400watts continuous. No issues whatsoever with how I have it set up.

Regardless of your choice, remember that you are going to need a decent sized isolator









Also, the back right cubby in the trunk makes a perfect spot for a second battery.










I may just be your phrasing, but that last statement sounded a bit confused as to ohm loads and wiring.

You are wiring your battery to a specific ohm load. Just throw on the beefiest wires you can on them.
The ohm load will come into play when you are wiring up the voice coils on your amps. Depending on the impedance the amps see from the connected speakers, they will draw more/less power at varying levels of efficiency.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

The factory battery is 438CCA, all the aftermarket direct replacement ones I looked at were 600CCA. I ended up buying the Diehard Advanced gold AGM, was expensive but at least it uses flat plate cell AGM not the stupid space wasting spiral cell of the optima battery. 

From everything I have read the Sears battery is made by East Pen(Deka). Sears also offers a regular non-AGM diehard gold battery, but its only $10 less than the advanced gold AGM.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

The optima red top I mentioned is 800CCA

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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

H3LLON3ARTH said:


> The optima red top I mentioned is 800CCA
> 
> Sent From An Antique,
> My Original Droid.


If one needed 800CCA they could just buy a cruze diesel battery, it utilizes the entire tray that way. For my stock car kinda seemed like overkill though.


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## tecollins1 (Nov 6, 2011)

spacedout said:


> If one needed 800CCA they could just buy a cruze diesel battery, it utilizes the entire tray that way. For my stock car kinda seemed like overkill though.


That's the 1st thing I noticed in may when we test drive them at the Lordstown meet!
But what's the price diffrence and are they a deep cycle battery?


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

tecollins1 said:


> That's the 1st thing I noticed in may when we test drive them at the Lordstown meet!
> But what's the price diffrence and are they a deep cycle battery?
> 
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com App


I like the warranty on the Optima personally I was originally ing to go with interstate but they didn't have one that would match out terminals and fit.

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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

tecollins1 said:


> That's the 1st thing I noticed in may when we test drive them at the Lordstown meet!
> But what's the price difference and are they a deep cycle battery?


I honestly didn't look for pricing, your correct though something better could probably be had for less. 

I did notice the stock 1.4T battery didn't utilize the whole tray, but not until I was removing the old battery did I see there is a metal plate along the front edge that helps hold the battery in place that appears adjustable. This metal plate has a small square hold along the bottom front edge, one just needs to insert a screw driver and push/ pull up at the same time to remove this metal plate. 

Also nice, the battery hold down and terminals were both 9mm, so one really needs limited tools to swap the battery.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

spacedout said:


> If one needed 800CCA they could just buy a cruze diesel battery, it utilizes the entire tray that way. For my stock car kinda seemed like overkill though.


He like me needs a stout battery for our car audio that's why.I gave him thr number for a bigger battery.

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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

H3LLON3ARTH said:


> I like the warranty on the Optima personally I was originally ing to go with interstate but they didn't have one that would match out terminals and fit.
> 
> Sent From An Antique,
> My Original Droid.


What is optimas warranty these days? I look at quite a few batteries and most good ones offered 3 year free replacement. Heck even the duracell car battery at Sams club or batteries plus had 3 years free replacement. 

Interstate now offers two batteries for the cruze, the mega-tron II Part # MT-47/H5 & the mega-tron plus Part # MTP-47/H5. Two weeks ago the Mega-tron Plus was not offered, or I would have considered it.


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## tecollins1 (Nov 6, 2011)

spacedout said:


> What is optimas warranty these days? I look at quite a few batteries and most good ones offered 3 year free replacement. Heck even the duracell car battery at Sams club or batteries plus had 3 years free replacement.
> 
> Interstate now offers two batteries for the cruze, the mega-tron II Part # MT-47/H5 & the mega-tron plus Part # MTP-47/H5. Two weeks ago the Mega-tron Plus was not offered, or I would have considered it.


Looks like 36 months?









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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

tecollins1 said:


> Looks like 36 months?
> View attachment 35017
> 
> 
> ...


looks right to me lol.

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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

trevor_geiger said:


> Hello guys I am looking into buying an aftermarket battery to replace the stock under the hood, and to put a reserve in the trunk. I'll be doing the "big 3" in all 0 gauge with my runs to the trunk and for the reserve in 0 gauge. I am trying to keep the prices and options reasonable while not cutting corners. I am looking into yellow top optima, xs power, dekas, or tempest batteries, but I do not know what to look for when it comes to specs when buying aftermarket batteries. I'll be needing the extra voltage soon, so I kinda want to overkill on the electrical, as for it'll be a daily ground pounder. So any help is appreciated. Thank you guys a lot.


Id go with a yellow top optima battery =]. Its the best battery out there right now. Has been for quite awhile now. Has higher CCA than most stock batteries.


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## NBrehm (Jun 27, 2011)

As much as I hate to promote them because they are a crap company that I had the unpleasant experience of working for for a very, very brief period, Sears DieHard Platinum is a fantastic battery with a ridiculous warranty. Pricey, but IMO worth every penny. Be careful if you buy an Optima, they are great batteries but if they ever lose their charge they normally never recover fully and the battery life plummets. If you get an Optima and ever leave your car parked for a long time make sure you put a battery tender on it (which is good advice for any battery BTW)


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

NBrehm said:


> Be careful if you buy an Optima, they are great batteries but if they ever lose their charge they normally never recover fully and the battery life plummets.


Hence my comments about the "old stock" Optimas my buddies got which failed quickly after purchase.


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

> if you buy an Optima, they are great batteries but if they ever lose their charge they normally never recover fully and the battery life plummets. If you get an Optima and ever leave your car parked for a long time make sure you put a battery tender on it (which is good advice for any battery BTW)


 - Agreed - my red top died, from not starting and running my GTO enough. I did get a free replacement as it was less than 3 years old. I bought a battery tender to keep it charged.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

blk88verde said:


> - I bought a battery tender to keep it charged.


I do tbis on all my batteries.

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## OptimaJim (Sep 9, 2013)

Trevor, jstoner22 is absolutely correct about properly-isolating any batteries that are not identical in age,size or type. While cold cranking amps should meet or exceed your OEM battery, there is no need to overbuy in that regard. Reserve capacity and the ability to be deep-cycled are far more important considerations in car audio applications (our RedTop batteries are not designed or warrantied for deep-cycle use).

Nbrehm's suggestion that if our batteries lose their charge they normally never fully recover and battery life plummets is false. All batteries are consumable items and each discharge cycle reduces lifespan to some degree, depending on the depth of discharge and the amount of time the batter is left in a discharged state. The key to long battery life, regardless of brand, is proper voltage maintenance. Whenever any battery is discharged below 12.4 volts and is left sitting in that state, sulfation begins to form, which diminishes lifespan and capacity. GTOs and newer Corvettes are particularly notorious for their high key-off loads, which can completely discharge batteries in a matter of weeks.

While it is a good idea to upgrade your wiring, keep in mind that your vehicle's charging system was designed to maintain an OEM-sized battery that is near a full state of charge,not recharge deeply-discharged batteries or systems with multiple batteries. Also, while our batteries are considered to be “sealed,”all lead-acid batteries can vent gas that is both flammable and toxic in extreme situations. That is why we always recommend that any battery located in an enclosed area (interior or trunk) be properly-vented to the outside air. Our Group 27, 31, 51, 34C and DS46B24R batteries all have provisions for external venting.

Jim McIlvaine
eCare Manager, OPTIMA Batteries, Inc.
www.pinterest.com/optimabatteries


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

OptimaJim said:


> Nbrehm's suggestion that if our batteries lose their charge they normally never fully recover and battery life plummets is false. *All batteries are consumable items and each discharge cycle reduces lifespan to some degree*, depending on the depth of discharge and the amount of time the batter is left in a discharged state.


So Jim, what you're saying is that every lead acid battery, regardless of brand, is negatively affected by deep discharging and/or prolonged periods of deep discharge, even Optimas, correct?


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## Hack (Jul 10, 2013)

OptimaJim said:


> Trevor, jstoner22 is absolutely correct about properly-isolating any batteries that are not identical in age,size or type. While cold cranking amps should meet or exceed your OEM battery, there is no need to overbuy in that regard. Reserve capacity and the ability to be deep-cycled are far more important considerations in car audio applications (our RedTop batteries are not designed or warrantied for deep-cycle use).
> 
> Nbrehm's suggestion that if our batteries lose their charge they normally never fully recover and battery life plummets is false. All batteries are consumable items and each discharge cycle reduces lifespan to some degree, depending on the depth of discharge and the amount of time the batter is left in a discharged state. The key to long battery life, regardless of brand, is proper voltage maintenance. Whenever any battery is discharged below 12.4 volts and is left sitting in that state, sulfation begins to form, which diminishes lifespan and capacity. GTOs and newer Corvettes are particularly notorious for their high key-off loads, which can completely discharge batteries in a matter of weeks.
> 
> ...


I can attest to horrible battery life in my GTO. I've had it for five years and it's had five batteries. Luckily, I usually get them replaced under warranty 

-Posted from my Galaxy Note 2 on VZW's LTE network.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

Hack said:


> I can attest to horrible battery life in my GTO.


My C5 Corvette is bad for draining the battery while sitting, and with the smaller reserve capacity of the tiny PC680 it can be drained enough that it won't start after 2-3 weeks of sitting.

Having said that, the little bugger is still in there and working great. Take it for a good spin and that little battery is charged right back up, ready to crank that V8 over again and again. After two years of sitting in my basement after purchase and four years of service, it's still going. I recently drove it to Corvettes at Carlisle in Pensylvania and never gave the battery a second thought. Rarely am I so impressed with a product:

Odyssey PC680-P Battery : Amazon.com : Automotive


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

OptimaJim said:


> Nbrehm's suggestion that if our batteries lose their charge they normally never fully recover and battery life plummets is false. All batteries are consumable items and each discharge cycle reduces lifespan to some degree, depending on the depth of discharge and the amount of time the batter is left in a discharged state. The key to long battery life, regardless of brand, is proper voltage maintenance.


His statement is absolutely correct, especially for AGM batteries. Leaving an AGM battery(like an optima) on the shelf in the store or in the garage for months does majorly reduce the battery life. Funny thing is that your statement just backs up what he said.

If one looks at how a boat uses batteries(usually discharged 20-50%) AGM batteries are worse than normal lead acid batteries in this environment. Most guys I talk to get twice the life out of standard batteries when constantly discharging them.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

I think whay he was trying to say is that every battery will loose a percent of its life if not charged. 

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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

spacedout said:


> Funny thing is that your statement just backs up what he said.


Exactly!


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## NBrehm (Jun 27, 2011)

H3LLON3ARTH said:


> I think whay he was trying to say is that every battery will loose a percent of its life if not charged.
> 
> Sent From An Antique,
> My Original Droid.


I agree 100%, but the point I was making is I have had 4 redtops in different cars, I travel a lot so the batteries do get run down when I am not home (at home my batteries are either disconnected or on a tender or both) and all of them lasted less than 2 years before they got to the point if I parked the car for a week they were stone dead. Switched to Die Hard platinum (another AGM battery) in two of the vehicles, they get treated exactly the same and have been just fine for 5 years now. I can park the car for a month and it starts right up without having to flag down someone to jump start the ca.r I do a lot of work in the performance car business and we talk to each about what works and doesn't and there are quite a few people who have had the same issue. So yes I do fully realize draining any battery is not good for it, but it seems to pretty much ruin a red top if it happens once. Maybe we are all using them wrong, but all I can quote is personal experience and my experience has been that a red top battery is fine but get damaged very easily when compared to other batteries of similar construction and for what they cost they should perform as well as the other batteries in their class, otherwise as a consumer I am going to go with the better product. Are Optima red top's a "bad" battery? I'm not saying that, what I am saying is for around the same price you have stiff competion from companies with better track records.


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