# Diehard Gold AGM Battery



## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

If you are looking for a diesel battery, Sears has their battery on sale for $158.99 plus they have a $50 rebate on this battery. Might be worth giving consideration if you need a battery.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Had one in my last car. Lasted 7 years before it gave up...would buy again.


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## sailurman (Sep 29, 2016)

IndyDiesel said:


> If you are looking for a diesel battery, Sears has their battery on sale for $158.99 *plus they have a $50 rebate on this battery*. Might be worth giving consideration if you need a battery.


Got a link on that rebate? Can't find it....


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

I always like the DieHard Battery but Sears Auto shops are getting hard to find and I end up buying a Duracell from Sam's or something like that when I bought one for my 2012 and my former Malibu just because of convenience. Definitely look into when comes time for my 2013 or 2014 or wife's car.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

sailurman said:


> Got a link on that rebate? Can't find it....


It was a piece of paper at the Sears store, not sure about a link. There was a website, if you call your local Sears automotive center should be able to help you.


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## sparkman (Oct 15, 2015)

I had a DieHard battery in my Grand Am that was installed in 2000 by my Dad and it lasted until 2014 when I decided to replace it so my luck didn't run out...lol. Still started the car though perfectly, but didn't want to risk getting stranded. 

I have a picture of it somewhere I'll have to dig out, I thought it was pretty cool it lasted that long.


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

My Cruze TD has about 60,000 on it, and was manufactured in late 14. However, I get issues where the lights dim when turning and the HVAC fan speed fluctuates. All symptoms of a bad battery. Do the OEM batteries die early?


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

BDCCruze said:


> My Cruze TD has about 60,000 on it, and was manufactured in late 14. However, I get issues where the lights dim when turning and the HVAC fan speed fluctuates. All symptoms of a bad battery. Do the OEM batteries die early?


Yes, the AC Delco ones are mostly junk.

However, negative battery cable issues in the Cruze are very common. Have the battery load tested, but these issues while running sound more like a negative cable issue to me. There is an extended warranty coverage on it to replace the cable free of charge.


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

jblackburn said:


> Yes, the AC Delco ones are mostly junk.
> 
> However, negative battery cable issues in the Cruze are very common. Have the battery load tested, but these issues while running sound more like a negative cable issue to me. There is an extended warranty coverage on it to replace the cable free of charge.


My negative terminal seems connected tightly. It does not wiggle or move in any way.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

BDCCruze said:


> My negative terminal seems connected tightly. It does not wiggle or move in any way.


The cable itself goes bad.

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/25-g...al-coverage-14311-negative-battery-cable.html


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

BDCCruze said:


> My negative terminal seems connected tightly. It does not wiggle or move in any way.



I believe tightness wasn't the issue, had to do with defective crimp or other aspect in the quality of the stock cable. Your cable should have a tag with mfg date. If it's around the date your car was built then replacement is a good place to start. Covered under warranty.

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/25-g...al-coverage-14311-negative-battery-cable.html


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

BDCCruze said:


> My Cruze TD has about 60,000 on it, and was manufactured in late 14. However, I get issues where the lights dim when turning and the HVAC fan speed fluctuates. All symptoms of a bad battery. Do the OEM batteries die early?


CTD known to be tough on the factory battery. More info here:

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/64-g...scussion/155881-factory-battery-replaced.html


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

Rivergoer said:


> I believe tightness wasn't the issue, had to do with defective crimp or other aspect in the quality of the stock cable. Your cable should have a tag with mfg date. If it's around the date your car was built then replacement is a good place to start. Covered under warranty.
> 
> http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/25-g...al-coverage-14311-negative-battery-cable.html


Showing mft date as a few months before the car was built, so definitely the original cable.


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## theonlypheonix (Oct 8, 2015)

Haven't bought Diehard in years but many years ago was good battery and also had a Wally World brand last over 8 years many years ago. Now report might suggest otherwise for Diehard:
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro...atteries-can-be-from-the-same-brand/index.htm

Today my choice would be Battery Plus X2 AGM 94R/AGM or Blains Fleet/Farm Duration Extreme 94R/AGM although Battery Plus has a 6 year FULL free replacement warranty.


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

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

I got this battery for $250 out the door. Full 5 year replacement warranty. Car turns over stronger than brand new.


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

Reading Interstate is among the best you can buy for on-road.


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## theonlypheonix (Oct 8, 2015)

BDCCruze said:


> Reading Interstate is among the best you can buy for on-road.


ok... what makes them so good for any application? They are made by Johnson Controls which also makes Wally World Everstart and a lot of others under different Branding labels. Do they offer a no hassle full 5 year free replacement warranty? Are they amount the highest in the industry for CCA or CA for group size? Does their technology in any way differentiate them from among all the other low cost Brands.

Johnson Controls is know for there run of the mill battery, what characteristics makes them soooo good to standout from top name Brand like NorthStar and Optima who make their own batteries... is it that they are the lowest priced? There is an old saying... you get what you pay for.:hope:


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

theonlypheonix said:


> ok... what makes them so good for any application? They are made by Johnson Controls which also makes Wally World Everstart and a lot of others under different Branding labels. Do they offer a no hassle full 5 year free replacement warranty? Are they amount the highest in the industry for CCA or CA for group size? Does their technology in any way differentiate them from among all the other low cost Brands.
> 
> Johnson Controls is know for there run of the mill battery, what characteristics makes them soooo good to standout from top name Brand like NorthStar and Optima who make their own batteries... is it that they are the lowest priced? There is an old saying... you get what you pay for.:hope:


The Interstate AGM battery for the Cruze TD is one of the most expensive batteries I've found for it. *check*

It also has 10 more CCA than the X2. The warranty is not as good though, but it does cost a little less to make up for it. *check*

You linked CR for something, well they really like the Interstate. In this recent test it won 3 out of 6 categories. *check*

And by your own words, Interstate plus Everstart (made by Interstate) won 5 out of 6 categories combined. *check*

Sounds like it meets your criteria.


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## theonlypheonix (Oct 8, 2015)

Interstate, One of the most expensive battery for the 2.0L Cruze CTD????:th_alc: Check yours facts from reliable retailers, if we are talking GS of 94R AGM, Interstate is one of the cheaper on the market unless you go to some con-artists dealer. If we go by mass weight, Interstate is even one of the lighter weights for group size in the market.

Do your home work on quality battery's and get the facts (spec) from the manufacturers instead of the con-artists Interstate dealers, they are on no pedestal to look up to.

Get your facts straight on Interstate and Wally World (Everstart)... they do not make batteries! Johnson control makes for them and a lot of JC are from CHINA. Can you say cheeeeeeeeeeeeeap!!

I personally use GS of 27F-X2 AGM by Battery Plus (allegedly NorthStar re-branded) , still out performs Interstate (Mega-tron plus) for same group size 27F AGM. Only slight mods needed to make it fit (see my prior posts).ccasion14: Rated short circuit current of 5000 amps!!! The only thing that come close to these bad boys for charge is 500 farads of ultra super capacitors!!!!


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## neile300c (Jul 8, 2014)

Like several posters have said, Johnson Controls makes over 90% of batteries sold in the US. Just the labels and warranties are different. The reason Walmart batteries are so cheap is they are warrantied by Walmart. Which, with over 2800 locations nationwide, it's nice to have a warranty that's good anywhere in the US on top of being one of the cheapest, if not the cheapest, with the best warranty. But, they are usually a few CCA less than competitors, but they are sufficient if you get what is recommended for your vehicle and not try to cheap out


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

Our small Sears store doesn't carry batteries, mainly just appliances. Our local Battery store dropped Interstate for Deka, anybody heard of Deka?

Used Interstate for decades in boats, cars, RVs with good results. However, I noticed the last few years Interstate longevity in our extreme desert heat really went downhill. Recently lost a couple of Interstate batteries after only 24-30 months. 

The owner of our Battery store claims Deka is US made and superior quality vs Interstate. The parent company is East Penn Mfg in Pennsylvania. 

Thoughts?


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

IMO You are probably going to find most batteries are manufactured by the same base company and different names are put on the same batteries depending on who has the demand


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## vwgtiglx (Jun 13, 2013)

Rivergoer said:


> Our small Sears store doesn't carry batteries, mainly just appliances. Our local Battery store dropped Interstate for Deka, anybody heard of Deka?
> 
> Used Interstate for decades in boats, cars, RVs with good results. However, I noticed the last few years Interstate longevity in our extreme desert heat really went downhill. Recently lost a couple of Interstate batteries after only 24-30 months.
> 
> ...


Today my choice would be Battery Plus X2 AGM 94R/AGM or Blains Fleet/Farm Duration Extreme 94R/AGM although Battery Plus has a 6 year FULL free replacement warranty. Daka makes both of these batteries along with the Intimidator. I have both of these batteries in my cars and have been more than impressed with them.


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## Taxman (Aug 10, 2017)

vwgtiglx said:


> Daka makes both of these batteries along with the Intimidator. I have both of these batteries in my cars and have been more than impressed with them.


You mean Deka / East Penn?
East Penn Manufacturing – The world's largest single site, family-owned lead-acid battery manufacturer


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

Taxman said:


> You mean Deka / East Penn?
> East Penn Manufacturing â€“ The world's largest single site, family-owned lead-acid battery manufacturer


Deka, Daka, DACA...whatever...Yes, the car battery made by East Penn Mfg. 

All car batteries, even the bad ones, last longer than DACA did.


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## Taxman (Aug 10, 2017)

If I'd read Rivergoer's 2am post, there'd have been no need for me to post anything about Deka on this thread. 

But when it comes to long term battery success, some of my best experiences were with Walmart's Everstart batteries. I still have one old Everstart, was bought new in October 2002. 

That Everstart battery from the fall of 2002 has been going downhill in recent years. Two years ago, it wouldn't start the car after being left parked with the clock and computers running for more than a month or two. Last year it pretty much had to be charged every time I ran the car. This spring, it wouldn't take enough of a charge to start the car even once, so it can be declared totally dead less than 15 years after it was made, but some of that's my fault for letting it go flat several times over the years. 

Somehow, I do not get the impression that Walmart's buyers have any interest in spec'ing batteries to the same quality level as 15 years ago.


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

I think almost anyone can make good batteries if they want. The decision on the quality and durability comes from what market segment they want to be in, therefore reflecting the amount they spend on construction and QA of the batteries.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

BDCCruze said:


> I think almost anyone can make good batteries if they want. The decision on the quality and durability comes from what market segment they want to be in, therefore reflecting the amount they spend on construction and QA of the batteries.


Probably true of pretty much any other product. I'd love to have mil-spec but my pockets aren't that deep.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

still on OG battery

tests perfect


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

boraz said:


> still on OG battery
> 
> tests perfect


If I remeber correctly you use your CTD to go from home to work - a couple hundred miles each way - but don't use the car otherwise. So it would be a rare occurrence when the car is started more than once a day - or not given a 100 miles or so of runtime before being asked to start the engine again.


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

boraz said:


> still on OG battery
> 
> tests perfect





Tomko said:


> Probably true of pretty much any other product. I'd love to have mil-spec but my pockets aren't that deep.


Never lived in cold climate before...how does cold affect battery longevity? 

Here in the desert southwest the 115-120 degree summers are absolutely brutal on car batteries.


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## Taxman (Aug 10, 2017)

Rivergoer said:


> Never lived in cold climate before...how does cold affect battery longevity?


If you let them discharge and freeze, it kills them. A fully charged, high specific gravity battery has a very low freezing point, so disconnect the battery and charge it every month or two when you store a car for the winter, or put it on a float charger/maintainer. 

As long as you don't freeze the battery, it deteriorates/ages slower in cold temps.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Rivergoer said:


> Never lived in cold climate before...how does cold affect battery longevity?
> 
> Here in the desert southwest the 115-120 degree summers are absolutely brutal on car batteries.


Cold is not good either. I'm not sure who's colder - me or Boraz - but in the days before the sealed freedom batteries people would get stranded all the time. 

I have a vivid memory of my boss driving me home around Christmas 1981, and at a traffic light he stalled his Chevette. He grabbed a set of booster cables from the back hatch and motioned to the car stopped next to us at the light. That motorist stayed inside his car and simply popped his hood while my boss affected a jump start of his chevette. In the space of probably 60 seconds he got all this done, disconnected the cables, closed the hoods on both cars and with a wave of thanks to that random motorist we were on our way again. 

They say that being Canadian means knowing how to make love in a canoe - but being able to jump start a car in less than a minute in the freezing cold has got to be right up there.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

Tomko said:


> Cold is not good either. I'm not sure who's colder - me or Boraz -


colder here


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

Tomko said:


> If I remeber correctly you use your CTD to go from home to work - a couple hundred miles each way - but don't use the car otherwise. So it would be a rare occurrence when the car is started more than once a day - or not given a 100 miles or so of runtime before being asked to start the engine again.


yeah, not a daily commuter....500 miles to work, work 20-40 days, drive the car maybe 10x, then 500 miles home, then used a bunch on days off


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## BasicDave (Nov 27, 2015)

Also keep in mind that the alternator only charges when you are coasting or going down hill. If you watch the voltage screen on the dash it will give you some scary numbers when you are accelerating up a long hill. The system was designed to give maximum power to the drivetrain and then charge the battery when you don't need the full power to go up a hill. It also gives better fuel economy set up this way. I've seen my lights dim at red lights with the AC on high and once I get coasting again the voltage comes right back up.


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## NHRA (Oct 12, 2014)

this battery is now 219.00 but I got one for 180.00 tax included. 50,000 miles


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

finally replaced OG battery

the side detection stayin on randomly helped drain the battery one too many times

jumped it a dozen times, last time took 1.5hrs from a f250 diesel, lol


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## oreo382 (Sep 17, 2014)

BasicDave said:


> Also keep in mind that the alternator only charges when you are coasting or going down hill. If you watch the voltage screen on the dash it will give you some scary numbers when you are accelerating up a long hill. The system was designed to give maximum power to the drivetrain and then charge the battery when you don't need the full power to go up a hill. It also gives better fuel economy set up this way. I've seen my lights dim at red lights with the AC on high and once I get coasting again the voltage comes right back up.


Rubbish,I live where it's flat as a pancake so you are saying as long as I am driving(foot on the gas) my battery isn't charging.If that was the case then my battery wouldn't last a week.


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## oreo382 (Sep 17, 2014)

boraz said:


> finally replaced OG battery
> 
> the side detection stayin on randomly helped drain the battery one too many times
> 
> jumped it a dozen times, last time took 1.5hrs from a f250 diesel, lol


Your Cruze has side detection?


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

oreo382 said:


> Your Cruze has side detection?


yeah?


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## oreo382 (Sep 17, 2014)

boraz said:


> yeah?


The reason I ask is that mine didn't come with (2014).Is that something you specify as an option or did some just come with it?


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

oreo382 said:


> The reason I ask is that mine didn't come with (2014).Is that something you specify as an option or did some just come with it?


bought it off the lot, its part of safety option pkg


> Enhanced Safety Package includes crash-avoidance technologies such as a rear park assist, side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert.


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

I replaced my negative battery terminal a few months ago. Today when starting for the first time I forgot to run the glow plugs. While cranking I got the service stabilitrak message. Time for a new battery? I still have the stock 730CCA one from the 14.


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