Time for a new battery

[j0esmoe13]

After 4 years and 100,000 miles it is time for a new battery for my 07 Camry. Any recommendations on brand and where to buy? I'm planning on installing myself. (Unless there is any reason I should not?)

[workerant]

years and mileage is not a good reason to get new battery. y u think u need new one? best to wait till Fall or early Winter.

[tengiday]

IMO, there is no need to replace a battery when it is still usable. In case, you can buy a jump box.

[j0esmoe13]

I had an electical issue over the weekend where my daytime lights would not go off and my battery was totally drained 3 or 4 times. I have a jump box so maybe I will wait until it refuses to start.... I would just hate to have that happen at the worst possible time

The electrical isue I had can be researched at TSB #0377-08

[workerant]

Winter is the worst time and put your battery to the test, which is why battery is rated unit is "Cold Cranking Amp".

I would until winter if there is good reason to get battery now. sound like u r not sure your battery is dead.

[knightslugger]

when in doubt, test it. during a load test, voltage should not drop below 11 VDC.

Any Automotive parts store worth their salt can test the battery.

[profuse007]

Autozone? 3yr replacement w/ 8yrs prorate?

[jbrnigan]

Batteries do fail at the most inconvienient times. Reccommend Walmart, A'zone, Pep Boys, any major discount retailer etc,(almost all batteries are made by one of the big three battery mfrs in the US) in the event you have a premature failure you won't have a problem getting a warranty replacement - where ever you might be.

[Donald E. George]

Look at Consumer Reports. I think they just did a battery comparison not long ago.

[TrailDust]

Originally Posted by j0esmoe13

After 4 years and 100,000 miles it is time for a new battery for my 07 Camry. Any recommendations on brand and where to buy? I'm planning on installing myself. (Unless there is any reason I should not?)

Interstate battery. Here's a link to the dealer locator.

[humanoid]

I would replace it, summer is just around the corner and extreme heat and/or extreme cold can shorten a battery's lifespan. I ponied up and got a DieHard Platinum from Sears, about $200. They're just rebranded Odyssey batteries.



Product Description

The P-1 Platinum Automotive Battery from DieHard features 135 minutes of reserve capacity and 880 cold cranking amps. Its corrosion-resistant high quality tin-coated brass terminals provide reliable starting power in all weather conditions. Its rugged, military-grade construction features robust casing for increased compression and offers superior vibration resistance, making it ideal for off-road applications.

Longer off-season storage time - show cars & classic cars
Ideal for luxury vehicles with multiple electronic accessories
Plates made of 99.99% pure virgin lead
High purity grade acid held safely in place by glass mats; non-spillable design
Absorbed Glass Mat construction provides mounting flexibility & guarantees longer service life
4-Year Free Replacement; 100-Month Prorated Limited Warranty

[Yuko]

Just simply use it until it dies or until the battery test bad.

I got good use from the regular DieHard, 7 years. But I have to replace Duralast Red and Gold every two years on two different cars. The warranty help but it's annoying when it won't start in the middle of no where. O'reilly SuperStart seem pretty good too. Either way, there's only a few manufactures that makes batteries in the U.S. and relabel the name.

[Mike Murrell]

I've yet to see anything out last factory/dealer-provided batteries.

You can load test - OCV test -etc - and it means absolutely nothing if you get a GOOD reading. The battery can be dead 5 mins. later.

Yes - many batteries are made by a handful of companies - but that does not mean they are equal in quality. The battery company builds to the spec requested by Autozone/Wal-mart/etc.

Specs are not equal in many cases.

In my opinion(based on personal experience) - Autozone - Wal-Mart batteries are pure junk - regardless of their warranty....pull it out - take it back - pull it out - take it back.....

[jbrnigan]

Yes - many batteries are made by a handful of companies - but that does not mean they are equal in quality. The battery company builds to the spec requested by Autozone/Wal-mart/etc.

Specs are not equal in many cases.

In my opinion(based on personal experience) - Autozone - Wal-Mart batteries are pure junk - regardless of their warranty....pull it out - take it back - pull it out - take it back.....[/QUOTE]

There are a lot of misconceptions regarding "Private Label" products sold by W'mart. A'zone, Pep Boys, etc. Over the years I have sold millions of dollars of automotive products to W'mart and A'zone and can tell you that with "few" exceptions, the only difference between the private label and the branded product is the "label". The battery supplier to W'mart is Exide, the Everlast brand.
Exide supplies Toyota with batteries for its North American-produced Avalon, Camry, Corolla, and Matrix cars, Venza crossover sedans, and Sequoia sport-utility vehicles and Tundra trucks. The supply agreement continues a successful relationship between Exide Technologies and Toyota that began in 1988. How much difference do you think there is between the two batteries - W'mart vs Toyota - who do you think get them cheapest?
Few suppliers to mass merchants have the production flexibility to mfr a private label specification that differs significantly from their branded offering.

[TrailDust]

Originally Posted by jbrnigan

In my opinion(based on personal experience) - Autozone - Wal-Mart batteries are pure junk - regardless of their warranty....pull it out - take it back - pull it out - take it back.....

There are a lot of misconceptions regarding "Private Label" products sold by W'mart. A'zone, Pep Boys, etc. Over the years I have sold millions of dollars of automotive products to W'mart and A'zone and can tell you that with "few" exceptions, the only difference between the private label and the branded product is the "label". The battery supplier to W'mart is Exide, the Everlast brand.
Exide supplies Toyota with batteries for its North American-produced Avalon, Camry, Corolla, and Matrix cars, Venza crossover sedans, and Sequoia sport-utility vehicles and Tundra trucks. The supply agreement continues a successful relationship between Exide Technologies and Toyota that began in 1988. How much difference do you think there is between the two batteries - W'mart vs Toyota - who do you think get them cheapest?

Truth in what he said. That's why I'll stick with Interstate.