Need new battery, which one to get?

[amkullar]

Hey guys, I need a new battery for my LR3. I was wondering what can i get closest to an OEM. The dealer said something about an Interstate. they want $184 plus tax (HS here in vanocuver BC 12%) and $40 for install. I wanted a second opinion about the battery. What are your suggestions. ?

[hilltoppersx]

$40 for an install? what? why do you want the one closest to OEM? if i were you i would go far from OEM. I would get the DieHard Plat. It's a glass mat battery so you can run it dead and recharge it and it doesn't loose capacity. also won't leak.

[Savannah Buzz]

Whatever you get, 800 CCA (cold cranking amps) rated or better. Many auto parts stores install for free. Have alternator tested for free at same time.

[mgerity]

I'd recommend Odyssey very strongly. Built like tanks--they are what Optima USED to be (and on that note, I'd stay far away from Optima these days). Odysseys are more expensive than some others, but very well worth it.

I live in Arizona where the heat absolutely destroys batteries in a hurry. OEMs and the like barely last a year. Optimas used to be great, but somewhere around 5 years ago they started selling Optimas at Sam's Club and/or Costco, and very soon thereafter I had them dying on me even quicker than OEMs. So, I started to switch each car to an Odyssey as it needed a new battery, and have been extremely happy with every one of them--all of them are lasting for years. And, they do much better with sitting unused than others, which is important to me because I have a lot of (mostly junky) cars that I don't get around to driving very often.

[Savannah Buzz]

Also, going to a dealer will add nearly $100 to your final cost. If going AGM (aborbed glass mat) style, have seller check your alternator volts out to be sure you will charge it 100%.

[disco2003NYC]

I too would like battery suggestions. Heard mine was leaking too, but then told it wasn't. Car not running wonderfully (to say the least), if replace battery suggestions please.

[Savannah Buzz]

disco2003NYC:

In your area, where owners must have extreme mechanical skill to take the engine block inside each night, battery could be an issue. lol

1. When it gets cold, weak batteries make themselves known, usually by slow or failure to crank the truck. Combination of dead cells, dirty connections, and just plain age. Now if you are a battery company, you consider battery sales a cyclical industry, as they have a short life cycle. So three years - five years is about what you can expect.

2. When I supported 47 computer centers around the US and Canada, I made a deal with the branch managers. On their wife's birthday each year, buy a new battery for the office generator. Put the generator battery in the wife's car. Now my generator will always have a new battery, and wifey will always have a 1-2 year old battery, and everybody wins! Branch manager has less problems at office and home!

Same approcah will work if you have multiple vehicles and can rotate batteries.

3. D2 and newer Rovers have lots more electronics, so more demand on battery, it does need to be in good condition. If you have a volt meter you can check youself, or have tested at most auto parts stores for free. Their tests are reasonable, they check battery, alternator, and starter draw, usually computeized, so clerk has hard time screwing it up (not impossible, but requires advanced degree in dumbology).

4. If truck running bad, battery will not fix most problems. What conditons do you have, and are any warning lights lit on the dash, or any codes indicated (auto parts store will read codes for free also).?

5. Size of battery is important, the cold cranking amps (CCA) rating should be 800 or above.

6. For those who might read this later, if you are stuck with bad battery, and only a little folding money, many junk yards pull out the decent looking ones and sell them for about $25. Good enough to get you home, next payday, etc.

[hilltoppersx]

Originally Posted by disco2003NYC

I too would like battery suggestions. Heard mine was leaking too, but then told it wasn't. Car not running wonderfully (to say the least), if replace battery suggestions please.

where exactly do you live?

[thorgal]

Land rover revised a previous requirement regarding the lr3 battery.
950 cranking amps vs old 825 and capacity at least 90 - 100 aH

[Savannah Buzz]

Good point - wish we had LR3 factory manuals in the RAVE.