New Battery

[Lima.Charlie]

What is a good battery to get? I am looking at Optima Batteries but cannot seem to nail down the exact size. I am willing to cut my tray to get it to fit as well.

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

It's a group 75 or 78 for the '02, let ThunderbirdJunkie go double check.

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

75
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ULT-9022-091/

 

[Lima.Charlie]

So whats the deal with people gettting the battery size that goes in a 2005?

 

[tjkj2002]

Sears Diehard Platinum Series P4(Odyssey PC1500),same price as a Optima and 100% better since Optima's quality went south a few years ago when Johnson Controls bought them.

 

[Lima.Charlie]

That is so funny, I just found that post....

Whats the sizing I need since the battery in an 02 is different.

 

[RageOfFury]

I'm using a Costco Kirkland Signature Series battery. Heard nothing but good things about that battery so I bought one. Impressed so far. Started my Liberty up at -30C no problem.

 

[tjkj2002]

That is so funny, I just found that post....

Whats the sizing I need since the battery in an 02 is different.

Just cut the battery tray,it's easy and no harm will be done(make sure you cut the fender side),or buy a '04+ battery tray(about $30).

The '02's use a group 25 battery,very small and weak.

 

[Lima.Charlie]

So get the battery for a 2005....cut the tray....then SHAZAAM?

 

[Porkchop]

Just remember batterys are compaired by the Cold Crank Amps. A high CCA is better the a low CCA so how many CCAs can you fit in what space.

 

[kb0nly]

Hmm... Haven't had any problems with Optima batteries... Diehards are ok... I've personally helped pull and return a few under warranty, so i will say they will replace them at no charge and no questions asked provided it doesn't pass testing at the store. But they only seem to last a couple years so thats pretty average for a battery in this part of the country. Cold winters, Hot summers... Takes a lot out of them.

To be fair i have seen and heard of a few Optimas failing as well, pretty extreme situations, like accidents or someone hooking up a charger on the start setting and walking away for an hour. Only failures i have seen seem to be human error or accidents.

I have one Optima thats been on float charge for 5 or 6 years now, i would have to go look at the date on it to tell you for sure. It only gets drawn down and cycled once a year, its my backup battery for the ham radio shack here.

 

[loves_off_roading]

Diehards are pretty good

 

[tjkj2002]

Hmm... Haven't had any problems with Optima batteries... Diehards are ok... I've personally helped pull and return a few under warranty, so i will say they will replace them at no charge and no questions asked provided it doesn't pass testing at the store. But they only seem to last a couple years so thats pretty average for a battery in this part of the country. Cold winters, Hot summers... Takes a lot out of them.

To be fair i have seen and heard of a few Optimas failing as well, pretty extreme situations, like accidents or someone hooking up a charger on the start setting and walking away for an hour. Only failures i have seen seem to be human error or accidents.

I have one Optima thats been on float charge for 5 or 6 years now, i would have to go look at the date on it to tell you for sure. It only gets drawn down and cycled once a year, its my backup battery for the ham radio shack here.

If you have a 5-6 yera old Optima you still have a good one,the newer ones are junk,they just fail after 1-2 years now and hence the shorter warranty then what they used to have.Optima's are no longer made in the USA and use recycled lead.

Oh and the only Diehard battery that is worth a darn is the Platinum Series P4 which is made by Odyssey.

 

[LibertyFever]

If you have a 5-6 yera old Optima you still have a good one,the newer ones are junk,they just fail after 1-2 years now and hence the shorter warranty then what they used to have.Optima's are no longer made in the USA and use recycled lead.

Oh and the only Diehard battery that is worth a darn is the Platinum Series P4 which is made by Odyssey.

I'm not surprised that the newer Optima batteries are not lasting as long as the old ones and that quality is dropping. It seems to be the case for any product manufacturing that moves to China.

Just this week I bought an Energizer Marine battery for my Libby.

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I know it's overkill, I don't need 1000CCA in my Libby but I have the identical battery in my YJ and it hasn't failed me yet. I picked it up at WallyMart for $100.

 

[sleeve]

I just hit two years on my new generation Optima. No hiccups yet. Heck it's even the "weak" group 25 battery that people don't like.

 

[BigRich201]

optima is great but expensive. ive seen em go for $200. if u aint running any sound system or axillary lighting go to autozone and pick up a duralast gold battary with 800 cca for only 90 bucks. its cheap and i havent had any problems with it

 

[kb0nly]

Just this week I bought an Energizer Marine battery for my Libby.

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It Keeps Going and Going and Going...

Oh come on, who didnt see that damn bunny in their head when they saw the Energizer battery??? LOL

I know a few that have bought Energizer car batteries, haven't heard anything bad about them yet.

 

[kb0nly]

If you have a 5-6 yera old Optima you still have a good one,the newer ones are junk,they just fail after 1-2 years now and hence the shorter warranty then what they used to have.Optima's are no longer made in the USA and use recycled lead.

Oh and the only Diehard battery that is worth a darn is the Platinum Series P4 which is made by Odyssey.

Everybody is using recycled lead now... I was in sears about a month ago and there was a sign above their batteries that said...

At Sears we help protect the environment, all our batteries use recycled materials.

If you read their company info online the batteries are manufactured from recycled lead for the plates and recycled plastic for the case... Industry standard now days.

And there is nothing wrong with recycled lead anyway, not sure why you think that. Its melted down, purified, and then re-cast into ingots that are then sold to the battery manufacturers and other industries. I could hand you a new and a recycled ingot and you couldn't tell the difference even if you did chemical testing.

 

[tjkj2002]

Everybody is using recycled lead now... I was in sears about a month ago and there was a sign above their batteries that said...

At Sears we help protect the environment, all our batteries use recycled materials.

If you read their company info online the batteries are manufactured from recycled lead for the plates and recycled plastic for the case... Industry standard now days.

And there is nothing wrong with recycled lead anyway, not sure why you think that. Its melted down, purified, and then re-cast into ingots that are then sold to the battery manufacturers and other industries. I could hand you a new and a recycled ingot and you couldn't tell the difference even if you did chemical testing.

There Platinum Series P4 uses 99% pure virgin lead as that battery is built by Odyssey for Sears and is the direct clone of the PC1500 just in a gray case instead of red/black.Odyssey does not use recycled lead in there batteries and are made in the USA where as the Optima's are now made in Mexich and most of Optima's best techs and engineers were fired when Johnson Controls took over and now work for Enersys who makes Odyssey batteries.And there's a big difference in recycled lead and virgin lead when it comes to batteries and how much juice they can put out.


I like my 1300cca's my Odyssey puts out compared to the 850cca's the Yellow Top I had could put out.

 

[LibertyFever]

It Keeps Going and Going and Going...

Oh come on, who didnt see that damn bunny in their head when they saw the Energizer battery??? LOL

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