Hey Guys/Gals, just got back from Autozone and installed a new battery. I wanted the Duralast Gold model (their best) with the 8 year warranty. Three years free replacement, pro rated for remaining 5 years. OK, the guy tells me they don't make one for the Corvette, so I asked him if we could match one up, I wanted one with more than the stock CCA of 580 anyway. So, I come up with one a scoach taller 5/8" and a scoach longer, about 3/4", and it has a CCA rating of 750. The salesperson said if it didn't fit, he'd hold my core for two days, if I didn't call he'd turn it in. The long and short of it is, it fit Perfect, just enough room in the tray, and cable length, it clamped right in. The model number is 24DLG, and the price out the door, $78. BTW, the car turns over, ands starts, INCREDIBLY FAST now, WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! And, no codes!!!! Oh, and I forgot to mention, my car is an '04 and uses top posts.

John

John

 

Thanks for the info John!!

 

Absoloutly sweeeeet!

It is good because Auto Zones are like alllllll over the place!



Thanks,Matt

 

Thanks, hopefully I wont be changing mine soon ,but it sounds like a good deal

 

 

Does this battery have an absorbent glass-mat in between to hold the electrolyte solution? If not, is it worth the few $$$$'s saved to potentially destroy your computer located below the battery?

Can you sleep tonight worrying when your battery will leak and destroy your computer? I hate the Red Top ... but would never install a non absorbent glass-mat in between to hold the electrolyte solution type battery.

 

Knowing how some companies react when you use a product in an application not intended...I wonder about warranty...

 

H'mmm, 04's are top post batteries. The battery is not made by AC DELCO,
in fact, it's made by Johnson Controls who makes Motorcraft batteries for FORD. I'm a Ford guy, owned many, many cars and trucks with Motorcraft
batteries, I never even heard of such a thing as a leaking battery till I came to this forum, I sure never experienced it. I think it's safe to say that AC DELCO and side posts seem to be the problem. I'll sleep very well tonight without having a $200 battery, or an AC Delco replacement in the car. Now if I had a Baja 4X4 and spent a lot of time upside down, I think I could justify an Optima!

John

 

John ... I'm not criticizing your purchase choice, I'm just asking about battery construction. I always love people that beat the Corvette Tax, but sometimes, we must be careful. Someone, somewhere on this forum once said, " You soon forget the high cost of satisfaction ... but you never forget the cost of dissatisfaction or consequential results."

Good Luck and sleep well

 

I understand your point, and concern. But there are many choices that can lead to an effective solution, some cost more, some less, let common sense, not fear, prevail. It has been my experience some folks here tend to overreact and over spend, in this case I don't think it is necessary. I believe GM addressed the leakage problem by going to a top-post design in '03 - '04, I didn't experience any leakage, and I don't think anyone else did here with an '03 - '04, just early battery failures.

I own an 1981 Honda CBX motorcycle, and for years Yuasa, the premier motorcycle battery manufacturer, was having trouble with their big-bike batteries. My friend's Harley battery died at a Rally, as well as many of my friends with CBX's, my Yuasa went 8 years. An engineer finally relayed to us on the CBX forum that one battery line had an iffy grid welder, so if you got a battery from that line, you could suffer with sudden battery death syndrome, sooner or later. S**T happens, I'm glad GM addressed the leakage problems on the later models, replacing a battery is no biggie.

John

 

My son, who has worked for years in the car repair business tells me all the Autozone batteries are used ones that have been rebuilt. Just thought I'd mention that.

 

The 03's have a side mount battery. Ours started leaking, I caught it in time. Our 04' has a top mount battery and is still going strong. Trickle chargers are really worth the money and hassle. David

 

I just bought an optima for my car after it sat for almost a year while I was overseas (battery was dead as hell when I got back). I've heard all sorts of good things about optima batteries. The military is changing over all their batteries to gel because they are so much more dependable and wont send electrical surges though your vehicle when the battery acid sloshes around inside.

 

A little information for you all - Johnson Controls who is credited with making Autozone's Duralast battery is also the maker of the Optima and the Champion line of batteries.

This is from their web site...http://www2.johnsoncontrols.com/bg/About_Us.htm

"Johnson Controls is the largest automotive battery manufacturer in North America. We continue to gain market share as a result of our continuous efforts to improve battery quality and life, and by partnering with a select group of strong retailers and distributors.

Our aftermarket battery customers include AutoZone, Pep Boys, Interstate Battery, Sears, Wal-Mart and Costco. We also make original equipment batteries for automakers including DaimlerChrysler, Ford, Honda, Nissan and Toyota. Investments in new product and process technology that bring value to our battery customers help us maintain our market leadership."

http://www.autobatteries.com/brands/index.asp

The Optima and the Excide Orbital batteries are NOT GEL! The are spiral cell AGM (absorbed gas mat batteries), that have a sealed case made from an exceptionally strong polymer. They are not puncture or leak proof, but they are more resistant to leaks and puncture than a standard case battery. The spiral cell batteries still contain electrolyte.

http://www.optimabatteries.com/publi...utomotive.html

Also - to dispel another rumor - the reason the early side terminal batteries leaked was believed to be caused by over tightening of the terminals.

 

I just recently put an Interstate side post battery in my '97 and I'm not the least concerned about leakage. Like someone said earlier, I've never heard of a battery leaking until I came to this forum. Now I hear that the leakage problem was probably human error.

I may not sleep well tonight, but it won't be from worrying about my battery!

 

I replaced my AC DELCO battery with a Duralast Gold last December after the AC Delco died. When I removed the AC DELCO the positve post pulled completely out of the battery when i went to take the cables off. After pulling the battery out I could see where the battery had a small leak coming from the bottom of the terminal. Their was no damage but it could have been a nightmare. So far the Duralast has worked fine and hasn't leaked or failed to crank in any weather.

 

Hope the battery works out for you and lasts a long time. Sounds like a decent deal.

 

Thanks for sharing...

 

Blacksedan, thanks for the links and info! I found that site a year ago looking for a replacement battery for my pickup, interesting read. There are only 3 manufacturers of automobile batteries in the USA!!!

John

 

I have heard a few war stories about Auto Zone batteries blowing up. Now some batteries do that--any brand. But supposedly Auto Zone squirmed out of a claim for liability. I had an Interstate bat blow up on my son's car. They processed the claim with no headache. Fortunately, no damage to his car.

Walmart is good about handling damage claims; I suspect Sears is too.


Something to think about.