Builds 1988 BJ74 “Number 1” (5 Viewers)

[FJBen]

Cruiser has been sitting for a week. Went to start it and click…click. Really?

Nothing was on so that’s pretty disappointing. take the tire to the closest auto store to test and yep, tested bad. Sticker on the battery say 11/21.

So this was a Walmart Everstart Maxx. I’ve had 2 of these batteries fail in under 4 years. I can’t recommend them at all. Replacement battery is only warrantied from original battery date so hardly any prorate left. I will find out though once I take to the store.


Looking at X2 power from North Star, who coincidentally has been bought by Odyssey (which is the other battery I’m looking at.

X2Power Premium AGM 930CCA BCI Group 27 Car and Truck Battery - SLI27AGMDP - https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/sli27agmdp

Group 27 Dual-Purpose AGM Battery, 92 Amp Hours | West Marine - https://www.westmarine.com/odyssey-group-27-dual-purpose-agm-battery-92-amp-hours-20084562.html?&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=PMax:%20GSC%3eSmart_Shopping%3eMarine%20Electrical&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5Z607MW-_AIVjQatBh1vyAgjEAQYAyABEgJFKPD_BwE

I can get 10% off batteries plus, but they are still $$$. 4 year free replacement.

 

[Honger]

I'm really happy with Odyssey in my all trucks here in the temp extremes... oldest one is 3.5 years now and no signs of any issues.

Knocks on wood...

 

[Kaderabek]

Tuning in. Both of the batteries in my 73 are dead and need to be tested.

 

[Felde]

I could also join the club. The two batteries in my BJ73 are not (yet) dead, but show significant weakness: Both lose power fast after external charging and go down to 11.7-9V only within a week of sitting uncharged. On startup, voltage may completely collapse, causing the stereo to pass out.
I assume they got sulfated by several deep cycles to 23.xV (11.xV each), due to sitting uncharged for some times, slow draining from an always-on 24-12 DC DC, and occasionally using a fridge.
2.5 year old Banner heavy duty 77Ah.

 

[FJBen]

I'm really happy with Odyssey in my all trucks here in the temp extremes... oldest one is 3.5 years now and no signs of any issues.

Knocks on wood...

They have been 1a 1b with the northstar batteries. The heat isn’t really an issue here, sure we get a week of 100 degrees but other than that it’s 80s/90s.
It’s the cold here. I’d noticed it getting slower cranking even if I drove it everyday first thing in the morning. I would jump it with my second battery (an optima red top from 2015 that my mom dropped off with a 4 wheeler lol) and it’s still holding but I don’t trust it. I do however trust that battery more than Everstart and I’m not really an optima battery guy.

I question whether those Everstart CCA are legit, but I don’t question they have been junk for me.

 

[Pz10420]

They have been 1a 1b with the northstar batteries. The heat isn’t really an issue here, sure we get a week of 100 degrees but other than that it’s 80s/90s.
It’s the cold here. I’d noticed it getting slower cranking even if I drove it everyday first thing in the morning. I would jump it with my second battery (an optima red top from 2015 that my mom dropped off with a 4 wheeler lol) and it’s still holding but I don’t trust it. I do however trust that battery more than Everstart and I’m not really an optima battery guy.

I question whether those Everstart CCA are legit, but I don’t question they have been junk for me.

I had 2 everstart batteries that both died on me in under a year, so I guess we get what we pay for there.

 

[FJBen]

I could also join the club. The two batteries in my BJ73 are not (yet) dead, but show significant weakness: Both lose power fast after external charging and go down to 11.7-9V only within a week of sitting uncharged. On startup, voltage may completely collapse, causing the stereo to pass out.
I assume they got sulfated by several deep cycles to 23.xV (11.xV each), due to sitting uncharged for some times, slow draining from an always-on 24-12 DC DC, and occasionally using a fridge.
2.5 year old Banner heavy duty 77Ah.

Yeah sitting and deep Discharge kills batteries rather quickly. That’s what’s frustrating about these. I don’t have any big power drains (other than starting) and outside of the last month it gets driven almost everyday. Currently it’s getting driven about once a week so it shouldn’t be any problem at all to the battery.

 

[FJBen]

I had 2 everstart batteries that both died on me in under a year, so I guess we get what we pay for there.

Yeah apparently so. I was questioning when I first got my battery but decided there is usually a Walmart near so I could replace if I needed to.
Well the answer is better be close WHEN you need to replace because they will fail well under their rated time frame.

I’ve had really good luck with DEKA batteries in a few vehicles. My daughters DEKA is still going strong after 5 years. My completely abused optima is 7 years old and still has some life after who knows what that battery had been through on my moms ranch.

I didn’t have good luck with Napa Gold in 2 cars so I’ve taken them off my list.

I researched some of the lithium batteries but I’m not ready to go down that rabbit hole


So I’m thinking go all in with this battery (since I only need 1, 12v) or stay the course and find an Interstate or Deka for 1/2 the price or less.

 

[Kaderabek]

Can I have the battery from your Vanagon?

 

[Felde]

I got rid of that 24-12 DC DC now.
Other than that, the issue is: Not being a daily driver, it often sits for one or two weeks without charging. And I wonder how good this old voltage regulator would actually charge it to really full.
I also noted, my cheap Chinese 24V external charger actually doesn't charge full. It shows a faulty volts measurement and cuts out at actually 24.4 V instead 25.xV
I pulled the batteries now and charged them individually realy full to 12.8V (that's all they take). Let's monitor how they behave.

Anybody any experience with reconditioning sulfated batteries with pulse-load? Voodoo or workig?

 

[FJBen]

Can I have the battery from your Vanagon?

Well when insurance settles with me in say a few months I’ll get that shipped right out to you.

 

[JuanJ]

Hello,

A marine deep cycle battery does the trick for me.

Rule of thumb: get the biggest size (and capacity) your battery tray can hold.

Deka and AC Delco have served me well.

Provided that you start the truck and let it run for a few minutes once a week, these batteries hold their charge.





Juan

 

[theglobb]

In my little isuzu pickup the battery date reads 2017, and its one of the everstart walamrt brand batteries. I was waiting for it to take a crap this winter but even when it was 7f out it cranked and cranked and cranked until my truck finally started. Maybe something changed in the past couple years

 

[PabloCruise]

Cruiser has been sitting for a week. Went to start it and click…click. Really?

Nothing was on so that’s pretty disappointing. take the tire to the closest auto store to test and yep, tested bad. Sticker on the battery say 11/21.

So this was a Walmart Everstart Maxx. I’ve had 2 of these batteries fail in under 4 years. I can’t recommend them at all. Replacement battery is only warrantied from original battery date so hardly any prorate left. I will find out though once I take to the store.


Looking at X2 power from North Star, who coincidentally has been bought by Odyssey (which is the other battery I’m looking at.

X2Power Premium AGM 930CCA BCI Group 27 Car and Truck Battery - SLI27AGMDP - https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/sli27agmdp

View attachment 3216038


Group 27 Dual-Purpose AGM Battery, 92 Amp Hours | West Marine - https://www.westmarine.com/odyssey-group-27-dual-purpose-agm-battery-92-amp-hours-20084562.html?&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=PMax:%20GSC%3eSmart_Shopping%3eMarine%20Electrical&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5Z607MW-_AIVjQatBh1vyAgjEAQYAyABEgJFKPD_BwE

View attachment 3216045



I can get 10% off batteries plus, but they are still $$$. 4 year free replacement.

The X2 AGM?
I put one in the LX and loved it.
I just replaced it a few months ago.
We ran that battery down to the point where the truck died when the alternator was dead.
I charged it on an AGM charger for several days and then it lived a few more years.
I ran the fridge off it as well. It got down to 11 volts multiple times and then still started the truck.
It lasted ~5.5 years. It still worked, but the cranking was slower. Coincidentally, the amp died a month later, not sure if it could have been pulling on the battery?
2 thoughts - prices have gone up, and they went from I think 4 year replacement to 3 year.

 

[Kaderabek]

Predictably a dumb question but if you go with one deep cycle and one standard battery, does it matter which goes where? How does that series of batteries work? I had dual batteries in my 80 series ages ago but I also had a control module for them.

 

[Felde]

I believe it is not a good idea to go with different battery types in a 24V combo, as those would charge very differently?
When pulling load, both batteries would experience same load, so I guess the standard battery would die soon.

 

[Kaderabek]

Ah - very good point. Thank you.

 

[Felde]

I even installed a charging balancer on my 2x12V combo. Worked very well: Both batteries are exactly equally bad now, at the exact same voltage of 11.9V (irony off)

 

[FJBen]

The X2 AGM?
I put one in the LX and loved it.
I just replaced it a few months ago.
We ran that battery down to the point where the truck died when the alternator was dead.
I charged it on an AGM charger for several days and then it lived a few more years.
I ran the fridge off it as well. It got down to 11 volts multiple times and then still started the truck.
It lasted ~5.5 years. It still worked, but the cranking was slower. Coincidentally, the amp died a month later, not sure if it could have been pulling on the battery?
2 thoughts - prices have gone up, and they went from I think 4 year replacement to 3 year.

Nice! Good real world experience with that. What did you replace it with?

 

[FJBen]

Predictably a dumb question but if you go with one deep cycle and one standard battery, does it matter which goes where? How does that series of batteries work? I had dual batteries in my 80 series ages ago but I also had a control module for them.

No dumb questions here.

You need to match batteries in a 24V system. I’m 12v but have a dual battery isolator much like your 80 was setup.



Heading into Wally World today to get denied on the warranty claim

Also calling to see who has the X2 in stock.