Need some advice on battry brands

[LmG7119]

Hi

My battery is from 2012. It is Varta H8 4F0 915 105 E from what I can tell. I was looking at some stores like advances auto, AutoZone and pep boys for an H8 or H9.
AA uses AutoCraft Platinum AGM 3 years warranty
AZ uses Duralast Platinum AGM 3 years warranty
Pet boys have Champion AGM Battery with a 48-month warranty
All I believe full replacement warranties.
So here are the questions:
1. Am I pushing it on my battery? I live in MN and want to make sure I'm ok in the winter.
2. Are they made by the same manufacturer? They are all state the are made in Germany
3. Pricewise pep boys have is the cheapest right now as they have a $40 rebate. You can always find a 25% discount coupon. Pep boys one right now is is around $115
4. Should I get H9 or H8?

Thanks in advance.

[old guy]

Clicky click®

[LmG7119]

Clicky click®

Thank you. I did read those. How about Q 1,4 than?

[Novarider]

Thank you. I did read those. How about Q 1,4 than?

Are you having any issues with the current battery? I personally would stick with the same size battery the car came with.

[old guy]

Thank you. I did read those. How about Q 1,4 than?

I would recommend replacing the battery. 7 years is a pretty good battery life. and go with a H9 for sure.

Edit: Make sure you have the room to fit an H9. I believe it is about 1.5" longer than an H8.

[LmG7119]

Are you having any issues with the current battery? I personally would stick with the same size battery the car came with.

I don't and last winter it was fine but I remember on my previous allroad I have not had any indications of the battery going bad. I stopped at a gas station for gas and after it just didn't start. I posted my battery stats on this forum and VCDS and got a message that it is getting weak. Just trying to be proactive. Like I said with Pep Boys rebate it is $116 total. That is a good price. I called the store and they only now do replacement warranty only. Straight 48 month. No prorated. They have H8 in stock but manufactured 12/2018. I don't know if I want a fresher battery. They keep batteries on the shelf for 2 years. Can order H9 for the same price to pick up at the store and if I don't like the manufacturing date I can just not to pick up and get a full refund. I know my allroad has enough space for H9 size.

Any other thoughts?

[old guy]

I would go with the larger capacity H9.

[Zuzuwu]

There are only 3 main battery manufacturers; east penn, exide, and johnson controls. Theres one other company that makes agm batteries too but i cant remember the name. Most parts store batteries are made by Johnson controls. 3-4 years is average life for a battery. Yours is way beyond the expected life. I'd replace it. I usually buy duralast batteries just because autozone is really good about honoring warranties. I use the h8 because it's slightly less weight. 6 months or less is a good shelf time for a battery. Stores are supposed to sell their oldest batteries first but unfortunately the $9 an hour employees at these places really don't care.

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[LmG7119]

There are only 3 main battery manufacturers; east penn, exide, and johnson controls. Theres one other company that makes agm batteries too but i cant remember the name. Most parts store batteries are made by Johnson controls. 3-4 years is average life for a battery. Yours is way beyond the expected life. I'd replace it. I usually buy duralast batteries just because autozone is really good about honoring warranties. I use the h8 because it's slightly less weight. 6 months or less is a good shelf time for a battery. Stores are supposed to sell their oldest batteries first but unfortunately the $9 an hour employees at these places really don't care.

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This why I was thinking to order one. This way I would posibly get a newer one and if not I can just refuse the delivery. All 3 stores reporting that those batteries are made in Germany. The difference is price and warranty. Pep boys 48-month replacement and $116 vs AZ and AA 3 years and $160.

H8 from Pep boys is 12/2018. So it is a 9 month. Store person told me they have to keep it onthe shelf for max of 2 years.

I also thought AGM would last longer because of the technology.

[LmG7119]

How long do the AGM batteries last?

[Theiceman]

i guess i just think different .. its just as easy to replace one in winter as one now in my mind. my last one lasted 13 years, no joke... i bought it at sams club.... sams club has been out of Canada for years lol

[old guy]

How long do the AGM batteries last?

Run a Google search and you will get varying answers. AGM batteries are a bit more durable and maintenance free but don't necessarily last any longer. Here's one article comparing lead acid, AGM and Gel batteries for the solar industry. Clicky click®

I have found other articles that gave a considerably different answer.

[Theiceman]

i am an interstate fan . not the cheapest but i like em..

[Spawne32]

johnson controls makes autocraft batteries, they have been my go to battery for years. just make sure you buy it online with a coupon code and pick it up in store.

[LmG7119]

johnson controls makes autocraft batteries, they have been my go to battery for years. just make sure you buy it online with a coupon code and pick it up in store.

I think JC is also making Champion. I'm planning to stop by at AZ and test my battery first. Than probably buy from Pep Boys. I think I saw one guy even found BEM sticker under the champion label. I'm going for H9 and let them test it at the store before accepting it. My allroad has enough space.

Has anybody done testing their batteries at AZ or AA?

[Zuzuwu]

This why I was thinking to order one. This way I would posibly get a newer one and if not I can just refuse the delivery. All 3 stores reporting that those batteries are made in Germany. The difference is price and warranty. Pep boys 48-month replacement and $116 vs AZ and AA 3 years and $160.

H8 from Pep boys is 12/2018. So it is a 9 month. Store person told me they have to keep it onthe shelf for max of 2 years.

I also thought AGM would last longer because of the technology.

$116 doesn't sound like an agm battery. Should be $180-200. I would just buy the newest one on the shelf at your local parts store. Check the ones toward the back of the shelf, a lot of places fill the shelves from the back.

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[Zuzuwu]

How long do the AGM batteries last?

Impossible to predict. In my experience, the bigger the battery and the farther away from heat it is, the longer it'll last. Cars with a big agm battery in the trunk tend to go 5 years or more on a battery, while I've replaced smaller, underhood agm batteries that were less than 2 years old.

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[LmG7119]

$116 doesn't sound like an agm battery. Should be $180-200. I would just buy the newest one on the shelf at your local parts store. Check the ones toward the back of the shelf, a lot of places fill the shelves from the back.

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I don't really understand why some people are saying what they say.

Here is the price layout:
https://www.pepboys.com/champion-agm...roduct/2071705
There is a $40 rebate for AGM battery.

[Spawne32]

People are used to paying dealer prices.

[LmG7119]

So I went to AAP. The guy, who was there didn't really want to be there( if you know what I mean), tried to check the battery but his device was saying something like "there is too much noise and need to remove the key from ignition". Also told me that label on the battery does not tell him anything. That was done in the front when jumping points are. Also wasn't willing to try it from the back after I removed the wheel. He was concerned about "breaking the plastic". So I left. Then went to Oreillys. The guy there was much more friendly. Kind of an older gentleman. He let me connect the testing device so he wouldn't responsible for any damages. His tester showed a good battery but needs charging. He thinks I just don't drive enough long distance. Suggested to drive like 100 miles and let the car charging itself.

What do you guys think?

[Novarider]

So I went to AAP. The guy, who was there didn't really want to be there( if you know what I mean), tried to check the battery but his device was saying something like "there is too much noise and need to remove the key from ignition". Also told me that label on the battery does not tell him anything. That was done in the front when jumping points are. Also wasn't willing to try it from the back after I removed the wheel. He was concerned about "breaking the plastic". So I left. Then went to Oreillys. The guy there was much more friendly. Kind of an older gentleman. He let me connect the testing device so he wouldn't responsible for any damages. His tester showed a good battery but needs charging. He thinks I just don't drive enough long distance. Suggested to drive like 100 miles and let the car charging itself.

What do you guys think?

How far do you typically drive?

[LmG7119]

Work and back on weekdays. About 20ish miles each way.

[old guy]

Batteries really aren't that expensive. I typically replace them every 6 years as preventive maintenance. It just isn't worth it to me to go out at 5am in the winter with snow coming down and have to deal with a dead battery. Or leaving work in the summer at 100° f and the car won't start. Batteries are typically going to go bad in direct proportion to the pain in the ass factor:-(

Just replace it and you won't have to think about it for another 6 years.

[jfo]

^^^^
This.
I replaced my original AGM at 7 years. I may have been able to wait another year or so, but for the relative low cost, it's not worth the aggravation of being stuck.

[Rkymtnrider]

I’ve got an optima yellow top in my Toyota that I put in in 2008. Still working fine and has been drained and recharged a couple of times last winter do to being parked after I bought my Avant. Now I keep it on a charger in the winter.

[Zuzuwu]

So I went to AAP. The guy, who was there didn't really want to be there( if you know what I mean), tried to check the battery but his device was saying something like "there is too much noise and need to remove the key from ignition". Also told me that label on the battery does not tell him anything. That was done in the front when jumping points are. Also wasn't willing to try it from the back after I removed the wheel. He was concerned about "breaking the plastic". So I left. Then went to Oreillys. The guy there was much more friendly. Kind of an older gentleman. He let me connect the testing device so he wouldn't responsible for any damages. His tester showed a good battery but needs charging. He thinks I just don't drive enough long distance. Suggested to drive like 100 miles and let the car charging itself.

What do you guys think?

Battery isn't holding charge, need to replace it. 20 miles a day is way more than enough to maintain it.

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[Zuzuwu]

I don't really understand why some people are saying what they say.

Here is the price layout:
https://www.pepboys.com/champion-agm...roduct/2071705
There is a $40 rebate for AGM battery.

Ok? Didn't realise we were factoring in main in rebates, it says it's $194, my price range was pretty damn accurate. I worked in the parts business for years. Thanks for trying to call me out on a rebate i wasn't aware of i guess?

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[LmG7119]

Ok? Didn't realise we were factoring in main in rebates, it says it's $194, my price range was pretty damn accurate. I worked in the parts business for years. Thanks for trying to call me out on a rebate i wasn't aware of i guess?

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There is a coupon for almost everything these days. In my 1st post, I said those were AGM batteries. I always look at the final price. Nothing personal.

[whats77inaname]

Are you having any issues with the current battery? I personally would stick with the same size battery the car came with.

When I had my M3, we used BMW Mini batteries, as they shaved +/-20 lbs of weight from the rear of the car. Never had an issue doing so, and yes, we had to code in whenever we had a new battery so that the car would figure out how to charge it appropriately.

For example, the Duralast AGM H9 from Autozone for our cars weighs 65+lbs! https://www.autozone.com/batteries-s...9_752174_25698
An AGM battery for a 2010 VW Golf is ~47lbs. https://www.autozone.com/batteries-s...0_496411_25697 CCA is quite a bit lower (950 vs 763), but the Odyssey battery recommended for our car has *less* (723) CCA than the VW battery, and comes in @ 48lbs. https://www.autozone.com/batteries-s...30_627296_5012

All food for thought.

[Novarider]

When I had my M3, we used BMW Mini batteries, as they shaved +/-20 lbs of weight from the rear of the car. Never had an issue doing so, and yes, we had to code in whenever we had a new battery so that the car would figure out how to charge it appropriately.

For example, the Duralast AGM H9 from Autozone for our cars weighs 65+lbs! https://www.autozone.com/batteries-s...9_752174_25698
An AGM battery for a 2010 VW Golf is ~47lbs. https://www.autozone.com/batteries-s...0_496411_25697 CCA is quite a bit lower (950 vs 763), but the Odyssey battery recommended for our car has *less* (723) CCA than the VW battery, and comes in @ 48lbs. https://www.autozone.com/batteries-s...30_627296_5012

All food for thought.

That will make a difference in a race car but 20 lbs makes absolutely no difference in a daily driver. No way I'd put a smaller underrated battery in a modern car with all the electronics.

[Spawne32]

That will make a difference in a race car but 20 lbs makes absolutely no difference in a daily driver. No way I'd put a smaller underrated battery in a modern car with all the electronics.

Depends on a number of factors, you don't need as high of a CCA if your in a climate that rarely ever sees below freezing temps.

[whats77inaname]

That will make a difference in a race car but 20 lbs makes absolutely no difference in a daily driver. No way I'd put a smaller underrated battery in a modern car with all the electronics.

I thought we all have race cars

Your perspective is from that of someone that hasn't tried it and is concerned based on.....something. My perspective is from that of someone that tried it personally, and didn't have any issues with it, so we're looking at it from different angles, and that's okay.

And it most certainly does make a difference in a daily driver. You're removing 20 lbs out of your car. Are you not making your car more fuel efficient because the engine will have to work marginally less to move less vehicle weight?
20lb battery savings + another 30-40lb when you drop the spare tire = 50lbs-60lbs. That's not insignificant. That's a small child. Given that I carry additional static weight due to the dual exhaust conversion, as well as other mods, I'm always looking at ways to remove some weight so it doesn't continue to balloon. So, 2lbs, 20lbs, whatever....it doesn't cost me safety, creature comfort, convenience, or detract from the appearance or functionality....I'll take it . Rest assured when the time comes to replace it, I'll be looking at something smaller and lighter.

The interesting part in the BMW....there's a special clamp to hold the battery down to the floor of the car, and it fit into a grooved slot, and it screwed into the body. For some reason, there were several grooved slots and several holes, all spaced apart. The very last slot is where the OEM battery bolted in. All the others were inset from that slot...to accommodate a wide variety of smaller battery sizes. Which one would correctly assume to mean that a smaller battery would be fine for use. One of those slots just happened to accommodate the Mini battery.....go figure ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[LmG7119]

Hey guys. I'm thinking to try a charger on my battery. A friend has one of those he bought in Costco. 3A One.
Do you think I can use the jumping point to charge the battery or do I have to connect it to the battery directly?

[FlyPenFly]

This thing saved my butt more than once:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Of course I promptly replaced my battery after I had to jump start it. However, I had to go to the dealer to get my sunroof re-sync'd after I lost battery power for an extended time. It was $190 at the dealer for them to "fix" the sunroof by resetting and resync-ing the sunroof. Wish I just replaced the battery in the first place.

If I lived in MN, it would not even be a question at all. period. Just replace it.

The champion AGM batteries are JC. I bought one of those.

[old guy]

Hey guys. I'm thinking to try a charger on my battery. A friend has one of those he bought in Costco. 3A One.
Do you think I can use the jumping point to charge the battery or do I have to connect it to the battery directly?

Yes you can use the battery posts under the hood to charge the battery. You do not need to connect directly to the battery.

[ChanceA4Parks]

When you get ready for a real battery, look into Northstar Batteries. These batteries are bulletproof and there is actually a youtube video of some guys shooting one and then cranking a vehicle with it. I've tried a lot of batteries out in the market (I own a vehicle audio shop) and Northstar has been the most reliable power I've ever seen. Even cities are switching their service vehicles to them to have less problems.

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[LmG7119]

When you get ready for a real battery, look into Northstar Batteries. These batteries are bulletproof and there is actually a youtube video of some guys shooting one and then cranking a vehicle with it. I've tried a lot of batteries out in the market (I own a vehicle audio shop) and Northstar has been the most reliable power I've ever seen. Even cities are switching their service vehicles to them to have less problems.

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I'm sorry at $300 I'm not sure I really want to spend so much. My current lasted 7-8 years.

[ChanceA4Parks]

They are pricey, but when you go through as many other brands as I have........its a no brainers when comparing. I dont like problems and Northstar so far in the 3 years I've been selling them, has not let me down. Especially with higher power systems and electronics (I build a shitload of storm chasing vehicles). They go on sale all the time as well.

I'm sorry at $300 I'm not sure I really want to spend so much. My current lasted 7-8 years.

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[LmG7119]

I have another question. Since I have my friend's tender/charger. should I use it hooked up in front while changing the battery. I'm really looking at Walmart's H8 one $150 with 5 years replacement and pep boys H9 for $116.

[old guy]

I have another question. Since I have my friend's tender/charger. should I use it hooked up in front while changing the battery. I'm really looking at Walmart's H8 one $150 with 5 years replacement and pep boys H9 for $116.

That is what I did to maintain voltage when I changed my battery.