Best Starting battery for a gm van.

scottm4211 · Aug 18, 2012

I want to go postal on Moot.

highway star · Aug 18, 2012

Moot said:
Did I mention the fact that I like having both side and top posts?

So, you're saying you like to go both ways? Do you also take a wide stance?

chefdennis · Aug 18, 2012

Timely post as i will be replacing my starting battery pretty soon..As usual, our "Shelled Friend" comes Through with the max info on this topic!!

Thanks for posting Rocket, and thanks for all the useful info Turtle!!! And Moot!! I WILL be getting a AGM with BOTH SIDE & TOP post!!!!

layoutshooter · Aug 18, 2012

Anyone have any information on the new "Duracell" AGM 31 series batteries that Sam's Club sells? The price seems to low compared to other AGM batteries. Junk maybe?

Sam's sells them for $166.32. From what I can find out they are made in the USA at "East Penn"

Specs

Model: Group Size 31DTMAGM
Item #:347736
12 Volt AGM Sealed Valve Regulated Non-Spillable Battery
18 months Free Replacement, 36 months Pro-Rata Warranty

1 amp hour rate:68.2
100 amp hour rate:110
20 amp hour rate:105
3 amp hour rate:85
5 amp hour rate:86
6 amp hour rate:87.4
8 amp hour rate:90
BCI Group Size:31
CCA at 0 degrees F:800
MCA at 32 degrees F:1000
Minutes at 15 amps:348
Minutes at 25 amps:210
Minutes at 5 amps:1265
Minutes at 50 amps:87.4
Minutes at 75 amps:53
Minutes at 8 amps:706
Reserve Capacity:200
Volts:12

Moot · Aug 18, 2012

chefdennis said:
And Moot!! I WILL be getting a AGM with BOTH SIDE & TOP post!!!!

I like a battery with both side and top posts!

Rocketman · Aug 18, 2012

Moot said:
I like a battery with both side and top posts!

I prefer corner post batteries, but I'll make do with side and top posts! Thanks Moot!

Turtle · Aug 18, 2012

layoutshooter said:
Anyone have any information on the new "Duracell" AGM 31 series batteries that Sam's Club sells? The price seems to low compared to other AGM batteries. Junk maybe?

Sam's sells them for $166.32. From what I can find out they are made in the USA at "East Penn"

They're the same as the East Penn Deka Intimidator 8A31DTM battery. List price on the Duracell branded battery is $250, and on the Deka branded battery is $350. $166 is an excellent price for that battery.

It's a "marine" hybrid, which is exactly the same as a "truck" battery. You'll see many batteries marketed as "truck" batteries, and the same identical battery but with different posts or a different color top will be marketed as a "marine" battery. For example, Optima yellow tops are truck batteries, and the blue tops are marine, yet they are the same identical battery in the same group size.

(I mention Optimas only because they are well known and widely available, but I don't recommend them at all. Exide is the other manufacturer offering spiral design AGMs, and they have the same inherent problems as the Optimas. Some people find they work just fine, but they have a horrible customer return rate due to an unacceptable failure rate of more than ten percent. The spiral design of the cells dictates they can at the most be 73% as large as a more common rectangular or cubical design, and is more prone to failure. So it's most definitely less bang for the buck.)

Hybrid batteries give you the best of both worlds, to a degree. It's best to use a battery designed for cranking as the cranking battery, and a battery designed for deep cycle operations for deep cycle, as each will out perform hybrids. A hybrid won't perform cranking operations as well as a cranking battery will, but it'll be close. Nor will it perform as well as a deep cycle battery, but it'll be close for modest deep cycle operations (lower amp draws especially). If your amps draws are 5 amps or less, a hybrid will perform quite well. These batteries have enough plate surface area to crank your engine quickly, with battery plates tough enough to withstand moderate deep cycling.

Marine AGM batteries are specially designed for engine starting and the long deep discharges typical of marine applications, with "long deep discharges of typical marine applications" meaning a trolling motor and a few lights, not a microwave and a refrigerator and a rice cooker and a crock pot and a TV.

As with all AGM batteries, with reasonable care (not routinely discharging them too much below 50% Depth of Discharge, and properly charging them) the Duracell / Deka should well outlast the warranty by several years.

Monty · Aug 18, 2012

A tip:

If you do not want your QC active when the key is off. Switch the key on, let QC boot, then switch the key quickly on and off. It will cease to function.

Turtle · Aug 18, 2012

Notanewbie said:
A tip:

If you do not want your QC active when the key is off. Switch the key on, let QC boot, then switch the key quickly on and off. It will cease to function.

That works with the Omnitracs, but unfortunately it doesn't work with the new Qualcomms.

Rocketman · Aug 18, 2012

So, it seems that my original question should have been "what is the best AGM starting battery for a gm van"

. Oh! It HAS to have side and top posts!

Turtle · Aug 18, 2012

AGM isn't necessarily better for a starting battery. The key to any battery is to match the battery that's designed for what you want to use it for. If it's a starting battery, you really don't need any deep cycle functionality, so the extra expense of AGM may or may not be worth it. AGMs of equal size to traditional batteries (wet cell and maintenance-free) have fewer cranking amps, and as the battery ages and thus has reduced capacity, it'll be in those cranking amps where it shows up first. There's also the issue of mixing battery types between cranking and house (or aux) battery. You want either AGM for both, or traditional for both, since each require different charging voltages. If you mix battery types and then charge them together from a single source, one battery or the other will always be chronically overcharged or undercharged. It just depends on what you want to use the battery for, and whether or not the added expense of AGM is worth it in that application.

But, as to what's the best AGM starting battery for a GM van, the answer would be Concord Lifeline, with a close second being Deka (not the hybrid) or Odyssey AGM deep cycle batteries. List price for an Odyssey PC2150T Group 31 battery is $510. The Deka and Concord are more expensive. But any of the batteries already mentioned in this thread, with the exception of the spiral batteries, should be perfectly fine. The Sears or that Duracell would both be good choices.

Rocketman · Aug 18, 2012

Thanks. I called Autozone to verify and they said that their Duralast batteries are new batteries, not reconditioned. I like that Autozone is available most places we travel to. I don't like that apparently only a few select stores carry the Platinum battery. I'll probably pick up a Platinum next time Im in Taylor. I called the store on Telegraph Rd. He said they didn't carry the Platinum but the Southgate and Lincoln Park stores did.

Rocketman · Aug 20, 2012

So, I parked at the J in Shelbyville, KY this morning and took a nap. Five hours later I awoke to a dead battery. The gps and sirius radio reciever were the only draws that I know of.

The Autozone in Shelbyville had the Platinum battery that fits my van...so I have one with side AND top posts!

I can feel the difference in handling, horsepower and most of all fuel mileage! I think the side and top post battery is the reason! What a great battery!

Turtle · Aug 21, 2012

The GPS and Sirius isn't nearly enough to draw down a healthy battery. Chances are it would have been just as dead with those things unplugged. I was once in San Antonio and was idling for several hours to recharge the house bank, and then I drove a few miles over to Walgreens. When I came back out of Walgreens the cranking battery was deader'n a doornail. I called AAA who gave me a jump, and I drive over to the closest Autozone where mine was replaced free of charge under warranty. Mine doesn't have top AND side posts, though.

Another note, I highly recommend getting an AGM battery for the aux battery, so that the alternator will properly charge both of them with the correct voltage. Otherwise, the aux battery will be chronically overcharged at too high a voltage now that the charging system has an AGM battery in it. Its not something you need to do right away. If the aux battery is a new one, I'd get it out of there ASAP, like in a month or two. Otherwise, when it comes time to replace it, replace it with an AGM of some kind. And when you get a battery charger for the generator/shore power, make sure it is AGM capable.

Rocketman · Aug 21, 2012

Turtle said:
The GPS and Sirius isn't nearly enough to draw down a healthy battery. Chances are it would have been just as dead with those things unplugged. I was once in San Antonio and was idling for several hours to recharge the house bank, and then I drove a few miles over to Walgreens. When I came back out of Walgreens the cranking battery was deader'n a doornail. I called AAA who gave me a jump, and I drive over to the closest Autozone where mine was replaced free of charge under warranty. Mine doesn't have top AND side posts, though.

Another note, I highly recommend getting an AGM battery for the aux battery, so that the alternator will properly charge both of them with the correct voltage. Otherwise, the aux battery will be chronically overcharged at too high a voltage now that the charging system has an AGM battery in it. Its not something you need to do right away. If the aux battery is a new one, I'd get it out of there ASAP, like in a month or two. Otherwise, when it comes time to replace it, replace it with an AGM of some kind. And when you get a battery charger for the generator/shore power, make sure it is AGM capable.

Thanks for tip on the charger. I had picked up on what you said about mixing battery types in an earler post. As for now, the batteries are separated, not charged from the same source. I'll just leave it this way for now and get an AGM for the auxillary battery when I do connect everything.

chefdennis · Aug 21, 2012

Ok Turtle, Has you know , I use (2) Trojan 6V J305E-AC Floor Scrubber batteries..which I believe are NOT AGM style...But since they are of a Deep Cycle and really big plates would it hurt to use the AGM Platinum Duralast (i run a few items all the time while sitting: XM reciever, headset charger, cell phone charger, GPS) or should i stay with the Durlast Gold as to not mix the the different types??