I need a new battery

[barch97]

I'm thinking since I plan to keep the truck a lot longer, an optima red top is the way to go.

Any advice? CCA minimum? model #? will the hold down from the stock acdelco work with optima replacement or do I need something else to keep it from jumping out? other things I might need?

thanks for the help

[HenryJ]

Optima Red Top will work fine in all respects.

[barch97]

The battery selector at optima.com says

"RED75/35 720 Optima 75DTO"

Autozone has a " 75/35-OR"

I assume they're the same thing. Optima.com also says a height adapter is required? Can I get by without this if not in stock?

[F9K9]

I picked up a red top at Advance (approx. $110) and just used the model they had listed for my CC. I've caused it unjust damage by letting it drain down about 3x but, still acts better than any battery that I have owned.

[barch97]

That's what I like to hear.

One last question, will my stock cables reach the terminals? or am I gonna need to replace them also?

[F9K9]

They will fit and you will gain the post terminals on top for jump starting people and charging as well. I kept my battery cover on the red top just for the extra protection too!

[barch97]

Sweet... now if only I could find one "in-stock" :eyeroll:

Lucky I bought that snowblower instead of the plow

[HenryJ]

I have yet to find the "75/35" available. The standard Red Top is the 34/78 dual post.
If you ask for a Red Top that is what you will get and what I am running in all my vehicles.

Summit Optima Battery

[F9K9]

When you posted the brake problem, I mumbled out loud "I gotta try to help Barch", due to the impending storm . My wife, being the poster child for the definition of "blonde" asked me if I was leaving soon

Well, I couldn't bite my da_n tongue any longer and asked her if, she thought I could beat the storm to NJ.

[barch97]

First, HUGE thanks to Reed for the email support and for just being helpful in general. Thank you.

Second, BIG thanks to everyone else for chippin' in in a pinch. Thanks.

Third, sears = SUX.

I called every place I could think of for that battery and no one had in stock. So, last resort I check sears.com. They have it but of course it's $25 more than autozone. BUT, there's a big "110% price match" button on the page with the battery. So, I call my nearest sears store and ask if it is in stock.

Ron: "yes there's one left."
Me: "I see on sears.com that you offer 110% price matching. Autozone sells this same battery for $25 less than you. Will you match their price?"
Ron: "yeah no problem just bring the paperwork from other store."
Me: "well it's listed on their website, is it ok if I just print the page and bring that in?"
Ron: "Well, we would have to include shipping in their price then."
Me: "No, it's not an online / mail order thing. It's the in-store price."
Ron: "Yeah no problem, bring that in."

So, I drive the fifteen miles to the sears store with print out in hand to pick up my new battery. There's two guys wearing name tags behind the counter, Ron & John T. Ron is assisting another customer and all appears to be going well.

John T. not taking his eyes off the magazine he's thumbing through and slouched over the counter says...

John T.: "Can I help ya?"
Me: "yeah, I just called a little while ago about a battery..."
John T. says nothing and points to his copilot, Ron.

I assume that means that John T. isn't checked out on battery sales and I am to wait for Ron to finish with the other customer while John T. peruses the latest issue of "I'm a cool counter guy at sears magazine." I lay my print out on the counter.

John T.: "autozone, huh?"
me: "yeah, they've got much better prices than you but nothin' in stock."
John T. : nothing... complete silence... no smile... no "oh yeah..." no "you're telling me?"... just nothing... continues to lick his thumb and slowly turn pages of his magazine.

and at this point I want to make it perfectly clear that what John T. was thumbing through was entertainment. I could clearly see each and every page he turned. He was NOT looking up a part for another customer. He was not fighting terrorism. He was more interested in showing me how cool he was. that he gets to read non sears auto dept related magazine while he's on the clock because he's John T.

Ron finishes up with the other customer in a reasonable amount of time and turns to me.

Ron: "Hi, can I help you?"
Me: "yeah I just spoke to you a little while ago on the phone about an optima battery."
Ron: "right, yeah lemme go get that for you."

Ron retrieves the battery from the shelf and returns to the counter. I slide my autozone.com print out over to him. Ron begins to enter the info and tells me that there's a ten dollar core charge on the old battery. Well that woulda been some useful information to give me over the phone when I said I'd be right in, wouldn't it have? Then he hits a snag.

Ron: "Hey, John. Why isn't autozone listed in here with the price match stores?"
John T.: "Probably because we don't price match batteries. At least in the thirty-five years I've been working here, we haven't."

Ron takes my print out to the office behind the counter and confers with the manager. As he's walking away John T. says to him that he's got to add shipping to that autozone price. ROn tells John T. "no, it's an in-store." John T. doesn't look up from his magazine. Ron returns.

Ron: "We don't price match batteries."
Me: "but, you told me on the phone..."
John T.: "He jsut went and asked the manager."
Ron: "We don't price match batteries."
Me: "do you guys have access to sears.com here in the store?"
John T.: "No, we don't have any internet access here."
Me: "That's too bad because I'd like to show you the big "price match" button on the page with this battery."
John T.: "Yeah that is too bad."
Me: "Ok thanks." pointing at name tags "Ron and John T. you've been awfully helpful."
Ron: "what's John got to do with this?"
Me: "No, you're right John went out of his way to be as helpful as he could be."

So, on a whim I stop off at pepboys on the way home. They've got one optima red top 75/35 on the shelf. I grab it and head for the register. I ask the cashier if they have a price match policy. She doesn't know but checks with manager. They don't but since it's only $5 difference, they're going to do me the favor.

The moral of this story... sears = teh SUX and pepboys gets very high marks from teh barch.

[barch97]

hmm... funny the "price match" button is still right there were I saw it before and the price match details say NOTHING about excluding batteries or the automotive department.

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Sears Price Match Plus Policy does not apply to parts, Sears licensed partner websites, digital services, "Sears Presents" and Shop At Home catalogs.

Stores in Puerto Rico, Alaska and Hawaii will not match any online prices.

Only that there is a 15% restocking fee for items not returned in original packaging and that price match does not apply to autmotive installation and services.

The only thing they might be referring to is "Sears Price Match Plus Policy does not apply to parts" but that is not listed in an automotive context. That could apply to parts for my dryer. If it does cover the battery then it covers everything in the store. What isn't a "part"?

[HenryJ]

thanks ... for the email support...

While that is nice , the problem is that we end up with a thread that includes no helpful information. Someone with the same problem finds nothing when they find this thread.
The whole idea here is to have information shared so all can learn.

...on a whim I stop off at pepboys on the way home. They've got one optima red top 75/35 on the shelf. I grab it and head for the register...

And of course you sought out this one since it has a lower cranking amperage and needs an add on appliance to fit correctly, right?

Why do we bother to reply to the posts?

[barch97]

have I offended you?

then delete the useless thread that helps no one. and no, I sought that one out because it had front terminal connectors that didn't require replacing my cables.


oh and this:

The battery selector at optima.com says

"RED75/35 720 Optima 75DTO"

and the $20 difference (+shipping/handling) between that and the one you suggested.

and the having it available to me today, right now, and not having to wait for summit to send it to me.

and probably mostly because you really didn't recommend the other one. You just said you had never seen it available and instead use... I assumed that meant that they were otherwise equal. and, really I find it strange that you ask after in my very first posts I asked specifically if anyone had any recommendation for minimum CCA or a specific model #. Wouldn't your first reply have been the place to make the point about 800 vs 720 CCA or why I should consider the 34/78 rather than the 75/35? Maybe not... Maybe it's better to wait until I make the pruchase to tell me what you really recommend.

and I guess I can't say I "sought it out" for this reason but what's the CCA rating on the stock battery that lasted me about 4 years? the 75/35 is higher than stock by more than the 34/78 is higher than the 75/35.


*Edit: the stock ACDelco battery is rated at 525CCA. Thus 720CCA is clearly adequit. Anyone else looking to replace their battery and save $20 should absolutely consider the 75/35.

[HenryJ]

Both are dual post.

It is a good topic and others need the information as well. I may not always be here to fill in all the blanks. I am trying to teach good habits

Excuse my sleep depraved shortness. Sorry. It is not you but the group as a whole that needs direction.

[barch97]

oh... ok... is that what "dual post" means? thank s for the help

[jeff024]

that was a great story and very detailed I was lmao

[F9K9]

thanks ... for the email support...

While that is nice , the problem is that we end up with a thread that includes no helpful information. Someone with the same problem finds nothing when they find this thread.
The whole idea here is to have information shared so all can learn.

...on a whim I stop off at pepboys on the way home. They've got one optima red top 75/35 on the shelf. I grab it and head for the register...

And of course you sought out this one since it has a lower cranking amperage and needs an add on appliance to fit correctly, right?

Why do we bother to reply to the posts?

Barch was in a bind! I should have PMed him and I was not thinking. I knew he had a storm bearing down on his A_S and I wanted to get him the needed info ASAP. I should have PMed him but hindsight is wonderful after the fact! To post what I sent him would require for me to upload every picture to a photo sharing site, copy text from SI and try to put it altogether. I right clicked the SI info, copied it and pasted in an email and shot it to him. I apologize for using the public forum.

[barch97]

and at this point had HenryJ asked that that info be shared with the group, I would have gladly taken on the task of uploading and posting it. with Reed's permission of course. Instead... well... we all see how HenryJ handled it.

[HenryJ]

...To post what I sent him would require for me to upload every picture to a photo sharing site, copy text from SI and try to put it altogether. I right clicked the SI info, copied it and pasted in an email and shot it to him. I apologize for using the public forum.

My apology as well. I am not working on a full tank and trying to get the point across to the readers as well. That way they become good contributors.

I too copy/paste/quote the GM data. While it may not be as informative with the pictures and additional references edited out. It does offer the reader some of the information, and a concept of what needs to be done.

Depth can be added if needed. Many times I do go back and add clarification.

You are right we do not need to upload the entire nine gigabytes of data. But a tad more than ..email sent is nice.

Feed a fish and teach to fish come to mind, but that is not quite right. Perhaps the analogy should refer to stocking the pond for all to fish? Dunno.

[barch97]

Optima.com also says a height adapter is required? Can I get by without this if not in stock?

BTW... the height adapter was included with the battery. And it was not required. Without the height adapter the battery fit snugly into my stock battery tray and the stock hold down snugged up nicely.

I did however first try to fit the battery in with the height adapter as recommended by optima and it fit on the tray but the the tray lip at the front did not engage the base of the battery or the adapter and the hold down block would not fit on with securing nut. It aslo appeared to be raised up enough that it might interfere with the hood closing. Although I did not attempt to close the hood with the adapter in position.

[HenryJ]

Are the side posts at the outside corners as the pictures show?

[barch97]

that was a great story and very detailed I was lmao

Surely I will find it hysterical one day too but so far it makes me madder every time I read it.

[barch97]

Are the side posts at the outside corners as the pictures show?

yes they are.

[HenryJ]

That may actually be an advantage for those with a bodylift. I believe the positive cable can become a little tight trying to reach the centrally located posts on the other red top.

How about the cost? Was the 75 less than the 34?

[barch97]

at summit the 34/78 is $129.69 and the 75/35 is $119.88 plus I assume at least they're typical $8 handling fee if not an upcharge for weight and hazmat status. Although that would apply to either equally. I paid $109.99 at pepboys with autozone printout for price match. Would have been $114.99 without.

[BADs Crew]

that was a great story and very detailed I was lmao

Surely I will find it hysterical one day too but so far it makes me madder every time I read it.

My mother took her car to Sears for a brake job years ago. 2 weeks later she calls me and ask me to look at it. I test drove it and when you came to a stop it bucked like a wild horse. So I drove it to Sears and not telling them they had worked on it I asked them to check it out. The service guy came out and told me it needed new rotors because they had been turned down under state specs and they where now warped. This is when I pulled out the receipt showing them they had charged my mom for NEW ROTORS !!. They had to pull me into the back office because I was going off in there sales area. I will never have a car serviced by Sears. Lots of people are happy with Sears.

[Steve2003]

That is another nice story about Sears. My grandmother, God rest her soul, swore by Sears. She bought all her clothes at Sears, all her appliances at Sears (although their appliances are good) She also had her car serviced at Sears and no one could tell her anything otherwise. I too have had a similar problem with Sears and would never shop there (except Marsha likes their appliances.) I remember hearing a story about their service department in the news some time ago where they were subject of a goverment sting and were found to be cheating thousands of customers of doing work that was unneccessary.


Steve