Got NAPA AGM battery for $150 (34R)
09-15-2017 | 10:06 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,138
Likes: 78
Got NAPA AGM battery for $150 (34R)
Found my battery making blue foam in the positive lead.
After cleaning, discovered a small hole cracked open near the lead.
Whatever that is or isn't I didn't want to deal with it.
(Interstate MTP 24F has held up very well from -30F to 100+F for 4.5 years. I'm sure it could have been fine for another year at least.)
So I did a quick online/phonecall search for batteries by best cost/yr (from expected life).
NAPA has one that's an inch shorter(as opposed to taller) than the normal size, but exceeds specifications. (and weighs ~4lbs less than MTP24F)
I wanted to keep the top half of battery shroud to hold the power wire so I had to shove it down further into the lower half to make the holddown piece actually hold the battery.
There are enough threads to hold down the battery properly if anyone is concerned.
P/N : 9834R
Price $168.99 - 16.90(online reserve discount) = $152.09
They charge core $18 but I told them I will just swap it out in the parking lot and bring the old one in, they waived it on the spot.
Given the longer life expectancy of AGM battery I think it was worth the little extra since normal flooded batteries cost around 100 anyway.
I'm not sure whether I was supposed to get sealed AGM battery for better performance but by the time I got to NAPA I was too tired to care.
This one has vent holes and has warnings not to cover them.
P.S. Does anyone know if I can use this charger when the battery is just a teeeny tiny bit low to crank but still powers all accessories? Just want to get a charger for emergency/storage use.
BLACK+DECKER 120-Volt Battery Maintainer-BM3B - The Home Depot
After cleaning, discovered a small hole cracked open near the lead.
Whatever that is or isn't I didn't want to deal with it.
(Interstate MTP 24F has held up very well from -30F to 100+F for 4.5 years. I'm sure it could have been fine for another year at least.)
So I did a quick online/phonecall search for batteries by best cost/yr (from expected life).
NAPA has one that's an inch shorter(as opposed to taller) than the normal size, but exceeds specifications. (and weighs ~4lbs less than MTP24F)
I wanted to keep the top half of battery shroud to hold the power wire so I had to shove it down further into the lower half to make the holddown piece actually hold the battery.
There are enough threads to hold down the battery properly if anyone is concerned.
P/N : 9834R
Price $168.99 - 16.90(online reserve discount) = $152.09
They charge core $18 but I told them I will just swap it out in the parking lot and bring the old one in, they waived it on the spot.
Given the longer life expectancy of AGM battery I think it was worth the little extra since normal flooded batteries cost around 100 anyway.
I'm not sure whether I was supposed to get sealed AGM battery for better performance but by the time I got to NAPA I was too tired to care.
This one has vent holes and has warnings not to cover them.
P.S. Does anyone know if I can use this charger when the battery is just a teeeny tiny bit low to crank but still powers all accessories? Just want to get a charger for emergency/storage use.
BLACK+DECKER 120-Volt Battery Maintainer-BM3B - The Home Depot
Last edited by 4drviper; 09-15-2017 at 10:11 PM.
09-15-2017 | 11:06 PM
#2
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 1,544
Likes: 493
That is "maintainer". It's designed to be connected to the battery all the time, for example when you are not using car over winter or going for a long vacation.
It might work, but charging empty battery will take a lot of time.
If you want something more useful, get one of those mobile jump-packs/boosters that comes with wall adapter. If you want to go with lithium based ones, don't go cheap. Say no to ebay. Worst case they might go on fire.
Otherwise just pick any battery charger, I would say around 20A output will be good enough for fast charge to start, and then let alternator do the rest.
It might work, but charging empty battery will take a lot of time.
If you want something more useful, get one of those mobile jump-packs/boosters that comes with wall adapter. If you want to go with lithium based ones, don't go cheap. Say no to ebay. Worst case they might go on fire.
Otherwise just pick any battery charger, I would say around 20A output will be good enough for fast charge to start, and then let alternator do the rest.
09-19-2017 | 03:48 PM
#3
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 30
Likes: 1
That is "maintainer". It's designed to be connected to the battery all the time, for example when you are not using car over winter or going for a long vacation.
It might work, but charging empty battery will take a lot of time.
If you want something more useful, get one of those mobile jump-packs/boosters that comes with wall adapter. If you want to go with lithium based ones, don't go cheap. Say no to ebay. Worst case they might go on fire.
Otherwise just pick any battery charger, I would say around 20A output will be good enough for fast charge to start, and then let alternator do the rest.
It might work, but charging empty battery will take a lot of time.
If you want something more useful, get one of those mobile jump-packs/boosters that comes with wall adapter. If you want to go with lithium based ones, don't go cheap. Say no to ebay. Worst case they might go on fire.
Otherwise just pick any battery charger, I would say around 20A output will be good enough for fast charge to start, and then let alternator do the rest.
As mentioned above, if this were to be used to charge a 'dead' battery, it would take a couple days to actually get it to a full charge. In that case, the 20A chargers would be better. But, if you don't even plan to let the battery drain down that much before putting it on this, it works well.
