WALMART IS RUN BY WANNABE MECHANICS!

[GMC 1500]

I was in a hurry once so i let wal*mart put a battery in my truck (smart move lol!) i have recently discovered that the battery is way to small for the truck. I am supposed to have 2900 cold cranking amps and with the battery they put in i only have 600 The battery seems to run out of juice before the truck starts idling well so if it dies im outta luck unless i have another vehicle nearby to jump my truck with. I know the battery is not just to old cause it will power the AC heater lights and everything else but just not enought to crank!

so the moral of the story is... no matter how much of a hurry your in don't let the interns over at walmat touch your truck!

[Zilverado]

Originally posted by GMC 1500
I was in a hurry once so i let wal*mart put a battery in my truck (smart move lol!) i have recently discovered that the battery is way to small for the truck. I am supposed to have 2900 cold cranking amps and with the battery they put in i only have 600...

2900 cold cranking amps??? I've never seen, let alone used an automotive battery with that kind of juice. The standard range around here is between 550 and 1000 (and 1000 is BIG). And believe me, we Canadians know about CCA's.

I'm thinking CCA's is not your problem.

Just my .02.

[Destructo]

2900 CCA? I don't think you'd fit a battery that big in your truck!

600 CCA should be enough to start the truck a few times in sub-freezing temps.

[lukecp]

I've running 550cca battery. Works just fine, in well below freezing temps. Wally world did nothing wrong.

I don't even think a 2900cca battery made, except maybe for industrial usage! (large dozers, ect.)

[Lynx]

Ive got a "small" battery by normal Nothern Albeta standards and its rated at 600 CCA and it started my truck just fine at -40! Im thinking that the CCA isnt your problem.

However i do agree with you on walmart! our walmart doesnt have an automotive center but it sounds just like the quality canadian tire provides!

[Free88]

HAve a fully loaded Safari van and only run a 850 CCA, and it TV, Tape, Cd, allthe bells and whistles. at 40 below it fire the VAn over not even plugged in. 2900 CCA, WoW.

[76HighSierra]

Originally posted by Lynx
However i do agree with you on walmart! our walmart doesnt have an automotive center but it sounds just like the quality canadian tire provides!

Ahhhhh, you're bringing back memories of home and of my all time favorite auto parts store......Crappy Tire.

[Free88]

What part of Canada were you from? I am in Northwestern Ontario, 128 miles Northwest of Thunder Bay, or the Lakehead as some people know it. Nice to hear.

[1FaastC10]

2900 CCa huh? sounds like a wanna be mechanic must've diagnosed that mis-installation. there is no such thing as a 2900CCa automotive battery. furthermore, 600 should be just fine, as it left the factory with one in the 600-650 range.

[Lynx]

I have a feeling that was a typo..... think he ment 900

[Grim Reaper]

Wall mart batteries SUCK! My sub has one in and it's already had to be replaced at less then one year old. Only reason it got another is I had the recipt and they replaced it at no charge.

Get a Duralast from Autozone. Having great luck with those in all my other vehicles. Wife tried killing one and left the dome light on for 2 days near as we can tell. Charged it back up and no problems. Suld the truck 8 monthas after that and guy I sold it to says it's still going storng. It's now 4 years old.

[rolson1039]

according to what i remember their small one is suppoused to be 750CCA but 900-1000 sounds about right for the truck.I picked out my own battery there and stuck it in the truck over ayear ago and to date no problems

[Low83]

Hate to burst your bubble Grim Reaper but all the Batteries sold by Wally World,Autozone Kragen,Chiefs etc. are made by the same company "GNB" all they do is put the different labels on the batts.

[Zilverado]

Originally posted by rolson1039
according to what i remember their small one is suppoused to be 750CCA but 900-1000 sounds about right for the truck.I picked out my own battery there and stuck it in the truck over ayear ago and to date no problems

I recently needed to replace a battery in our Pathfinder and asked the battery shop technician (they do nothing but batteries, starters and alternators) about getting a 1000cca battery, rather than the recommended 750cca. He said he would sell me the 1000cca (for slightly more money), but convinced me to stay with 750 for the following reasons.

- higher cca batteries tend to use fewer but thicker lead (or whatever) plates. This gives them huge CCAs but less "deep cycle" capacity.

- lower cca batteries tend to use a higher number of thinner plates. This gives them greater "deep cycle" capacity to run more accessories (i.e. lights, audio equipment, electric motors, seat warmers, etc.).

So from that info I took away that "bigger is not nessesarily better". Now, I'm not a battery expert by any means, but when a salesman tells me why I should spend less money, I tend to take notice. Besides, 750cca is plenty when starting a vehicle, especially if it is well tuned and starts quickly.

Please, for all you battery experts out there, I am willing and would love to be corrected on this theory if it is incorrect.

Always willing to learn.

[Grim Reaper]

Originally posted by Low83
Hate to burst your bubble Grim Reaper but all the Batteries sold by Wally World,Autozone Kragen,Chiefs etc. are made by the same company "GNB" all they do is put the different labels on the batts.

Yes and No. Batteries are like anything and can be bought at different quality levels. THe Duralast is definatly a better battery.

I'm in the electronics repair buisness.( I run a repair shop for Cingular) Everything is bought in grades. You can buy tow motorolas that look identical but they are not. one will use cheaper components and have a grade 5 transmitter and one have a grade 4 and they perform very different. and they are priced different as well.

[lukecp]

I like Wally-World batterys simply because the warranty rocks. I've taken one back before and got a practicaly no-questions-asked new battery. I'd rather have an Interstate, but the yellow ones work pretty good for $60 IMO.

[swervin ervin]

I bought a Duralast Gold battery at Autozone for my 85 back in August 98, and it has never failed to start. Well, one time some dumass left the interior lights on, but I won't go into who did that.

[1974ChevyC10]

i guess i should jump in here and defend the walmart batteries b/c my taurus has one it and i went out this morning with a girlfriend of mine and left the lights on for 2 hrs-im not sure how they got turned on b/c it was light out when i left-maybe like a dumbass i bumped the switch with my hand or something-anyway that isnt the point-when i came back to my car 2 hrs later the car fired up no problem even with the lights draining the battery.so far im happy with the battery.

[C&C Chevy]

I've had a cheapy wal-mart battery in my truck for 2 years now and no problems. Was supposed to be a temperary battery ( got it free anyway, took father-in-laws old batt. back with no paper work and they gave me it.) but they damn thing hasn't gave up yet.

[79BIG10]

Another Walmart battery user here. I use it and abuse it then return it after it wears out. Warranty rocks!! Now abusing is like Mike where I forget to turn my lights off etc. No amps, big stereos or anything like that here but the eletric fans do help some

[1FaastC10]

i wont use anything but AC/Delco batteries myself. if its good enough for the general, its good enough for me (until i add a winch) then im probably going dual Optimas.

the biggest battery GM puts in their trucks, and has since the 70s is a group 78 battery, which is what i have for my '86. i have the gold series battery, which has higher ratings, and a 7 year warranty. mine is rated at 960 CCA/770 CA, is it possible you're getting these numbers mixed up? 600 sounds about right for a silver(?) series battery, which carries a lower rating and a 6 year warranty. last, which should have probably been my first question... does it start your truck just fine?

[Matt_305]

nobody likes canadian tire here? My dad work's there and that's where all our car work gets done and nothing's ever gone wrong

[GMC 1500]

hi guys, i haven't been driving my truck in cold weather for quite a while until this year (the battery is a 99) but now that im driving in snow and negative temperatures it has been dieing after the second try of starting. and no the 2900 CCA WAS NOT A TYPO!no the 2900 CCA WAS NOT A TYPO! my oringinal manual says that for a 350 V8 you should have a 2900 CCA batterry. yes it does seem unbelivable but thats what its says. My truck is a 1973 GMC 1500 w/ a 350 V8 if that tells you anything about the size of battery to use. THANKS!

[Mike76251]

I got a Delco deep cycle for a boat back in 1990.............get this:
It finally died last summer! 13 years after being used for so many purposes.
The only reason it lasted that long is that it had real thick plates in it.
I used to buy batteries by their weight...........if it was real hard to pick up=good battery. (I don't anymore because of Optimas)
The moral...........the more lead in them the longer they last.

[Grim Reaper]

Originally posted by Mike76251
I got a Delco deep cycle for a boat back in 1990.............get this:
It finally died last summer! 13 years after being used for so many purposes.
The only reason it lasted that long is that it had real thick plates in it.
I used to buy batteries by their weight...........if it was real hard to pick up=good battery. (I don't anymore because of Optimas)
The moral...........the more lead in them the longer they last.

Now that's impressive!

Your exactly right. the plate thickness and surface area is where it's at.

I use to get chep batteires from K-Mart tilll I was going through about 1 a year. Car I had beack then was turbo and had some serious under hood temps. THa battery actually hong over the exhaust. The Kmart batteres kept breaking plates. Honest to god one morning my wife goes out, startst the car to let it warm. Come is to get the kid and put a jacket on her. Goes out and gets in the car and drives to the daycare 2 miles up the road. Parks and walks the kid in.

10 minutes later she comes out to start the car and it makes one turn and then dead. Not even a click. Damn plate broke. I could nto even jump it off. That was K mart battery #3 in under 2 years and was less then 6 months old. I went got a dead battery I had at home to use as a core at Autozone. Put that in there and it fires right up.

Took the K-Mart battery back and raised to totoal hell till I managed to get %50 back. They would not do more because they were trying to wrranty against the battery that I originaly bought but had to replace twice.

I have run Duralast ever since except the burb that the PO had the wally world battery in that has already fallen on it's face less then a year old.