Thats the batteries I have on my truck...

 

For some reason there is a high rate of failures with the Optima's especially the ones from Costco. If you get a good one they are great but the good ones are getting hard to find.

For my Jeep I went with the Canadian Tire's Motomaster Eliminator Spiral grid batteries. Same technology as the Optima but made by Orbital. Rally good warrenty, IIRC its 7 year full replacement. Have two in my Jeep and so far so good.

For my '01 CTD I modded the battery tray to fit some Grp31s I got from work. Worked ok.

For my '03 I picked up some Delcos from Gregg's Distributors(I get a discount there thru work). I've got some heavy trucks at work(Volvos with snow plows) that had Delcos as original equipment and were still going after 12years. Just put them in two months ago but so far so good.

 

I also switch over to 10/30 oil in the winter for a bit better starting. Nothing fancy just regular dino oil.

 

interstate work just great last 6 years!

 

Would be good if you could check on that. Thanks Luke.

 

Heh heh I cheat to .... One battery no idea how old it is and one of these no matter the temp it starts
http://www.wolverineheater.com/products.shtml
Considering when we had the 2006 dual battery truck it wouldn't start plugged in and the old truck fired 27C on one battery and not plugged in, Not my favorite thing to do to it but i was in a pinch

 

Dieselbuilder, where the heck is nanoose bay? I thougt I was pretty up on most of the small towns in western canada, but to be honest I have never heard of that place.

Kevin

 

Nanoose Bay is on Vancouver Island - not far from Nanaimo. Beautiful spot.

 

Ahhh,, must be small,, never heard of it,, LOL

 

They dont have a racetrack

 

LOL,, neither does this place,,

 

i have Pow-R-Surge batteries.
930 CCA
1075 CA

Bought them from a little private alternator/electric shop in se calgary. they said they are a competitor with interstate batteries in the US. they sounded good and fit right in, so i bought them. don't remember how much they were, but i have had zero issues with the batt's since jan '07.

went back a couple months ago thought one of the batteries was dying on me, but the guys said no way - nothing ever goes wrong with those batteries - so they came out and tested it and narrowed the issue down to a bad hot connection on the pass side batt.

if you can find them in edmonton, i'd recommend them. did a search on the brand name and not much came up . . . maybe you would have more luck if interested.

 

I will comment on warranty..

Long warranty means NOTHING.. I had 9 years coverage on my CT Eliminator batteries and replaced both of them once already in the first 2 years, now with the 3rd failing I am sick of taking them back. All I need is to be 80 Km up the trunk road from Nordegg with no cell service and have them fail again, especially with the current weather. Maybe I went overboard, but the Yellowtop Optimas are in there now. Hopefully for a long time.

 

I hear you on the warrenty, doesn't help me either if I'm a half day down a trail in Waiporous, stuck in a frozen mud hole and the battery conks out. Not happy to hear you had trouble with yours. Were they the spiral grid ones like the Optimas? Hopefully mine go longer than yours did.

 

they are made in the USA. for sure. I asked the parts foreman, the company is called Power Batteries - IIRC.

any way they are Detroit Diesel brand. Group 31, 1000cca $90 over the counter at Waterous.