2020 Battery Suggestions?

That’s a hard one. The best bet is to bring a scale with you and weigh each lead acid battery and make sure it’s below 26lbs.  Long ago I got a replacement battery at the last minute and not known to me it was 38lbs. The guy suggested the battery with the most CCA would be better and I completely overlooked weight.  

I would avoid AGM and lithium.  If you are willing to sacrifice some CCA maybe there is a lead acid alternative that weighs 15lbs from a riding lawn mower. 

@dev

Thanks, I'm still in favor of Lead Acid for my car.  I work with IMR batteries on a daily basis, I don't want these in my car yet.

Is there any brand loyalty here?  I swore by optima when I used to bump in the Matrix - but weight was not a factor. 

I’ve been happy with AGM batteries.   I have the “Big Crank” ETX30L battery in both of my spyders.   I’m so done with acid slobbering on my frame and seeping out of the terminal posts and rotting the terminals.  400 CCA, 23 lb, $120 delivered.

What's the rub with AGM other than cost?

Posted by: @scotched

What's the rub with AGM other than cost?

AGM and spiral gel that you find in the optima batteries are superior to lead acid however they require a different changing profile from the alternator.  The newer cars that come with AGM batteries are programmed for this profile by the ECU.  Our cars have a regulator that is optimized for lead acid where it will slightly cook the battery on initial charge so it breaks up crystal formation in the battery incase its present .  If you use an AGM battery on a lead acid profile it can destroy the battery over a period of time, sooner if it’s a smaller capacity AGM.  In my case the degradation was not apparent until I had misfires. Once I replaced with another AGM it felt like power was restored.  

lithium on the other hand  takes to a lead acid battery charge and is benefited with its ability to optimize its cells but the problem is when they charge from a weakened  state the high amps from the alternator can be overwhelming and that  can shorten its life. If you get a big enough lithium battery say 10lbs with enough capacity it could work without any risks but it’s expensive.

  Lead acid  is reliable , cheap and forgiving.  It’s just weighs more and that is it’s only drawback.  The Panasonic batteries our cars came with were some of the best. 

The Costco Interestate battery for the MR2 is 27.8 lbs according to their specs. I never personally weighed it. I always get Costco batteries for the simple reason that they're very cheap and last a long time. Every car in the family always ran them and they always lasted at least 6 years, if not more. 

My local Costco sells it for $80. Can't beat that. 

Batteries in the South don't last as long... I attribute it to heat and cold cycles.  My next battery will have an insulating blanket around it, in hopes of preventing it.

In California, my batteries always lasted at least 5 years.  Here in Georgia, I'm lucky to get 2 to 3 years tops.

I've been "loyal" to Continental battery for more than a decade, although this is mostly due to having access to dealer pricing (family business). Their standard battery is warrantied for 2 years, I usually get 3.5-4 out of them which I am satisfied with here in South Texas. 2.5 years ago I had a battery crap out on me on a Sunday and I needed one that day... ended up spending about $50 more than usual on a Napa battery, and it's already getting weak. The Continental I have that is a year older will crank both vehicles over noticeably faster. I'm not impressed with the Napa battery at all. The 51R is what is recommended for the Spyder and all of the hondas I've ever owned... Now I'm curious and may throw one on the scale when I get home. 

I recently purchased an AC Delco to replace my no name must-be-from-junkyard battery that (came with my car and) lasted me 5 years. In the winters, that battery survived me sitting for a couple hours at a time watching movies on my 4din dash stereo while my kids practiced indoors. In the end I believe the longevity of my car batteries is because 90% of my drives are no less than 40 minutes and my car overnights in a garage. 

• The voltage never goes above 13.8 in the MR2. In the Odyssey it regularly chargers at 14.1 and goes as high as 14.3

@pwnzor

Glad I'm not the only one to notice that Southern lifespan

Yup heat kills batteries  but it becomes apparent when its put to the test when it gets cold.