Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Battery went dead in my sister's 2010 Toyota Rav 4. Here in Florida, finding a battery is easy, all you do is get one rated for a warmer climate. She lives in a part of the country that commonly sees 40 below in the winter, and 120 degrees in the summer. I hear Costco Kirkland is a good battery, and Auto Zone's duralast platinum is also good, but can they handle such extremes of hot & cold?
Given the extreme variability of conditions, the only real choice is a dry cell battery. Optima used to be the "go to" choice, but they are not as good as they used to be, at least according to the "battery nerds". However, the Optima's are still one of the more affordable and readily available dry cell options and would be an upgrade over any regular battery. I've heard that Stinger and Odyssey are currently two of the better choices in dry cell batteries, but I have no personal experience with them.
two things to look for when buying a battery, other than if it fits your application, and that is;
1: cold cranking amp
2: reserve capacity.
for cold cranking amps you want as much as you can afford. for reserve capacity you want as long as you can get. i prefer batteries in the 700cca and 90min reserve capacity range. regarding the optima, they are good batteries new, but if you get a red top optima, NEVER let it discharge completely as it starts the batteri down the road to an early death. the yellow top is a better battery as it is designed to "deep cycle" meaning you can discharge it completely with out hurting the battery. it is more expensive though.
If you want your car to always start and you live where it gets to be -40 do what most Canadians do. Get a block heater and plug in the car when it will sit more than a few hours.
Contrary to popular thinking there is not a outlet behind every current bush in the north-land.
Good batteries is key along with using the right weight oil up north.
We see those cold temps but it never has reached 120*F+, 100*f, yes.
optoma batteries are over priced and they may not last as long as a wet battery.
Most batts are made by Johnson controls.
A rule of thumb , get the biggest (most CCA) batt that will fit in your battery tray.
batts don't last forever and they don't last as long in extreme conditions.
Find one with a good warranty at a decent price.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lucknow
If you want your car to always start and you live where it gets to be -40 do what most Canadians do. Get a block heater and plug in the car when it will sit more than a few hours.
I've been looking on the North, West side.
thanks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lucknow
Yes,we have them everywhere. When out hunting in the Canadian wilderness just look on the southeast side of the trees and you will find a plug in.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've been looking on the North, West side.
