Costco vehicle batteries

A

animal-inside

Well-known member
Trusted Member
My diesel truck batteries died today... We had a cold snap and truck wasn't started for 2 days and it exposed my failing batteries..

I've never put kirkland batteries in the diesel truck. I've used them in gas vehicles with no complaints.

2 batteries for my truck at local stores are all around 600$ for the pair... all are 790 CCA

Costco lists Kirkland brand for my truck at 400$ for 2.. claimed 790 CCA

So a quick trip to the city to save 200$ is worth it to me..


Unless someone has bad experiences with kirkland for diesel trucks, I think I'll roll the dice on the kirklands.. and if at 23 months they are giving my ANY grief, I return.
 
Sorbate said:
Are they glass mat batteries?
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No... I don't want the AGM ones.. Most people I know who've tried AGM up here say they don't get the benefits they are supposed to: last longer, better in cold weather starting... i've done some reading and that seems typical of AGM.. THey do well in hot environment extremes, but not cold extremes like here. So I decided not go with AGM...

I use AGM in my ATV's because they generally are parked in heated garage all winter and not really used..

I tried AGM in a snowmobile and it didn't for shit... I noticed no difference in lead acid and agm in cold starting either.
 
Cheapshot said:
Most batteries all come from the same place with a different sticker. The only thing that matters is shelf life, how they were stored and the warranty
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I read this as well. generally there's 3 battery makers...

I was told by a relative though that the kirkland plates are thinner and often made from recyled batteries, where as the AC delco, energizer, interstate heavy truck batteries are thick plates and not made from recycled batteries.. I can't confirm this is true though.
 
Cheapshot said:
Most batteries all come from the same place with a different sticker. The only thing that matters is shelf life, how they were stored and the warranty
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Interesting.... The last batteries I bought for my camper, I went with two deep cycle 6 volts wired in series instead of two 12 volts in parallel.. Either way when I got the two new batteries home, I popped the caps to check the water levels and both were quite low.. The fill line is pretty obvious and it was even more obvious they were very low.. I didn't return them as I figured if I top the fluids up before using them they should be ok since the manufacture date was fairly recent.. bothers me that if I didn't check them, I would have had a shorter life from low fluid levels from date or purchase.. I'm not sure if the manufacturer fills them or the store that resells them fills them.. I'm guessing its the store that fills them due to transportation weights and dangers of them being full of fluid.
 
animal-inside said:
No... I don't want the AGM ones.. Most people I know who've tried AGM up here say they don't get the benefits they are supposed to: last longer, better in cold weather starting... i've done some reading and that seems typical of AGM.. THey do well in hot environment extremes, but not cold extremes like here. So I decided not go with AGM...

I use AGM in my ATV's because they generally are parked in heated garage all winter and not really used..

I tried AGM in a snowmobile and it didn't for shit... I noticed no difference in lead acid and agm in cold starting either.
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I only use them because of the faster charging. I live so close to work that my battery doesn't get a long charging time. Likely not an issue with you.
 
I had to go get a battery for the wifes car yesterday. Good price at bumper to bumper.
She stayed over at the kids place to babysit last friday night and it hit -40 and that was the end of the battery.
All my vehicles have battery maintainers on them but it wasnt plugged it.
Never tried a kirkland battery but suspect its just as good as anything else.
 
Sorbate said:
I only use them because of the faster charging. I live so close to work that my battery doesn't get a long charging time. Likely not an issue with you.
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That makes sense..

I'm about 15km to town.. So between drive to town, screwing around in town and driving home I've had no issues keeping them charged.
 
superbeast said:
I had to go get a battery for the wifes car yesterday. Good price at bumper to bumper.
She stayed over at the kids place to babysit last friday night and it hit -40 and that was the end of the battery.
All my vehicles have battery maintainers on them but it wasnt plugged it.
Never tried a kirkland battery but suspect its just as good as anything else.
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I got battery tenders on everything I own except my truck and car.. We use them often so I don;t think I need one. If anything, maybe a heated battery blanket maybe? Cold batteries loose quite a bit of CCA.

I already have block heater and a oil pan heater plugged in on the vehicles. Would irratate me to have 3 things per vehicle plugged in when its cold.
I swear oil pan heaters help with the -30 starts more then the block heaters.
 
animal-inside said:
I got battery tenders on everything I own except my truck and car.. We use them often so I don;t think I need one. If anything, maybe a heated battery blanket maybe? Cold batteries loose quite a bit of CCA.

I already have block heater and a oil pan heater plugged in on the vehicles. Would irratate me to have 3 things per vehicle plugged in when its cold.
I swear oil pan heaters help with the -30 starts more then the block heaters.
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I prefer the maintainer over the blanket. The battery will not freeze while being charged, and its always at full power when dealing with a frozen or flooding engine. With all the modules on current vehicles they are always using power and if there are aftermarket add ons like remote starters its worse. When i was at Toyota about 10 yrs ago, any vehicle they we put remote start on we always sold a battery maintainer with it otherwise the battery would be dead within a couple days. When i installed them, would also install a short extension cord and plug the battery and block heater into that so still only had one thing to plug in.
There is a chart for how many milliamps of draw/CCA/temp for how many days the batteries can last, but 50 milliamps is a good baseline and these newer cars are already there. And now you got vehicles doing software updates and data collection on their own at night and thats using power too.
Pan heaters are good, especially if using heavy oil. It will crank over easier. I like the coolant heaters because it keeps the whole block warm, and will make heat in the cab quicker.
When i was at GM i was a diesel tech, and soon as the cold started i would be doing head gaskets on duramax all winter long. Damn near every one of them had the block heater cord tucked away under the hood. Sure they will start in -40, but they dont like it.
 
superbeast said:
I prefer the maintainer over the blanket. The battery will not freeze while being charged, and its always at full power when dealing with a frozen or flooding engine. With all the modules on current vehicles they are always using power and if there are aftermarket add ons like remote starters its worse. When i was at Toyota about 10 yrs ago, any vehicle they we put remote start on we always sold a battery maintainer with it otherwise the battery would be dead within a couple days. When i installed them, would also install a short extension cord and plug the battery and block heater into that so still only had one thing to plug in.
There is a chart for how many milliamps of draw/CCA/temp for how many days the batteries can last, but 50 milliamps is a good baseline and these newer cars are already there. And now you got vehicles doing software updates and data collection on their own at night and thats using power too.
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good points.. I know my dodge has a EDGE cts monitor on it.. it's a constant draw.. I don;t think the wife's 2014 SUV has any sort of draw, data collection or updates going on with it.. I could be wrong, but I think it doesnt' have any draw like that.

YA all my other vehicles have the cord right from the battery to plug in the battery tender so you don't even have to open them up to expose the battery. But its even better how you do it with the tender wired right into the block heater cord. Do you have a link to the battery tender you guys used? Or even make and model?

The batery tenders I use for sled/atv etc are not ones I'd wire directly in.

superbeast said:
Pan heaters are good, especially if using heavy oil. It will crank over easier. I like the coolant heaters because it keeps the whole block warm, and will make heat in the cab quicker.
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I absolutely love my pan heaters on diesels.. night and day difference... I first put them on my stuff when my employer installed timed plugs on staff vehcile parking lots.. Fucking assholes, its -40 to -50 and you cycle the plugs off 30 mins and then on 30 mins.. FIne, I'll just double my wattage use and put a pan heater on.

superbeast said:
When i was at GM i was a diesel tech, and soon as the cold started i would be doing head gaskets on duramax all winter long. Damn near every one of them had the block heater cord tucked away under the hood. Sure they will start in -40, but they dont like it.
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I never understood duramax owners that don't plug in their shit and don't let them warm up..
 
animal-inside said:
good points.. I know my dodge has a EDGE cts monitor on it.. it's a constant draw.. I don;t think the wife's 2014 SUV has any sort of draw, data collection or updates going on with it.. I could be wrong, but I think it doesnt' have any draw like that.

YA all my other vehicles have the cord right from the battery to plug in the battery tender so you don't even have to open them up to expose the battery. But its even better how you do it with the tender wired right into the block heater cord. Do you have a link to the battery tender you guys used? Or even make and model?

The batery tenders I use for sled/atv etc are not ones I'd wire directly in.


I absolutely love my pan heaters on diesels.. night and day difference... I first put them on my stuff when my employer installed timed plugs on staff vehcile parking lots.. Fucking assholes, its -40 to -50 and you cycle the plugs off 30 mins and then on 30 mins.. FIne, I'll just double my wattage use and put a pan heater on.



I never understood duramax owners that don't plug in their shit and don't let them warm up..
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I have lots of the Noco brand. Two motormaster. A couple of my noco ones have been zip tied under the hood for 10 yrs and still good. On my dodge i can see it through the grille, so it gets weather and is fine.
Cant think of what stores are in your area, but amazon has lots. Bumper to bumper or napa likely stocks them.
 
superbeast said:
I have lots of the Noco brand. Two motormaster. A couple of my noco ones have been zip tied under the hood for 10 yrs and still good. On my dodge i can see it through the grille, so it gets weather and is fine.
Cant think of what stores are in your area, but amazon has lots. Bumper to bumper or napa likely stocks them.
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I have the "battery tender" brand on my sled/atvs... even my garden tractor lol... The actual plug is the functioning unit.. I can't see it lasting under the hood. I need an inline one like you used I think.

I f'ing hate my dodge block heater cord.. Sticks out of my grill as far as my dong sticks out of my snowsuit when I try to take a piss in -40.. Hacking that POS up to splice in a battery tender is a good thing.
 
animal-inside said:
Update: I called a local mechanical shop that also sells parts. 2 batteries is $360.. So cheaper than costco.. They say its the batteries they install on trucks when they come to their shop and are great quality. And, I don't have to take a day to drive to the city now..
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Perfect
 
animal-inside said:
Update: I called a local mechanical shop that also sells parts. 2 batteries is $360.. So cheaper than costco.. They say its the batteries they install on trucks when they come to their shop and are great quality. And, I don't have to take a day to drive to the city now..
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Even though they are new, i would throw them on charge and top them up.
 
superbeast said:
all this talk about block heaters and i didnt plug mine in. Fucking truck is frozen solid.
Running diesel oil and lucus oil stabilizer. The crank never stood a chance of passing through that shit.
Opps. Lol
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You’re in grand prairie?
 
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