Which is the Best Car Battery Brand?

R2D2 · 1st February 2009, 10:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gurkha

if you have LORD OF DARKNESS LUCAS TVS alternators, no battery is good for you, it will kill the best.

LOL!

Are they really that bad? The last time I saw one was on my brother's Tata Safari. Fortunately it didnt fry his electricals or lay his battery to waste.

Rgds,

Raccoon · 3rd February 2009, 02:20

Since most of the posts here seem to be related to car batteries... does anybody have any comments about motorcycle batteries? How is Base Terminal (Panasonic)?

Raccoon · 4th February 2009, 02:12

Not a single reply? :(

Finally my Exide (on my Suzuki Shogun) died on me midway to somewhere... and left me without horn, indicators, tachometer, console light, etc. So I had to make an emergency purchase before getting home.

Finally got Base Terminal for Rs. 600 after li'l bargaining (in Nana Peth).

But it was an unnerving experience with the battery dealer. Let me rant...

First he fooled me into thinking that the battery has a 2 year warranty. After the sale, I saw that its 18 months on the warranty card. 19 to 50 months its pro rata warranty (25% discount).

After that, I saw what I dreaded most - distilled watter was filled upto the brim in all the batteries that were charged!! ARghhhhhhhh!! And he refused to agree that it can cause any harm. Anway I was forced to buy it as all of them were like that... and I need a batt immediately. Then I discovered that the filler caps on top were way defective. I thot a company that cant even provide good moulded plastic caps isnt worth patronising. So I almost went for Amco instead. But I backtracked and asked him to take out the good caps from the other batteries and fix them on one of the batteries. He agreed reluctantly, and what I saw made me aghast - the guy, like a barbarian, pried open the caps with a sharp screw driver! I was like... So after all those severely damaged caps were not Panasonic's fault - it was the dealer who was the culprit! When I grubled and growled at him, he gave me the standard line that most of these guys dish out - Saab abhi taak kisi ka complaint nahi aya!!!

And last, but not the least, to make a long story short, it was discoverd that the fuse had blow. So he pried it open, threw the fuse out, crudely bent the copper contacts and joined them together!!

All this before I could even react! I asked him I want a new fuse there of same rating... and he was like its useless, dont waste your time with it... its not required!

Arghhhhhhhh!!! Anyways, I finally grabbed the card and bill and ran for my sanity!!

I just discovered - never, never go to unknown shops/dealers even for such minor things! Try and find a good dealer whichever way you can, and try to stick to him. And don't make emergency purchases like me...

DieselFan · 4th February 2009, 08:03

racoon,

you could have definitely done without battery till you figured out the right place to buy. Batteries are not mandatory for two wheelers as you can kick start the vehicle and then ride on. think about it erstwhile scooters didn't even have a battery.

Hashim · 4th February 2009, 08:28

Yes thats true but and even a dead battery will provide some DC current when engine is started to make horn and indicator work. If nothing is working at all, that means there is some fault in wiring and in your case it was blown fuse.

Anyhow you got rid of your old battery which is good. I also went to amaron dealer to check out pro bike rider battery and returned home without buying just by looking at the battery plastic quality. Its plastic was just like any cheap brand, uneven here and the vent cover was partially open. Terminals were also looking cheap. I doubt if they were geniune amaron.

Do these amaron pro biker battery come poorly built from company? or the dealer was selling fake stuff? Dealer was authorized and his shop name is listed on amaron india website.

Raccoon · 4th February 2009, 16:35

DieselFan, yes its true I don't need the battrey to start the bike and all... but in city its impossible to live without at least the horn!! And I was left without EVERYTHING but the headlights. Yes it seems the fuse had blown, but in any case the HORRID Exide was almost on its death bed. Also, is it good for the electrical system to ride without a working battery? I suspect the fuse probably blew because of the Exide was near dead, in the 1st place? I'v seen warning signs in some workshops (2 wheeler) about not using the vehicle without a battery. Not sure if that applies to bikes like the Shogun.

Another reason I was in a hurry to buy was because I havent seen any battery dealers other than Exide around my part of town. And I'd rather actually shoot myself in the foot than buy another Exide!! Hence the hurry to buy while I was there.

Hashim, all the brands I saw at that dealer - Amco, SF, Exide, Base Terminal, Amaron, etc., didn't look that great... in the sense that the outer finishing was less than perfect. He had one local brand... Urja or something (6 months warranty, about Rs. 300) and it looked even worse than the above mentioned bigger brands.

Actually, out of all those I saw above, the Amaron looked relatively better. Though I didn't quite like its bright green colour. And by far the best thing about it is that its TOTALLY sealed!! So savage dealers cant maul and rape your battery before it is even fixed. I feel this is THE battery that anybody should buy. All other batteries will be at all kinds of risk from these savage dealers - overfilling, tap water or questionable distilled water, physical damage, etc., etc. The only reason I bought Base Terminal over Amaraon was the cost... because I'm not too sure how long I'll be keeping the bike as I have a new one now.

As for your doubt about geting spurious Amaron battery, why dont you check at some other dealer to see how it looks? Also, I guess you could probably get a sealed box, as probably the batts might be charged from the company (not sure though). If you are buying from an authorised dealer with stamped warranty card with serial number that matches and cash-memo, then I dont think you have to be too scared...

Nobody has any idea how Base Terminal batterys are?? :(

Ramsagar · 5th February 2009, 16:53

AMRON anyday wins.
EXIDE is total failures(personal experience).

srijit · 5th February 2009, 17:50

Just got an Amco SP 40 for my Baleno (35Ah) for 2500Rs. Warranty for 18 months. OE was Amaron which went bust last month :(

Raccoon · 5th February 2009, 19:41

So Amco do make car battries?? And whats "SP"? Model name or something?

A.R · 5th February 2009, 20:22

I have Amaron in my Baleno, 2yrs & going strong.
I got my M800 with Exide, changed once, now running on the second one.

My bet would be for Amaron, simply the best!

Spark · 5th February 2009, 20:54

Well for me Amaron is a mixed experience.
Got one changed on my City 2 years back and i have never have to touch it again.
Bought a gypsy few months back and same Amaron dating almost same 2 years back, has gone kaput with a dead cell. Overall Charge drops to ~8 V when on load. Went to the dealer and he says need to replace the whole battery :-| !!
Conclusion - usage plays a significant role in battery life!!

shankar.balan · 5th February 2009, 21:16

battery life is determined by usage patterns and of course a certain amount of maintenance
good idea to open up atleast once a month and fill as required with distilled water
normal Amaron Battery life (ive been using Amaron these last 7 - 8 years) is about 2.5 - 3 years given normal city plus outstation usage but with an average running of about 1000-1200 km per month in my experience

Raccoon · 6th February 2009, 02:17

2.5 - 3 years is a very short life for any battery. I'm used to having battries that last much longer... If any battery lasts me only 3 years, I'd definitely not want to buy it again.

For that matter, I find these pro-rata "warranties" quite a sham! For eg. the new Base Terminal battery that I just bought for my Shogun has a 50 month pro-rata warranty (18 months "real" warranty). If it conks out before before 50 months, I wouldn't want to buy the same brand again.

If however, the battery conks off due to some issue on my part... like it got left in discharged state for a long period or something... then I might consider buying it again... and then the pro-rata discount would be useful.

srijit · 6th February 2009, 12:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raccoon

So Amco do make car battries?? And whats "SP"? Model name or something?

Yeah, Amco does make car batteries and it was priced the lowest, from my enquiries. Amaron base model was about 250 rs more, I think.
SP is just the model name, I think.

Gurkha · 6th February 2009, 12:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by R2D2

LOL!

Are they really that bad? The last time I saw one was on my brother's Tata Safari. Fortunately it didnt fry his electricals or lay his battery to waste.

Rgds,

Yes they are and I speak from experience. Lucas electricals singlehandedly gave Brit cars a poor rep in US, most of the breakdowns would be due to Lucas component related faults.

3rd February 2009, 02:20	#137
Raccoon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Poona Posts: 1,851 Thanked: 116 Times	Since most of the posts here seem to be related to car batteries... does anybody have any comments about motorcycle batteries? How is Base Terminal (Panasonic)?
	() Thanks

4th February 2009, 02:12	#138
Raccoon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Poona Posts: 1,851 Thanked: 116 Times	Not a single reply? :( Finally my Exide (on my Suzuki Shogun) died on me midway to somewhere... and left me without horn, indicators, tachometer, console light, etc. So I had to make an emergency purchase before getting home. Finally got Base Terminal for Rs. 600 after li'l bargaining (in Nana Peth). But it was an unnerving experience with the battery dealer. Let me rant... First he fooled me into thinking that the battery has a 2 year warranty. After the sale, I saw that its 18 months on the warranty card. 19 to 50 months its pro rata warranty (25% discount). After that, I saw what I dreaded most - distilled watter was filled upto the brim in all the batteries that were charged!! ARghhhhhhhh!! And he refused to agree that it can cause any harm. Anway I was forced to buy it as all of them were like that... and I need a batt immediately. Then I discovered that the filler caps on top were way defective. I thot a company that cant even provide good moulded plastic caps isnt worth patronising. So I almost went for Amco instead. But I backtracked and asked him to take out the good caps from the other batteries and fix them on one of the batteries. He agreed reluctantly, and what I saw made me aghast - the guy, like a barbarian, pried open the caps with a sharp screw driver! I was like... So after all those severely damaged caps were not Panasonic's fault - it was the dealer who was the culprit! When I grubled and growled at him, he gave me the standard line that most of these guys dish out - Saab abhi taak kisi ka complaint nahi aya!!! And last, but not the least, to make a long story short, it was discoverd that the fuse had blow. So he pried it open, threw the fuse out, crudely bent the copper contacts and joined them together!! All this before I could even react! I asked him I want a new fuse there of same rating... and he was like its useless, dont waste your time with it... its not required! Arghhhhhhhh!!! Anyways, I finally grabbed the card and bill and ran for my sanity!! I just discovered - never, never go to unknown shops/dealers even for such minor things! Try and find a good dealer whichever way you can, and try to stick to him. And don't make emergency purchases like me... Last edited by GTO : 6th February 2009 at 12:25. Reason: Please refer to our rules before proceeding. No MORE than 2 Smilies per post. Neither is inappropriate language permitted.
	() Thanks

4th February 2009, 08:03	#139
DieselFan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,584 Thanked: 259 Times	racoon, you could have definitely done without battery till you figured out the right place to buy. Batteries are not mandatory for two wheelers as you can kick start the vehicle and then ride on. think about it erstwhile scooters didn't even have a battery.
	() Thanks

4th February 2009, 08:28	#140
Hashim BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Aligarh Posts: 449 Thanked: 49 Times View My Garage	Yes thats true but and even a dead battery will provide some DC current when engine is started to make horn and indicator work. If nothing is working at all, that means there is some fault in wiring and in your case it was blown fuse. Anyhow you got rid of your old battery which is good. I also went to amaron dealer to check out pro bike rider battery and returned home without buying just by looking at the battery plastic quality. Its plastic was just like any cheap brand, uneven here and the vent cover was partially open. Terminals were also looking cheap. I doubt if they were geniune amaron. Do these amaron pro biker battery come poorly built from company? or the dealer was selling fake stuff? Dealer was authorized and his shop name is listed on amaron india website.
	() Thanks

4th February 2009, 16:35	#141
Raccoon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Poona Posts: 1,851 Thanked: 116 Times	DieselFan, yes its true I don't need the battrey to start the bike and all... but in city its impossible to live without at least the horn!! And I was left without EVERYTHING but the headlights. Yes it seems the fuse had blown, but in any case the HORRID Exide was almost on its death bed. Also, is it good for the electrical system to ride without a working battery? I suspect the fuse probably blew because of the Exide was near dead, in the 1st place? I'v seen warning signs in some workshops (2 wheeler) about not using the vehicle without a battery. Not sure if that applies to bikes like the Shogun. Another reason I was in a hurry to buy was because I havent seen any battery dealers other than Exide around my part of town. And I'd rather actually shoot myself in the foot than buy another Exide!! Hence the hurry to buy while I was there. Hashim, all the brands I saw at that dealer - Amco, SF, Exide, Base Terminal, Amaron, etc., didn't look that great... in the sense that the outer finishing was less than perfect. He had one local brand... Urja or something (6 months warranty, about Rs. 300) and it looked even worse than the above mentioned bigger brands. Actually, out of all those I saw above, the Amaron looked relatively better. Though I didn't quite like its bright green colour. And by far the best thing about it is that its TOTALLY sealed!! So savage dealers cant maul and rape your battery before it is even fixed. I feel this is THE battery that anybody should buy. All other batteries will be at all kinds of risk from these savage dealers - overfilling, tap water or questionable distilled water, physical damage, etc., etc. The only reason I bought Base Terminal over Amaraon was the cost... because I'm not too sure how long I'll be keeping the bike as I have a new one now. As for your doubt about geting spurious Amaron battery, why dont you check at some other dealer to see how it looks? Also, I guess you could probably get a sealed box, as probably the batts might be charged from the company (not sure though). If you are buying from an authorised dealer with stamped warranty card with serial number that matches and cash-memo, then I dont think you have to be too scared... Nobody has any idea how Base Terminal batterys are?? :(
	() Thanks

5th February 2009, 16:53	#142
Ramsagar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: BLR_Nellore(AP) Posts: 1,396 Thanked: 252 Times View My Garage	AMRON anyday wins. EXIDE is total failures(personal experience).
	() Thanks

5th February 2009, 17:50	#143
srijit BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 598 Thanked: 8 Times	Just got an Amco SP 40 for my Baleno (35Ah) for 2500Rs. Warranty for 18 months. OE was Amaron which went bust last month :(
	() Thanks

5th February 2009, 19:41	#144
Raccoon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Poona Posts: 1,851 Thanked: 116 Times	So Amco do make car battries?? And whats "SP"? Model name or something?
	() Thanks

5th February 2009, 20:22	#145
A.R BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 151 Thanked: 11 Times	I have Amaron in my Baleno, 2yrs & going strong. I got my M800 with Exide, changed once, now running on the second one. My bet would be for Amaron, simply the best!
	() Thanks

5th February 2009, 20:54	#146
Spark BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 96 Thanked: 9 Times View My Garage	Well for me Amaron is a mixed experience. Got one changed on my City 2 years back and i have never have to touch it again. Bought a gypsy few months back and same Amaron dating almost same 2 years back, has gone kaput with a dead cell. Overall Charge drops to ~8 V when on load. Went to the dealer and he says need to replace the whole battery :-\| !! Conclusion - usage plays a significant role in battery life!!
	() Thanks

5th February 2009, 21:16	#147
shankar.balan BANNED Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,368 Thanked: 23,160 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/2 (8)	battery life is determined by usage patterns and of course a certain amount of maintenance good idea to open up atleast once a month and fill as required with distilled water normal Amaron Battery life (ive been using Amaron these last 7 - 8 years) is about 2.5 - 3 years given normal city plus outstation usage but with an average running of about 1000-1200 km per month in my experience
	() Thanks

6th February 2009, 02:17	#148
Raccoon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Poona Posts: 1,851 Thanked: 116 Times	2.5 - 3 years is a very short life for any battery. I'm used to having battries that last much longer... If any battery lasts me only 3 years, I'd definitely not want to buy it again. For that matter, I find these pro-rata "warranties" quite a sham! For eg. the new Base Terminal battery that I just bought for my Shogun has a 50 month pro-rata warranty (18 months "real" warranty). If it conks out before before 50 months, I wouldn't want to buy the same brand again. If however, the battery conks off due to some issue on my part... like it got left in discharged state for a long period or something... then I might consider buying it again... and then the pro-rata discount would be useful. Last edited by Raccoon : 6th February 2009 at 02:32.
	() Thanks