Starting battery (Group 31) for Cummins ISC

[HJLowell]

There is a Battery manufacturing company
East of Russell Springs Kentucky.
Out close to Nancy.

They have crates of different Battery Labels.
They ship Batteries all over the country with different Brand Name labels.

Volume orders get Volume pricing.

When buying starting batteries look at the weight # of the battery and the CC
The manufacturing Date is to be considered.

But the weight of the Batteries determines quality concerning same CC

Buy the heaviest Battery

Crown Battery manufacturing company in Norther Ohio has a long standing reputation.

[Toribk]

HJLowell,

That is Superior Battery Manufacturing you are referring to in Russell Springs, Kentucky.

They produce their own brand "Superlex" and private label for a number of battery retailers based on that particular customers specifications. Typically, to meet a certain price point, but that's not always the case.

Anyhow, the batteries weight is usually attributed to the quality of the case, lead plate thickness, electrolyte formula used and quality of other internal components such as the grids and seperators. Of course, more CCA and reserve capacity, in general, equates to the overall weight and this is where the consumer needs to be certain they are comparing apples to apples when making their selection.

Most importantly, battery longevity, irregardless of quality or type, usually attributed to how well the batteries are maintained.

[paul65k]

We went with these about 2 years ago for our 350 ISC and they have given us very good service.

I paid around $99 and then got a 10% additional discount. They will install them for you if you drive the MH or simply bring the old cores and trade if you do them yourself!

https://www.batteriesplus.com/productdetails/sli31sa

[Verlyn]

You need to keep them charged in storage on a float charge. Never dead.

[Walt Graham]

OK Kids - Remember that batteries are like RV tires and unlike a fine wine, they don't get better with age. If you spend anytime in the south heat is a life span issue on the battery while cold weather effects the cranking power. Considering the draw for starting a diesel the bigger the better. A smaller battery might be easier to install but it will also have a shorter life because of amperage drawdowns during the starting cycle. The real grabber is todays battery cost compared to what it was four years ago, compound this with a mandated disposal charge (and you best have a core to exchange)and then add in the fact that most manufactures only offer a one year warranty.

[gerdutch]

I just replaced my original starting batteries on my 2002 ISC 350. Owned the coach since 2005. Date was stamped on the Batts.
Exceptional Batteries they were, s o i replaced them with the Same NAPA SERIES 31 Commercial Group.

Originally Posted by TwelveVolt

My pair of NAPA Commercial group 31 starting batteries are six years old and seem to be having difficulty holding a charge with the coach in storage. There were no issues on our last trip, but we plugged in every night. They are rated as 950CCA. The battery meter shows 12.5v and 325CCA each after running the generator for an hour.

What I am wondering is why there are two group 31’s in parallel. If 325x2CCA will start the engine, then a good 950CCA should have no problem. If I do not anticipate driving in low northern temperatures, will one new battery be adequate, or am I missing something?

I see NAPA also has a group 31 Commercial rated at 1125CCA for about $30 more (vs 950). Is that a better choice?

[Brianna]

As someone who worked at johnson control's advertising agency I can share a couple of insights.
The 1yr, 3yr, 5year warranty battery is the exact same battery with a different label. The extra cost covers any potential pro-rated warranty replacements they would need to make.

As far as the higher CCAs, you are correct: thinner plates that will not last as long.

Sears and some WalMart batteries are from johnson controls and do not have any different construction or features. The difference in price is from quantity buying power. It would cost too much to build to different specs for different customers. It's all in the label, my friend.
Interstate batteries are also ordinary Johnson Controls (and some Exide) product. And depending on where you live in the US, they come from Mexico or milwaukee.
And the grocery store private label milk? Yup, it's from one of the more expensive brands in the same dairy case and its the exact same milk.

[Goldventure]

Deka 1231 MF. I have tried every battery known to man. I run Deka in all my vehicles, never had a problem. Good Luck

[Journey39n]

I thought my two gp31 chassis batteries were going bad after 7 years of use, just didn't seem to hold much of a charge after driving. So I searched and searched, no freightliner dealer nearby, prices quoted were high. Then I came across a local Kenworth shop, catering to trucks, contractors, and farmers. The only batteries they stocked were commercial grade, gp31, priced at $75 each. I went back to the park, pulled my two, back to Kenworth, swap out cores for new, and back to the park to install. Worked much better, but . . .

Four months later, my alternator went completely out, I guess it had been ailing for a year, and was slowly dying. I probably would have gotten several more years out of the originals. Oh well, two years later, all is great with the chassis batteries and the new alternator.

[TwelveVolt]

Update: Thank you all for your valuable input. I went with a new pair of the Alliance 925 CCA at Freightliner.

The pair cost me $164 versus the NAPA Commercial I was considering for $130 each.

The new batteries show 925 on the label and both came up 1075 CCA on the tester.
Note: When attaching the tester’s alligator clips to the battery, clamp them to the soft metal disk at the base of each post. Clamping to the post itself gave unreliable readings.

Because the Freightliner parts store did not have pull-through parking, I parked around the corner at Sams Club, removed the batteries, swapped them at Freightliner and installed the new ones. Batteries were out for about an hour. Once the new batteries were in, I started the generator to fully charge them.

After about 10 minutes, with the gen still running, I tried to start the engine. The check engine light came on and I had to crank for more than five seconds until the engine coughed to life. Once started, it seemed to run just fine. Diagnostic codes 94-2 and 8-5. Same starting result three times in a row.

I left the generator running and went in for a hotdog and some shopping. An hour later the engine started right up with no check light and no hesitation. No problems since.

[Brianna]

Thanks, TwelveVolt.
Please post any updates you have down the road.

This is off topic, but yeah.....Sam's Club has a pretty good hot dog, don't they? Actually my favorite thing about Sams.

[HJLowell]

Originally Posted by Brianna

Thanks, TwelveVolt.
Please post any updates you have down the road.

This is off topic, but yeah.....Sam's Club has a pretty good hot dog, don't they? Actually my favorite thing about Sams.

My favorite thing is, Two hot dogs.
Smothered with
Onion and mustard

[emoji6][emoji41][emoji106][emoji894][emoji894]

[Biljol]

I just replaced my chassis battery and went with Duracell ultra agm same spec a bit more but way better warranty. Got them from battery’s +. They where top screw post but just purchased adapters for them.

[TwelveVolt]

Originally Posted by Biljol

I just replaced my chassis battery and went with Duracell ultra agm same spec a bit more but way better warranty.

In general, my batteries have lasted six or seven years, so I tend to dismiss the one to three year warranty. Nevertheless, I make a note on my phone calendar to check the effective CCA a month before the warranty expires. I have only returned one Duracell AGM to Sam’s without any problem.

I have asked a number of shops what they consider to be a ‘bad’ battery under the warranty and have received a range of answers.