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RIP (N)EVER LAST battery Dec08-Jan13

2K views 20 replies 15 participants last post by  liquid_force 
#1 ·
Yesterday I drove 30 miles to town. I stopped for gas and when I went to start the car I had no battery power. I got someone to try and jump me but I could not even get a spark off of the positive side. I was able to borrow a battery from a friend nearby and low and behold, back in business. The Never Last came with the car and surprised me when it just died. I went to my favorite Napa and upgraded to a Legend battery and am good to go.
For the basic, if you cannot jump the car suspect the battery first!! We have had some real cold weather and it was enough to finish this one off. Of course my tools and cables were in my truck. Just glad I got it back on the road because it was close to zero most of the day and I had not really planned on breaking down.
Keep warm out there and slow charge your batteries at night this time of year.
The EVER LAST would not be my first choice if I buy the battery. 4 years was ok but I usually get 5-6 with the good ones. Sorry Wal-Mart, just the way it is~~:wub:
 
#2 ·
Are you sure it is the battery and not the alternator? Normally if a battery is shot, it will give you a headache for quite a while, and it usually gives you the hardest time after the car sits over night. I feel like after you drove 30 miles, especially with a warm engine bay, it should have started. It seems that the alternator failed to charge your battery back up. So when you put the other battery in, of course it had enough CCA to turn the engine over and you were probably running off just the battery again.
 
#3 ·
Batteries can and do just die suddenly. One day they're fine and the next—boom—completely dead.

One factor that's becoming more prevalent these days is the popularity of "wimpy" jumper cables. If you're going to jump a completely dead battery you need a set of heavy duty 2 or 4 gauge cables. Those 8 and even 10 gauge jumper cables are almost worthless unless you have a "slightly" discharged battery or have a half hour to wait for the battery to charge off the booster vehicle.

Not sure what kind of cables you have, but it's worth checking them to make sure they're up to the task.
 
#4 ·
I used some big cables, could not even get a spark when scratching the + post. of the dead battery when trying to jump. WHEN i put new battery in alternator was 14.2V charging at the Napa. We tested all components before I took the loaner battery back to my friend.
The starting amps were normal in test. I think I just ended up with bad plates and sulfating of the Never Last~~It has been below zero for a long week during the night and even the day. Cold never helps old batteries~~:D
 
#7 ·
Drove my bull 15 minutes to Wal Mart with some friends. No problem starting the car when we left. Came out of Wal Mart, key fob unlocked the doors, climbed in, no start. Got a guy in an Escort to try to jump me. Had sparks on my battery and had the cars hooked up for about 10 minutes and no luck. Went back into Wal Mart and bought a new battery. The Napa battery that was in my car when I bought it was the wrong size. :pat:

I was wondering why the battery space looked so roomy...
 
#9 ·
@ Belina, Black Hole and money pit in one fell swoop. All I had when I tried to turn it over with the jump was a bouncing tach, flashing dash and solenoid clicking.
Black Hole made me think Battery quickly. The loaner just confirmed my thought.
Starter was almost new, no previous electrical gremlins. We tested the bad one when I took it to Napa and it was reading 3v. Lucky I did not have it quit in nowhere land.
 
#12 ·
Yep, I killed my battery when I had an issue in Phoenix. I think the fact that it was about 110 at the time didn't help. But it was at least five years old, and it didn't look too new when we bought the truck. Bosch Premium battery.

Replaced it with an EverLast, but it was still about $110 bucks. When I need a battery for my soon-to-be-bought Taurus, I plan on sticking an Optima battery in there. Sure, it's expensive, but they LAST forever. We've had a set on our camp trailer for six years now with no issues.

As far as the cables go, I still have the set the first owner of our old Suburban had put in there. They're extremely heavy duty cables. The leather bag is a plus.
 
#13 ·
I have read someplace that there are only about 3 battery manufacturers. That many of the batteries of different names are the same.

One time I purchased a battery from one of those battery franchise stores. Just Batteries or Batteries Plus - can't remember. Store brand. Thought since these folks specialize in batteries - this one should be good. Lasted less then 3 years. Yes, there is a pro-rated warranty. Not worth it for a few cents/dollars.

I've had good and bad luck with Wallymart batteries. Even there - batteries are supplied by different manufacturers.
 
#14 ·
5 years is not that bad of life for a battery. That's about the time the sponge lead and the lead peroxide start to break down. The longest I have ever seen a battery go is 7 1/2 years. Just my input
 
#15 ·
Unit731 is right, there are only 3 or maybe 4 manufacturers and they contract out to everyone. Eastern Penn, Exide and Johnson controls come to mind. Every year or 2 Consumer reports does a report on car batteries and will outline this. They will test specific batteries. IIRC group size is just as important to consider as brand. In other words not all battery groups in one brand fair well in their testing. You need to consider brand as well as size.

I had an 84 subaru with the original OEM battery for 8 yrs and when I sold it it was still going strong. Never needed a jump and always started no matter how cold.
Back in the 80's I knew people who sweared by Die Hard Golds and would get 8 or more years out of them. I know this is anecdotal but I just don't hear too many people saying they get 8 plus years on a battery like I use to. Sure some still do. It just does not seem at the same rate.

Have the manufacturers figued out how to just get past the full warrantee period (2-3 yrs)and then you start to have issues.?
 
#16 ·
It depends on how much you pay. :D

My dad stuck a set of Optima batteries on their camp trailer when they bought it, six years ago, and they've never lost their charge nor given us issues. The Bosch I had in the F-250 was at least five years old when it finally went kaput around July. But they've been through a fair amount of crap Everstarts.

Does anyone know who makes a AAA battery? That's what I've got in the Bull now, but I don't see any brand on it.
 
#18 ·
I think all of the last several battery faillures I have had were the sudden failure variety. Drive someplace and then come out a short time later and no start not even a click but they will turn on the headlights.

I have had the very best luck for long life (7 to 20 years) with Motorcraft batteries esp the OEM ones. I have had OK luck with the yellow ones from Walmart but not as good as the Motorcraft ones for sure.
 
#19 ·
My friend Sara just had to the replace the battery in her 2001 SES. The date of manufacture on the battery that died was the original 2001 Motorcraft battery! I couldn't believe it. We live in Minnesota, so our cars here deal with temperatures from -30* in the winter up to over 100* in the summer. That's a lot of stress for a 11-12 year old battery powering a decent sized car!
 
#20 ·
Also there is a trend to use steel clamps on copper tinted aluminum wiring. So, you have 3 different metals and eventually corrosion sets making the cables useless. Or if they are stored in a moist environment the steel clamps rust usually at the part that is crimped on to the wiring.

I have a feeling jumper cables are like jacks now. Everyone of them is cheep, comes from china and last only 1 year.
 
#21 ·
I read a lot of negative reports on Everstart's, but the one I had a few cars back was a beast of a battery.

It was called an everstart Extreme. Purchased around '00 (maybe they just don't make them as good anymore).
It was a huge battery, which I assume had something to do with its durability - around 900CCA IIRC. It was in my '88 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe and it lasted me at least 7+ yrs and well over 100k. That car had a big sound system (~1000w rms) and an undersized alt (75A) and that battery just kept taking abuse. I must have ran it dead 5+ times over those 7 yrs and it always came back to life - never left me stranded.
Survived one dead alt and a dead starter.

IIRC the battery was still working when the turbo blew and I put it out to pasture.

My last two battery replacements were treated much better and lasted about half as long.
 
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