My battery died at the end of last week.

I wasn't very surprised that it died as I think it was the original, 2003 V6,
but the way it went out surprised me, I was working out of town so was doing a 140 mile round trip every day so it was getting a good charge, I drove home on Friday night with no problems and parked in the garage.

On Saturday morning when I tried to start it there was just the dreaded click, still enough power for lights alarm etc but not to start, tried a jump of my wifes car, but that was no good.

So I got a new battery and all was well, just seems odd to me that there has never been a hint of a problem then it just dies overnight.

That's my whingeing over now

 

What is a good source for a new battery?

 

that is actually very normal, just so you know. Nothing really wrong. I as well have the original battery in my 03, im just gonna change it anyway.

Interstate makes a decent battery as a replacement. I have always had pretty good luck with them. And their prices are average. STAY AWAY FROM WAL-MART batteries though. Bad mojo with those batteries.

 

OK phd12volt, I guess you should know

I wasn't too worried it was on the list to be changed anyway, summer in Phoenix sounds the death knell for batteries.

I was just a little surprised how suddenly it gave out, I've always had a bit of grumbling from batteries before they died.

FYI I also got banners of faults cycling in the message center and the speedo and tacho cycling to 100% and back to zero.

I got the new battery from Checkers for $100 I'm in NC right now so can't check the brand.

 

Lead acid batteries are all basically the same. The majority of batteries are made by one of three companies, Exide, Johnson Controls and Delphi. Wal-Mart batteries are made by Delphi who also makes AC-Delco batteries. Sears, Costco, Interstate, Motorcraft for example are all made by Johnson. So in reality they're all pretty much the same.

If you really want a good battery then you want to stay away from a conventional lead acid battery and go with a AGM or spiral gel type like the Odessy or Optima batteriies. They don't emit dangerous fumes and last forever. I've have one in a '72 240Z for over 15years that still fires up the car everytime and one in a XJR thats still strong and over 7 years old. The Optima is the OEM battery for Aston-Martin.

 

I've had four Optima batteries (in the Mustang) and they all died, three red tops and one yellow top. They don't last any longer than a regular battery, just call Optima and ask them. The best and ONLY GOOD thing about Optima is that it can be mounted on its side. DON'T WASTE MONEY ON Optima.

 

That's too bad. I never had one last less than 7 years. Maybe they've gone downhill since Johnson Controls bought them out.

 

Maybe I'm wacky, but I prefer the non-sealed battery that came with the car as OEM. I was wondering if anyone has ever sourced one. I guess my experience in distribution is why I like it. See, electric industrial trucks have open cell batteries in them. If you maintain them with distilled water, they seem to last a really long time. We have trucks that run on the same battery for 10 years plus. This is with constant cycling. When I saw the battery in my car, I was thrilled. Every oil change, I open it up, and check the water levels in each cell. Had to add a little to one so far.

 

All six of our S-Type battery's cells were low when I bought the car. The wiper fluid tank was also nearly empty. So much for the famous 140-point pre-sale inspection at our local dealership....

It will be interesting to see how long our factory battery will last. I'm accustomed to factory batteries getting you through the warranty period and not much longer....

I check the cell levels at least every couple of months, more often during the warmer seasons. Thus far I've had to add distilled water after initial purchase back in December, and then just a tad more to a couple of cells about a month ago....

 

gee my 160 point pre-sale inspection didn't catch the low level battery, not 1 but 2 major gasket leaks, cracked rear tie rod bushings nor the plugged up washer fluid spray thingies!

 

Jon89 wrote: "All six of our S-Type battery's cells were low when I bought the car. The wiper fluid tank was also nearly empty. So much for the famous 140-point pre-sale inspection at our local dealership...."

Joycesjag wrote:"gee my 160 point pre-sale inspection didn't catch the low level battery, not 1 but 2 major gasket leaks, cracked rear tie rod bushings nor the plugged up washer fluid spray thingies!"

Damn... I'm gonna go over to Jaguar of Cleveland and give Mike a big hug.....

The only "problem" that came with mine is this nasty door ding. Every other repair was either stuff I wore out by driving the snot out of the car or things that there was no way an inspection would find or minor trim things. Ooops I forgot, the hood liner pulling away, but heck that was just me being picky..

 

the Optima batteries first of all, technically arent suited for the s-type. Also as of the last 5 or so years, i have replaced more Optimas then i would like to admit. Honestly, the OEM batteries are pretty darn good anymore. I have dealt with Interstate for quite some time and like i said earlier, they are average in the price/performance area. Not all batteries are created equal. If i were you, just grab the OEM one as they seem to last the longest from what i have found. I say this with at least 19 years of automotive electronics background.

 

Buying batteries can often be a crapshoot. I had a 1974 Datsun 260Z that habitually ate up Sears Diehard batteries (the supposed top-of-the-battery-line back in the late 70s/early 80s) every three years or so. Contrast that with my current $40 Walmart special (EverStart DT-3) that has been powering my trusty 1999 Dodge Ram pickup since September 2002 and is still going strong....

I think it often boils down to vehicle, application, how long the "new" battery has been sitting around on the shelf, how well the battery was built at the factory, the climate where you live, and luck....