to up grade or not, that is the question.

[PiDGE]

long story short the truck is a little over 3 years old now and I'm tryin to be pro active about the battery. A couple weeks ago I was on a fishing trip up north and did'nt start the truck for 2 1/2 days, on the journey home went to start it and click-click-click-click....dead battery. I also like to mention that the negitve terminal is worn down from the terminal brush so much the clamp dose'nt really tighten to good anymore. I realize it needs to be tight and that could have led to the dead battery. From what I understand nissan batterys are not the greatest one out there. Went to crappy tire this morning to get one, but junior behind the counter says they dont have one for my truck and to try napa. Is it worth paying the extra to upgrade to a yellow top/red top sealed unit or just go to napa and have a look at what they gots. I've got a $100 gift card for crappy tire thats been burning a hole in my wallet for 6 months now and was thinking about putting it towards a battery. What do you guys think motomaster/napa or yellow/red top?

[Scotto]

Optima Yellow is the way to go.

It's a very good battery, and won't fail you. They are expensive, but I think they are worth it. I put a red one in the Jeep, in part to save a few shequels, and in part because the Jeep isn't yellow, it's sort of red, and being anal about these sorts of things, I wanted the colours to match up

As for your terminals being worn, Nissan batteries may be just fine, but Nissan vehicles are pretty finicky when it comes to the voltage coming off the battery. I forget what it is, but your truck needs something like 11.775639 (OK, maybe not to that many decimal points ) volts coming off the battery for it to turn over. You need a good, clean connection to that battery, otherwise you'll get the dreaded clickety click, or worse, nothing. I had some connector troubles last winter on my X, and the learning I did was replace the clamps, make sure the clamps are solid on the terminals, and keep them clean. It comes across as being a dead battery, or a weird gremlin in the electrics, but it's really just a dirty connector.

Save your gift cert. for something like a set of wrenches - wait for the good sale and get a nice set that will last you a long time. It may just be me, but when I get a gift cert. I kind of like to put it towards something I will use for a long time, and can even say to the kind person who thought about me, "Hey, remember that $100 you gave me, I put it towards this..."

Hope that helps.


Scott

[Simon]

Another option....

They have the spiral top Eliminator that is a rebadged Orbital Extreme Deep Cycle/Starting battery. It's a good battery, with the same technology as the Optima Yellow top. Crappy Tire wouldn't sell me one for Pezzy's truck, because it "doesn't fit" I explained that the same model Orbital fits as per Orbital's site, and they said "Our computer system doesn't show that" My response was "Have you considered the very real possibility that your computer system is wrong?" After a long talk with both the retard behind the counter, and his mentor/manager, I told them that since I want the battery so bad, I will replace the vehicle it's going into, and to please show me the list of vehicles it fits. Oddly, the one that it does work in, is the Nissan Quest, with the same motor as Pezzy's

At any rate, my next trip to CT, I bought a battery for a Nissan quest, and "somehow" fit it into Pezzy's truck. Works good, with some winch use already, and no fitment issues.

[Snafu]

Geez I thought you were going to replace your 3yo truck

I don't think your battery would drain due to the terminal connection. If anything it would have prevented it from draining as fast.

However, as pinko-Scott has said, a poor connection may be the culprit. Until you decide which battery you want to go with try making a better connection at the terminal. I have seen lead battery post caps designed to fit between the worn post and terminal. PA or CTC might carry them (think I saw them at PA). If all else fails try wedging some solder (I am sure you have some) between the post and terminal. Flatten the solder first so it will make a better connection.

[Adam]

On my mothers old mazda 929, it got the click click click one day too. A mechanic said to try and put a small screw between the post and the terminal. Seemed to fix the problem...

[Miner]

Odyssey

http://www.odysseybatteries.com/applications/auto.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


I have the PC1700, very expensive and very impressive. They are available from JC Whitney or locally through Total Battery.

[PiDGE]

yeah simon when I was at crappy tire I was looking at those, but when asked about them or any battery I got the not out there, for what ever reason. Wish I had a stick with me then Do you know where they sell orbital batteries. Went to there site, but it seems a little outdated (2007 parts list) I did find one though for an 05 Nissan Frontier, but I would like to talk to someone in person about them. Excide batteries: O.E. GRP=24F (dont know what this # is for),550 CCR (is this plenty, for now I just have added back up lights off a relay to the reverse light), part #ORB78DT-84.

[Xgirl]

Where do you buy the yellow top optima? I have been to a few places and all I can get is red and blue. Will nissan install the battery for me?

[Miner]

Nissan will but for a beer or a coffee I'm sure someone on here would be willing to lend a hand.

[Simon]

Where do you buy the yellow top optima? I have been to a few places and all I can get is red and blue. Will nissan install the battery for me?

Don't pay someone to install the battery. It's a 10 minute job that can be done in a parking lot, but you will lose you radio station presets

Yellow Top can be found at Costco, or National 4wd, but I don't think you have much need for it. A Red Top would suit your needs just fine, and be a little easier on the wallet.

[medic]

Costco sells the YellowTop D34/78 which fits the X perfectly for about $170.

Great Deal!

[Xgirl]

Thanks guys!!! I am out to buy a battery.

[PiDGE]

went to grab the motormaster equivelent to the red/yellow top. Told him to look it up in the system again just in case, but I guess the first fellow was correct, so I told him to look it up for a 96 quest. Yup we have em. Grabed one off the shelf and put it in. Now when I go to put it in theres a slight problem with the crazy fuse block/+ terminal. The wire is to short because the post are centered onthe new battery, but a little pullin and ajustin and all was good. I'm gonna have to take a closer look at pehaps using the side posts (female) in the near future. Truck seems to start up much stronger and quicker, I'm happy with it so far. I'm gonna start another post regarding another wierd noise thats not there anymore since this install.

[Miner]

Yeah CT has a hard time going from what the system says is "equivalent" to the "will fit". A little modification for a better battery is definitely worth it.

[keith]

Where do you buy the yellow top optima? I have been to a few places and all I can get is red and blue. Will nissan install the battery for me?

Don't pay someone to install the battery. It's a 10 minute job that can be done in a parking lot, but you will lose you radio station presets

Yellow Top can be found at Costco, or National 4wd, but I don't think you have much need for it. A Red Top would suit your needs just fine, and be a little easier on the wallet.

if you have a booster pack you wont even loose your preset stations