FAQ: Good Battery Replacement?

From what I have picked up since the RegalGS board, the Riv's stock battery is wonderful. Powerful and durable, just mounted in a bad spot, but oh well. After 135,000mi, would it be at all possible that I still have the original battery? My roommate says no way, but I remember some crazy stories about our battery. And the fact that the previous owner(s) put cheapo replacement parts in that I have to now weed our and replace with OEM. If it is a replacement I am surprised they went OEM on the battery of all things.

But I have a feeling the battery is finally dying out on me. After living the good life of 60 degree winters down south since 1995, my Riv got a nice taste of a bad Ohio winter, highs of 20 and lows of -20. The shock set in and the rough starts have began. New wires, plugs, and #2 coil pack have had little effect.

If you do not wish to hear my story, don't read the above paragraphs . Quick summary:

1. Could out batteries last 135,000miles?
2. What is a good replacement? OEM or Optima (like my roommate reccomends) or another brand?
3. How hard is coil pack replacement? Are springs and wires going to shoot out all over the place when I take it off or is it pretty simple? I can not justify paying the dealer as much as I did for parts and labor on #2 coil pack. (it was an emergencey situation and I had to let them do it).
Thanks!

I'm still on my OEM battery after 128k miles. It's 10 years old. I used to think I'd go with an Optima for replacement, but the more I think about it, stock makes more sense. If it died tomorrow, Id get a stock one.

I think one reason our batteries last so long is the fact that they are gigantic (way overkill for our cars), and that they're inside the car, shielding them from some of the elements. Also, they may just be a good design. More reason to go with stock, imo.

Thats what I thought. And LOL to me and posting new topics. I think you move most of them. I usually never post in the wrong section.

I've replaced the batteries in both my Rivs, not so much from mileage or age, but from letting them set too much! I used OEM in both, have had good service and the price is in line with anything else out there that fits the Riviera.

"quote: "And LOL to me and posting new topics. I think you move most of them."

It's only the FAQ forum that I move them from. The FAQ is for frequently asked questions, not for every question at the forum. When lots of folks start asking about batteries, and we have a definite answer, we'll make it a FAQ entry.

Anyway, post where you want. It's no trouble to move them.

im on my second bat. but they last a very long time. the heat is bad on a bat. as much, if not more, than cold weather. our bat location is better to me than most cars. i like the weight distribution, there is plenty of weight on the front tires to launch with IMO.
oh and Aaron is right about powerful, its rated at like 880CCA's :shock: most cars are almost half that, which makes it impossible to find a aftermarket battery for our cars, not that i would buy one. if mine craps out i'll spend the $120 at the dealer for another 7-10yrs of trouble free power.

$120 isn't a bad price at all, imo.

You might look around for a local GM parts distributor, I've gotten mine for around $95 going that route.

just replaced mine at over 130,000 miles. replaced w/ a delco stock replacement, but a red top w/ equal or greater power wouldnt be a bad idea

NO 4 EVR wrote:

From what I have picked up since the RegalGS board, the Riv's stock battery is wonderful. Powerful and durable, just mounted in a bad spot, but oh well. After 135,000mi, would it be at all possible that I still have the original battery? My roommate says no way, but I remember some crazy stories about our battery.

The stock battery for our vehicle was the AC Delco 76-7YR. It weighs about 55lbs and has been discontinued. The longest the 76-7YR lasted in my vehicle was 6 years.

I had to replace mine a few months ago as it was leaking around the positive terminal. I would suggest checking for acid leaks under the seat if your battery is over 5 years old. The acid left a small hole in the floor of the vehicle. I had to clean the floor with baking soda and patch the hole.

The suggested replacement is the AC Delco 79-6YR battery. The price was $108.98 and I received a $17.credit on the old battery. Total was $91.98.

hmmm i have my stock battery also i have my amps hooked up to it also!!!!!!!!!

Your stock battery will handle the amps. If your amps are drawing lots of current, it's your alternator you should be concerned about.

thats why i also upgraded that too

What size alternator are you running?

our alt is 140amps right? i think napa has one that is 150amp.
what are the plus and minus to the larger alt?
i'm guessing more power= more weight and heat
but also brighter headlights and better for sound systems.

The pros include more reserve amperes for stuff like stereo gear or motorized accessories, Lights will be brighter when using other accessories, but otherwise the same. High-amp alternators aren't necessarily bigger or heavier than standard models.

The cons are hotter operation and often less reliability. You get the higher current by overdriving the pulley and beefing up the coils/diodes. Higher amp models usually don't last as long unless you buy a Stinger or other high-end audio aftermarket ($$$).

Our 140 amp is big, probably in the 95th percentile of OEM alternators used in cars. You need to be running a serious stereo set-up to need anything more.

everyone that sees under my hood is like "damn, that alt is huge!" i didnt want anything larger or heavier if/when i need a new one.

I would replace my battery with the OEM. It's lasted 9 years and I don't think $100 is unreasonable at all. Plus the stock battery location requires venting, and I don't think all aftermarket batteries have the proper vent attachment, even though they might be the same dimensions.

Optimas don't need a vent from what I've heard.

Aaron,

You need more power? MORE POWER

LOL, stock it is guys.

I wouldn't put any battery under my back seat (INSIDE THE CAR!) that wasn't vented, no matter what the manufacturer claimed. Like it or not, gases may escape from the battery. What happens if your voltage regulator goes bad and you start massively overcharging your battery? Don't think it's going to leak at minimum some gases? I don't believe it. But I'm sure there are a ton of people who say they never had a problem...

quote: "You need more power? MORE POWER"

Wow, they aren't messing around!!!

Derek, I don't see why a battery maker couldn't lay out a set of objectives, one being the battery is sealed and doesn't need to release gases, and then meet those objectives. I'm no expert on batteries, just saying if they claim something, I wonder if they in fact can back it up. Maybe they can?

I know the Yellow Tops often get installed inside the interior as part of audio installs, and to my knowledge nobody vents them. These batteries go through some serious demand, too.

I'm not saying it doesn't work as they claim. I know just enough about electronics to be dangerous, and I have seen plenty of people rave about Optima batteries. I will just never trust them personally for inside the car use.

Optimas are wonderful batteries. I can tell you they do not vent gas because the gas is a the product of the liquid electrolyte in your typical battery. The optima is composed of a gel compound and is spiral packed. You could put an arc welder to the terminals and you will melt the terminals through the case before you get the hydrogen gas out of it. When they say you can mount them upside down and all this crazy stuff, they are serious. I wish i could show you the picture from my accident with my eclipse. The whole front end was annihilated and the hold down hardware was even destroyed but the battery is still working perfect.

I would say, however, that unless you are running an enormously high-draw sound system or other accessory, it isnt necessary in this car for any reason and the OEM battery is great. We sell the OEM batt. at my store for 85bucks i believe and the red top optima is 160. yellow top - 180ish