KHE Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 I would like an Interstate battery as well - it's just hard to find anyone who sells them anymore. Did you use the locator feature on interstatebatteries.com? Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 I would like an Interstate battery as well - it's just hard to find anyone who sells them anymore. Did you use the locator feature on interstatebatteries.com? Thanks! The larger chains around me don't carry them - but quite a few smaller shops do, according to the locator. Resistance is futile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BostonETC97 Posted June 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 The Eldorado's didn't get the luxury of the huge battery under the back seat. We have a small-ish battery with side-terminals, located in the front right corner, under the hood. A close friend of mine has a '99 STS, and when we were detailing his car, he pulled up the back seat to expose the battery. I was very impressed that his battery was spotless-clean, and the terminals were large and corrosion-free. Mounting the battery inside the car is a much better setup than under the hood, atleast in my opinion! Keeps all the temperature extremes and moisture just a little further away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 The battery was put under the rear seat to protect it from HEAT, heat is a battery's worst enemy, that said, mine is 5 years old and it keeps going just fine under the hood with its 850 CCA, personally the added length of the battery cables that add resistance are not worth it to me, we have had members MELT their long cables that run through the firewall with extended cranking Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 ....personally the added length of the battery cables that add resistance are not worth it to me, we have had members MELT their long cables that run through the firewall with extended crankingI have to challenge your view, Mike. The distance from the battery to the starter motor is not a factor if the cables/wires are properly sized. And I am confident the GM engineering group took all the variables into consideration. Removing the battery from the temperature extremes of the underhood enviorment was a wise choice. Possibly pushed by the finite space under the hood. As for 'long cables melting', I suggest there is/was some other unknown problem(s). "Extended cranking" causes me gas pains.... Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Thanks Jim, I was under the impression that the extended length of the cables can create problems with oxidixed/melted cables, we had a member that found cold cranking problems and found patches of oxidized cable thought their length coming from the back seat. Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEldo97 Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 I've had trouble with Diehards too, Die Easy as far as I'm concerned. I've had decent luck with the batteries sold through Advance. I had one of those crap out after 15 months and happily replaced under warranty by Advance. Always had terrific luck with Interstate batteries. I tend to use Advance because there's an Advance store within walking distance of my house... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Sears is slipping badly, I expect they will go dark soon Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BostonETC97 Posted June 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 I had two diehard golds internally short on me, before installing my current (3rd) gold, which is only now showing signs of fatigue at the 3-year mark. The two that shorted previously were only installed for a couple months before going bad. The part that got me incredibly upset was the way I was treated by Sears. They first accused me of having faulty alternator, which killed the battery. After I allowed them to test it, they agreed the alternator was 'ok', and honored my claim. But that was only after an hour of bickering. Second visit was very ugly. Battery was failing again, as the car wouldn't start if left more than 6 hours. Again, alternator tested ok. I bench tested the battery on my own by fulling charging it, and letting it sit on the bench (fully disconnected and OUT of the car) for 6 hours. Battery would be losing volts by the 6th hour. Sears 'tested' the battery on their equipment, and said it was still ok. I explained the battery needed to sit for about 6 hours before it lost all its voltage, and they claimed that's "normal." Long story short, after 2 hours of mindless (and worthless) argument, I lost my cool in a loud, vulgar, and bad way. I won't elaborate, but I 'expressed my anger' clearly enough that it got me a new battery extremely rapidly, and a warning that if I ever return they'll charge me with trespassing. (Good luck to them if they ever wished to actually enforce that statement!) So regardless of poor quality, I refuse to support a company that tries to sell a battery on it's warranty, then claims all the issues are 'not related.' I'm sure if it was my mother in the same situation, she would have forked over another $250 for a new battery and written it off as 'it must be my car.' It's not fair how they exploit their customers, and I think it's really starting to show. Customer service and honesty don't seem to be principles in their business model. Sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thu Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 Yes, it is sad. I've had the last straw with Sears Craftsman tools. They're supposed to be lifetime replacement, but nooooo. I bought their top-of-the-line torque wrench a few years ago. I used it a total of about 25 times. It quit working - torque adjustment no longer worked. They said I was out of luck as the warranty is only one year. I opted to have them send it in for repair for a $30 diagnostic charge. It came back about a month later - they said the could not repair it because they could not get parts. What the heck? I'm out $30 and they lost a customer forever. On top of that, I'm telling everybody about it. I promptly went over to Lowes and got my self a nice new torque wrench with paperwork that says it has a lifetime guarantee on it. Why go to Sears when you have Lowes and Home Depot, a real lifetime warranty, and you won't get hassled? On another occasion, I bought a set of truck tires from Sears. One reason is their lifetime rotate and balance that comes with each tire. I brought in my truck for a rotate and balance and they said that 'lifetime' is only three (four?) years. What the heck? This is an issue as I drive my truck maybe 2000 miles a year. I had to challenge them on that one. I dug out my paperwork that showed that these tires had a real lifetime (without time limit) rotate and balance. They grudgingly did the rotate and balance. No more tires from Sears for me. Why go to Sears when you have Big-O and other major tire vendors that don't have this insane policy? I bet not even Walmart or Sam's treat their customers this way. 2003 Seville STS 43k miles with the Bose Sound, Navigation System, HID Headlamps, and MagneRide 1993 DeVille. Looks great inside and out! 298k miles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 All of this info about SEARS...is good to know. I have been a pretty loyal customer of Sears for close to 50 years. Kenmore appliances...Craftsmen tools, riding lawn tractors..etc..etc. No way to add up how much I have spent over the years. Just bought Darling Wife a new $1,200 dishwasher last Christmas. I have a couple of screwdrivers, that need replacement. I will go by there in the next few days and see what kind of treatment I get and report back. If it is as y'all are reporting, sadly, they will have lost ANOTHER customer. I will add, that the last couple of times I went to buy something...the floor clerks that are supposed to help you buy stuff...DIDN'T KNOW SQUAT about the merchandise they were selling. I knew more than they did...and that ain't saying much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 JimD, I was wracking my brain trying to remember where I got the idea about the long cables having increased resistance, here is a quote from Logan in Post #45: *Another thought.. These batteries are so far away under the rear seat. This may not be the last time we 'see' this issue. Distance has a price. You certainly could not start a Northstar a mile away using standard battery cables Here is a very interesting thread, if you look toward the end, Logan suggested that long cranking might have melted the cables http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=16335 Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 Yes, it is sad. I've had the last straw with Sears Craftsman tools. They're supposed to be lifetime replacement, but nooooo. I bought their top-of-the-line torque wrench a few years ago. I used it a total of about 25 times. It quit working - torque adjustment no longer worked. They said I was out of luck as the warranty is only one year. I opted to have them send it in for repair for a $30 diagnostic charge. It came back about a month later - they said the could not repair it because they could not get parts. What the heck? I'm out $30 and they lost a customer forever. On top of that, I'm telling everybody about it. I promptly went over to Lowes and got my self a nice new torque wrench with paperwork that says it has a lifetime guarantee on it. Why go to Sears when you have Lowes and Home Depot, a real lifetime warranty, and you won't get hassled? On another occasion, I bought a set of truck tires from Sears. One reason is their lifetime rotate and balance that comes with each tire. I brought in my truck for a rotate and balance and they said that 'lifetime' is only three (four?) years. What the heck? This is an issue as I drive my truck maybe 2000 miles a year. I had to challenge them on that one. I dug out my paperwork that showed that these tires had a real lifetime (without time limit) rotate and balance. They grudgingly did the rotate and balance. No more tires from Sears for me. Why go to Sears when you have Big-O and other major tire vendors that don't have this insane policy? I bet not even Walmart or Sam's treat their customers this way. My Dad had a Craftsman inch-pound torque wrench that failed in very short order - he used it only three times befire the ratchet mechanism would not lock in. Of course, it is not covered under warranty. The Craftsman torque wrenches did not fall under the lifetime warranty but the remainder of their hand tools (screwdrivers, sockets, wrenches, etc.) still do. The minute they stop honoring the warranty, they lose me as a customer... Sams club is very good to their customers - they fix flat tires at no charge as long as you're a member. It doesn't matter if the tires were purchased at Sams or not. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 Thanks for the info on Sams Club Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BostonETC97 Posted June 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 My observation as of late is that truly good customer service *anywhere* is really getting hard to find. I'm not sure if its just a lack of interest in the job, or the overall demeanor of 'the public,' but I almost dread having to 'shop' for anything in a retail store (especially a mall!) Now I find if I want something (could be anything... parts, clothes, electronics, books) I'll do some research online, and order it via the internet. If it's a pair of shoes that I already know fits, cool! If its a camera that I can 'try' at a Bestbuy, then go home and order online from Amazon... that's even better. I just got a TomTom GPS from Amazon... retailed at $350 or so in the store, bought it refurbished from Amazon for 99. The refurb (with warranty) is fine by me... I'm sure I'll drop it or loose it within a year anyway, no reason to throw more money down the hole than necessary. Sad that I'm only in my late 20s, and so cynical about shopping and customer service. I worked in a high-end luxury jewelry store for many years, and really loved helping my clients. Sure, some were demanding or snooty, but that's the nature of the beast! I never treated anybody poorly, or judged them on appearances. After all, it was the dirty-looking construction guy, who pulled up in his beater F-150, that would pull $30k cash out of his pocket for a ring! ...and some guy acting obnoxious with his Rolex, blackberry, and Benz didn't have a single credit card that would be approved. Taught me never to judge a book by its cover! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lothos Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 I have a couple of screwdrivers, that need replacement. I will go by there in the next few days and see what kind of treatment I get and report back. If it is as y'all are reporting, sadly, they will have lost ANOTHER customer. I will add, that the last couple of times I went to buy something...the floor clerks that are supposed to help you buy stuff...DIDN'T KNOW SQUAT about the merchandise they were selling. I knew more than they did...and that ain't saying much. I'm really interested in what you report back about the Craftsman warranty, I've been slowly buying more tools and most of them are Craftsman. I go to the Mall of America Sears, they have a couple guys there that really know what they're talking about. WARNING: I'm a total car newbie, don't be surprised if I ask a stupid question! Just trying to learn. Cheers! 5% discount code at RockAuto.com - click here for your discount! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 JimD, I was wracking my brain trying to remember where I got the idea about the long cables having increased resistance, here is a quote from Logan in Post #45: *Another thought.. These batteries are so far away under the rear seat. This may not be the last time we 'see' this issue. Distance has a price. You certainly could not start a Northstar a mile away using standard battery cables Here is a very interesting thread, if you look toward the end, Logan suggested that long cranking might have melted the cables http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=16335 There is no question that copper wire has inherent resistance and the longer the wire run, the more resistance from end to end. The cable from UKcat's car was damaged (somehow) and that damage reduced the cross sectional area to the point the cable was incapable of delivering sufficient current to spin the starter motor. Nothing to do with the resistance. The underseat battery is approximately 10 feet from the front of the engine compartment. I'll bet everyone in here has used jumper cables to start an engine at some point. And those jumper cables added more than 10 feet of wire to the starter circuit without a problem. Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 Understood Jim, I was just letting you know where I got the impression that length of the cables potentially mattered, thanks Its possible UKs cables overheated and oxidized Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa wilson Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 i have two cars . in one i am using AC Delco and in another exide. both are working fine so go through ac delco or exide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterset Posted May 5, 2016 Report Share Posted May 5, 2016 QUOTE (BostonETC97 @ Jun 16 2009, 09:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The car is not always driven daily anymore. When I do leave the house, I tend to only drive locally (3-5 miles), usually doing errands that involve starting and stopping a few times. I don't think the battery has really had a chance to 'recharge' between my stops.Yep, that's what is doing it. the battery is going thru deep cycles & sits uncharged. Like myself, you are a candidate for a Optima battery. it handles these conditions alot better. the drawback is that it's a bit pricy. but it'll save you and the employees at the stores you shop at alot of grief. I have had mine almost 1 year, and it has been great. I purchased the yellow top. I believe the Optima Battery i purchased in ~July 2008 is going bad. I charged it overnight, and when i turn the key it reads 10.8 volts. I will tighten the cables, but i think almost 8 years is pretty good since i deep cycled this thing several times for months at a time. Now to find a good price for one. Hope they went down in price. I think i paid like $160 for the current one back in 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted May 5, 2016 Report Share Posted May 5, 2016 That is a long life for your Optima battery! $160 is quite expensive however, I just bought a NAPA Gold 84 month 900 CCA for $125, they always honor their warranties. It took you to Florida and back...recently Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterset Posted May 6, 2016 Report Share Posted May 6, 2016 Yes as soon as i came back from fl in Nov, i was cleaning the car with the pressure washer, and i think i sprayed the alternator, and pushed all the sandy grease into the alternator. The battery sat dead since. I fixed the alternator a few weeks ago, but really didnt drive the car - maybe once. Yesterday i went to move it back a foot, and when i turned the key, it read 9.2 volts so i charged it over night, and this morning, it read 10.2 volts. Funny that with 10.2 volts it started!! I am not sure how i got a group 78 yellow top for that price. They seem to be more $ now. Also, technically, there are no yellow top Optima batteries that will fit. I used it anyway back then because i believed it is what i need. Luckily, it worked out. I can see why the manufacturer says it does not fit though since both terminals are in the middle of the battery, and not at either end like a conventional battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterset Posted May 6, 2016 Report Share Posted May 6, 2016 Best price i could find was on ebay. No core, no taxes, no shipping was $175. Red top was the battery optima had to fit the car, but it is specified as lasting 2x as long as a conventional battery. The yellow top which is not listed to fit my car is specified as lasting 3x as long. So that must have been why i made it fit 8 years ago. So in conclusion, if you have a garage queen like me, go for the yellow Optima Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 AC Delco Professional Grade. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCadTech Posted May 8, 2016 Report Share Posted May 8, 2016 Imagine how long that battery will last and how nice it will be to turn the key and have it start every time... I rotate my garage queens but I always put them on the battery tender, the batteries stay healthy and I stay happy too THERE IS ALWAYS ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE JOB RIGHT - THERE IS NEVER ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE JOB AGAIN !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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