[zerogee]

The 26R is a good alternative to most of the 121R I have found and similar to that found in the service manual. At 500 to 550 CCA. I found the odd 121R at 600CCA (similar to my battery but None in stock).

 

[FLHamster]

Even though most of us love our Souls, the main problem with bad starting and a b'zillion other electrical problems on the Soul relate right back to the Horrible Grounding between the car and the battery. It's the Ghost in the Machine!!! And Kia has still not fixed this vexing problem. We have to do it ourselves.

In my previous post, I show the battery and the little short ground cable that bolts down to the driver side Strut Tower. ALERT!!! It bolts down to a painted surface.
Electronics 101....electricity does not flow through paint!!! Believe that!

If you will do nothing else to improve the electrical system on your Soul, at least take that connector off and scrape the paint off of the strut tower where the ground cable attaches to it, so you have a nice bare metal to bare metal connection.

The entire car has to ground through that one little Horribly Inadequate connection. Before I added the extra Grounding Cable, the engine and all its electronics had to ground to the body via another little cable, bolted down to the well painted passenger side strut tower.

Click on the pic to enlarge.

That's one more place, to remove the paint under the ground connector.*

* Be careful when re-tightening that little black bolt....it's brittle and can break if you over tighten. Please, don't ask me how I know.

The bolt in the picture is a shiny silver one, that I used as a replacement, also in a new hole, which I drilled and threaded myself.

Cheers Mates and Happy Motoring, and hopefully with better grounds.

Y'all have a great 2018!

FL Hamster

 

[sube]

When I used to keep my cars for much longer than I do now I would replace the battery at 4 years old as a matter of course. My last 3 cars I have traded at 4 years old still with the original battery. However as with all things a battery can go bad at any age.

Pat.

 

[lopperdan]

Well got up and it was a balmy 10 degrees out. Got in and the car started but it sounded sluggish.
Ran over to walmart they had 2 so got the one dated 1/2018.
Its was 9 at night asked about warranty replacement they gave me nonsense about having to call manufacturer they only relplace within 90 days.

So had to buy it as i cant risk it not starting and gonna be even colder coming up. Ill go fight with them when have time and return the one i bought.

Checked the battery it would drop voltage after car was off. Get down to 11.6. Hooked a battery load tester and went to the low range not to bad.

One thing though is new battery i bought says 550cca old one was 600. Its same battery.

 

[lopperdan]

screwing around on the old inter-web
Looks like battery group size 35 is abought an inch longer and .10 inch wider but has more CCA

gotta measure but think that would fit

 

[cardboard]

I don't want any Walley World Batteries in my Car.

I would call Batteries Plus and ask what they have that would fit it.
Ask what is the Cheapest for the people that don't want to spend any money.
Then ask which is the most expensive which is usually a AGM battery Probably the X2 Since I have already bought them.
Might be more than most of you fine chaps want to pay for.

The X2 comes with a free 60 month replacement also.
It has Brass Post.
But ask if your charger will work to charge this battery before you put it on the battery.
Things has changed on AGM batteries and just sticking any Charger on it.

https://www.batteriesplus.com/batte...tery/car-and-truck/kia/optima/2015/l4-2.4l-760cca-gas?q=2015 KIa Optima Battery

I would start by learning which cars takes a Battery maintainer to plug into your cigarette lighter to maintain power to your computer before changing out a battery.
Some cars require this to keep from losing everything that is in memory.

 

[FLHamster]

I'd not discount a batteries quality just because it's sold at Walmart. Those batteries, the Ever Start, are made by the same company that makes batteries for many other retail outlets. Going on the internet, it's almost impossible to find out just who makes any particular battery, but one thing for sure, here in the US it's going to be one of three companies. Johnson Controls makes most of them, since they have bought out many old battery manufacturers.

When I was testing batteries for CAT, some years ago, we tested batteries from almost a dozen companies, and today most of those are Gone. Except for the Diehard battery, which was the worse one we ever tested.

Well, they're not really gone GONE, but many were absorbed by Johnson Controls, now the largest battery manufacturer in the US.

Several years ago, I spent a premium price for an Interstate 1000cca battery for my car. In two years it shot craps. Interstate gave me an "Adjustment" which still cost me about $100.

I have bought several 'Ever Start' batteries from my local Walmart store and they seem to be just as good as any other I've ever bought. I have four of them here in my house, backing up my three UPS's. I like the fact that they are "Full Maintenance" so that I can monitor their fluid levels and add water when necessary, since they are always on 'Charge'. When the OEM battery in my car, which is now five+ years old, gives up the ghost, it will be replaced by an Ever Start battery.
I really don't like the so-called Maintenance Free Battery, because it's going to fail, eventually, due to fluid loss, and there's not a dang thing you can do about it, except replace it.

Cheers Mates and may all your battery problems be little ones!

Happy Trails

FL Hamster

 

[cardboard]

I worked as a mechanic.
Customers bought batteris at Walmart all the time.
Have a Buddy that works in Walmart Automotive Dept.

The batteries at Walmart are not good batteries.
They are not build to good quality standards.

If you want one, go get one.
It will not be in my car.
When I get a battery.
I want the best made battery with the Best warranty I can get on it.
Last thing I want is to get away from the house and the battery to not crank the ride.

 

[zerogee]

The Walmart EverStart MAXX are top rated batteries by Consumers Reports. But Consumer Reports also warns that any Brand can have both the best rated batteries and the worst rated batteries during the same testing period. To complicate things further, a highly rated battery can fall the following testing period due to production changes.

 

[cardboard]

The Walmart EverStart MAXX are top rated batteries by Consumers Reports. But Consumer Reports also warns that any Brand can have both the best rated batteries and the worst rated batteries during the same testing period. To complicate things further, a highly rated battery can fall the following testing period due to production changes.

I posted that I work on everything that people has bought from Walmart and their batteries are not quality built.
And I also posted that I have a Buddy that I grew up with that works in the Automotive department.
He put the batteries in. Changes tires and everything they do in the automotive dept.
He hates to see a person come in and buy a battery.
Cause their batteries are not built to hold up.
Customers bring them back all the time.
And what do you do. Come on here and tell me about consumer reports that is on the internet.
There is no way that anybody can help you.
You already know more than the people working on the job and at the company.
Trying to help and save you a heart ache.

Wish you good luck.

 

[zerogee]

I appreciate the input from everyone here. I just posted that info from CR because I thought that it might explain why different people have different experiences with a brand (any brand).

Personally, I have bought batteries from Wal-Mart when they sold Energiser in the past and had them last at over 5 years. Trouble free. But it has been a long time at least 7 years since my last battery purchase. The CR article did also warn about brand loyalty. :beaten:

 

[dynamo]

I just posted that info from CR because I thought that it might explain why different people have different experiences with a brand (any brand).

I know in another thread some time ago, somebody who'd been in the biz (mighta been FLHamster) opined that it didn't matter too much what brand you bought, all were capable of making good batteries. The thing was, buy the highest capacity battery that would fit, and don't buy the battery manufacturer's cheapest line of batteries (which are, of course, engineered to be as cheap as possible).

 

[The Sradiator]

I know in another thread some time ago, somebody who'd been in the biz (mighta been FLHamster) opined that it didn't matter too much what brand you bought, all were capable of making good batteries. The thing was, buy the highest capacity battery that would fit, and don't buy the battery manufacturer's cheapest line of batteries (which are, of course, engineered to be as cheap as possible).

Often times the quality, throughout the product line, is the same it's just the warranty and the price you pay for it that varies.
I don't know if it hold true for batteries though?

 

[SoNic67]

Not true on batteries. They use less material on plates and grid (Lead) on the batteries with lower warranty, it's by design, to lower the cost, no matter who is the manufacturer.
On some AGM batteries they even use purer lead (marketed as "Thin Plate Pure Lead Technology"), instead of recycled lead. Recycled lead has antimony and tin impurities that accelerate the battery's grid damage.

Starter batteries have a very low internal resistance that is achieved by adding extra plates in parallel for maximum surface area. The plates are thin and the lead is applied in a sponge-like form that has the appearance of fine foam, expanding the surface area further. For its size, the battery is able to deliver high current but it cannot be deep-cycled.

 

[zerogee]

Good news seems that my battery is not on it's way out afterall. No starting issues since. Never any battery lights lighting up either. Keeping it plugged in on those cold days regularly now.

Ran some tests with a voltmeter after fully charging the battery with a charger during that cold spell. Everything checked out good. Holding a full charge. Good voltages across grounds. Getting full charge voltage from alternator. Passed starting load test. Performed a stress test by turned on everything one by one and system does not flinch at all.

But still not clear on what the actual size group my OEM battery belongs to. or what group size the 70Ah OEM option is. Would make shopping for a replacement easier when the time comes to replace it. The dealer does say that the 70Ah will fit my car. So that size is an option now too.

 

[SoNic67]

If you do the search here:
https://www.interstatebatteries.com/car-and-truck-batteries
https://www.batteriesplus.com/Battery/Car-and-Truck

You will find out that the correct battery group (BCI) is 121R for cars without ISG option (or AGM 48/H6 with the option ISG).

A comparation of dimensions: http://www.batteryweb.com/bci.cfm

 

[zerogee]

Like I said in my prevoius posts. I have done those searches and more and get those same results. But the 121R is clearly NOT the battery in my car. My battery is much larger battery physically than the 121R. Most searches for a 121R at retailers are also a lesser battery capacity wise than the battery in my car. I only found 2 that are comparable in capacity.

Even the spec in the GEN2 Service Manual is also wrong. The battery listed in there is NOT the battery in my car either. It's smaller in capacity than the battery I have. Makes me think that the 121R is actually a GEN1 battery and this info has somehow eluded those searches??

The other option Group 48 that comes up in these searches is also NOT the battery in my car. That battery is bigger physically and in capacity than my battery.

Definitely do not want to run heated steering wheel, seats, side mirrors, wiper deicers, front and rear defrost, entertainment system, plus all those other systems on a lesser battery.

This has made shopping for an equivalent or upgraded battery very difficult. This used to be so easy. :smile:

 

[Joefromga]

It doesn't matter what you run while the car is running. The battery is there for cranking and with key off. Just get a battery that fits and be done with it.

Your alternator runs the accessories.

 

[Neanderthal]

I posted that I work on everything that people has bought from Walmart and their batteries are not quality built.
And I also posted that I have a Buddy that I grew up with that works in the Automotive department.
He put the batteries in. Changes tires and everything they do in the automotive dept.
He hates to see a person come in and buy a battery.
Cause their batteries are not built to hold up.
Customers bring them back all the time.
And what do you do. Come on here and tell me about consumer reports that is on the internet.
There is no way that anybody can help you.
You already know more than the people working on the job and at the company.
Trying to help and save you a heart ache.

Wish you good luck.

I was having our PT O&F'd at a Mazda dealer recently. Guy said we needed a new battery. I said what kind is it? He said I don't know, some no-name.

I looked up the receipt (I keep a 3-ring binder for each car) and it was a Walrus World battery purchased eight years ago.

 

[SoNic67]

Like I said in my prevoius posts. I have done those searches and more and get those same results. But the 121R is clearly NOT the battery in my car. My battery is much larger battery physically than the 121R. Most searches for a 121R at retailers are also a lesser battery capacity wise than the battery in my car. I only found 2 that are comparable in capacity.

Even the spec in the GEN2 Service Manual is also wrong. The battery listed in there is NOT the battery in my car either. It's smaller in capacity than the battery I have. Makes me think that the 121R is actually a GEN1 battery and this info has somehow eluded those searches??
The other option Group 48 that comes up in these searches is also NOT the battery in my car. That battery is bigger physically and in capacity than my battery.

I don't know, did you look it up on a Canadian OM? It might be something different for colder climates.
Or if the websites are wrong, the manual is wrong... you don't think that somehow your battery is the wrong size? Being too big of a battery can stress the alternator (especially if you ever deep discharge it). And based on my experience the alternators on Hyundai/Kia are lets say... delicate.
In one of my links there are all the batteris dimensions - you can reverse look it up.

PS: BCI Group 48 is for cars with ISG system. That system comes with a beefed-up alternator and starter.