i need a new battery and found out the only place to get it is at the dealership.
can i install it myself or should i let them do it for $25?
what i'm asking is, is there something like a programming issue or something? my old girlfriend has a newer bug and we changed the battery and had to go to the dealership for them to reprogram somthing because they needed to hook it up to something to properly change the battery... or so they say
If not it doesn't have to be an AC Delco. Just make sure the dimensions are the same and side terminals. I had mine replaced after one year. Delco sucks IMO. Yes it's an easy DIY.
There are 3 major players now in the U.S. battery market. You still can find a few independents but they are few and far between. if you buy a battery from a auto parts or big box retailer you can be 99% sure it will be one of the following
exide
johnson control aka interstate
east penn aka dekka
delphi- recently purchased by johnson control
douglas - purchased by east penn
The Optimas claim to outlast all other batteries by a two-to-one margin and they have some stats to back it up. The funny thing is they do not have as good of a warranty as the Duralast Gold batteries from AutoZone. Both have the 36 month free replacement, but Optima only gives you 36 more months for prorated replacement where the Duralast Gold goes 60 additional months for prorated replacement - that a total of 8 years vs. 6 years. And the Duralast Gold is only $70.00 vs. the $140 for the Optima.
My take on it is get as much warranty for your dollar as possible. I just can't see spending the extra $$$ for the Optima when other batteries out there have a very similar warranty.
The above research was done on my 2002 truck, but should still apply in this case. Only issue is I think the CTS battery size will be a difficult one to find. If not going back with an AC Delco, I'd put it in myself to make sure of the fit. Nothing I know of that would complicate the install of the battery on the CTS. Good luck and let us know what you end up with.
The Optima battery is AGM technology and all the rest are flooded cells. AGM batteries are superior to flooded cell batteries in all important aspects except that they are very vulnerable to float charging at too high a voltage. The internal resistance of AGM batteries is so low that the cold cranking characteristics are out of sight. They can be recharged at the same rate they are discharged. You can shoot them with a high powered rifle and not only will they not leak they will still work. They can be shipped through the U.S. Mail because they are not classified as HazMat. The posts on the top can be judiciously pruned to clear the hood on a CTS.
The Optima battery is AGM technology and all the rest are flooded cells. AGM batteries are superior to flooded cell batteries in all important aspects except that they are very vulnerable to float charging at too high a voltage. The internal resistance of AGM batteries is so low that the cold cranking characteristics are out of sight. They can be recharged at the same rate they are discharged. You can shoot them with a high powered rifle and not only will they not leak they will still work. They can be shipped through the U.S. Mail because they are not classified as HazMat. The posts on the top can be judiciously pruned to clear the hood on a CTS.
If you can find a non-sealed battery (the kind you have to periodically add water to) that is the kind I would get. I have had one in my Maxima for almost 8 years now, 170k miles. I dont know if they sell those anymore though.
