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So my 2002 ACR has to be jumped pretty much every other day if I do not drive it. I've been lazy and been driving around in my girls Camry so sometimes my car sits there. So I do not think its an alternator problem, just the battery no longer holding its charge. What are the various different batteries that I can get? Walmart, Mopar, Etc. Looking for something cheap since I'm currently broke. thanks guys.

Costco has one up here for $76, I bet its probably $59 there lol.

Best cheap battery? Walmart...kid you not. Just make sure it says "manufactured by Johnson Controls". They are made by Interstate.

model numbers at all guys?????

26R-5N (S)

http://instoresnow.walmart.com/Enhanced ... x?id=93475

Since I really don't feel like going out in the snow to look.

Danteneon wrote:Best cheap battery? Walmart...kid you not. Just make sure it says "manufactured by Johnson Controls". They are made by Interstate.

Got 'em in 3 of my 4 cars.

You could always get an Optima and never have to worry about it again....

My ACDelco battery was a champ.. not sure where they might be sold, there was only one store i found that had em.. spiffy looking too with no water caps.

if you were closer you could have it cheap, since i dont need it anymore..

$45 at wallmart, just picked one up about 2 weeks ago.

Swordfish2Cowboy wrote:You could always get an Optima and never have to worry about it again....

I'd agree....had much less than half the people I know that have bought them not had the battery give out after less than a year. They are not fail-proof because they cost 2x as much as a regular battery.

darthroush wrote:

Swordfish2Cowboy wrote:You could always get an Optima and never have to worry about it again....

I'd agree....had much less than half the people I know that have bought them not had the battery give out after less than a year. They are not fail-proof because they cost 2x as much as a regular battery.

Optima is garbage. I had one and no matter what was done to it, it would not hold more than a 60% charge.

Optima is good for the trunk, otherwise the walmart batteries are the only ones I'll use.

I've been rocking my Optima for going on two years now. Runs like a champ.

What about any cheap, high-output batteries for systems?

That's actually a common misconception, your battery has nothing to do with powering your audio system. The battery is only used to start the car, after it's started everything runs off the alternator. The best thing you can do is get a more powerful alternator with a higher amp rating.

I think the 05 alternator has a higher amp rating than the previous years. You can also buy an aftermarket alternator with a higher rating, but they are kind of expensive.

I have had a Walmart battery installed for over a year now with no issues.

The trick is to get a fresh one... and not one that has been sitting on the shelf for a long time.

I have had my 2 yellow top Optimas for over 5 years and no problems. I love them

My Everstart Wal-Mart battery has been going strong for almost 10 years in my F150, and still holds a full charge. Everstart in my father's F150 for 7 or 8 years now, still starts every morning. The Neon and Bronco have only had 'em for two years and one year, respectively, but neither have had any problems.

I have a Mopar battery in the SRT and the neon came with an Energizer. All I've ever had in the SRT was Mopar batteries so I can't speak for any other brands. The Energizer is about 2-2.5 years old now and it's still doing well for itself.

I've got a Kinetik HC 1400 in the SRT. Not exactly on the cheap side @ $399 MSRP

This to say that the battery didn't fit, was way too tall, had to remove the battery tray and screw a metal plate so the battery wouldn't fall.
If you can find a cheap battery that's too tall, you now know there's a solution.


The Energizer in the R/T has been there for quite a while and it's holding up quite well even with the electrical abuse it's seeing in the winter. (Very cold start up, compressor, sound system and boosting other people)

The Everstart batteries are pretty good. If they have a Maxx in our size, I'd go with it. My dad had a single Everstart Maxx in his 91 Cummins and it would whip that engine around like nothing in the middle of winter with no block heater, granted our winter's aren't the worst in the world but they can get cold.

LilSparkPlug wrote:I have a Mopar battery in the SRT and the neon came with an Energizer. All I've ever had in the SRT was Mopar batteries so I can't speak for any other brands. The Energizer is about 2-2.5 years old now and it's still doing well for itself.

Mopar batteries are made by Interstate as well

Got a Mopar battery in my '03 for $60 this past spring (because I donated the battery in it to the '00), got a shit brand one from Pep Boys for the '05 for $70 because I needed one Sunday night and they were the only place open It's only been in there since I got the '05 in November so I can't speak for it's reliability.

Just talked to a friend I have that works at a local Walmart. Said its $45 with the core. I'll prob just do that. Seems that they last over two years which i decent for the price.

Wow. @ $45 I doubt you'll find anything cheaper.

racer12306 wrote:The Everstart batteries are pretty good. If they have a Maxx in our size, I'd go with it.

They only have the base model available for neons. (I checked when I bought mine) 26R-5N

The Optima in my jeep is going on 9 or 10 years now. The first one failed at three years. Cost me like $20 to replace it. Like anything else, you are going to have good and bad. Just like the humans that make them.

Danteneon wrote:Just make sure it says "manufactured by Johnson Controls". They are made by Interstate.

Wal-Mart has a couple of different vendors they use. Be sure that it says Jonhson Controls on it.

Donkeypuncher wrote:That's actually a common misconception, your battery has nothing to do with powering your audio system. The battery is only used to start the car, after it's started everything runs off the alternator. The best thing you can do is get a more powerful alternator with a higher amp rating.

I think the 05 alternator has a higher amp rating than the previous years. You can also buy an aftermarket alternator with a higher rating, but they are kind of expensive.

that is not 100% true. the battery does add power to the system but it does not charge the system as the alt does. if that was the case then as soon as your alt died the car would shut off, which it doesn't. it continues to run until the battery is dead.


alts on sxt models made after june 05 are 120a. you can't just stick any beefed up aftermarket alt in and get better results. the alt is regulated by the pcm which limits it's abilities to factory specs. you have to get a dsp and an aftermarket alt to make more power.


they cost a little more but the sears die-hard platinum series is the best battery on the market for cost. they are agm and have a 4 year warranty. a stinger spv44 is a direct drop in replacement for a stock neon battery.