Battery replacement Gen4

[Getnlwr]

What's the latest and greatest battery we are using in the gen 4? Looks like mine has finally bit the bullet and is gone. I used to love Optimas but wouldn't use one now unless it was free.

What are you guys using? It appears to be a group 34A battery, unless I am mistaken.

[Steve-Indy]

As I have previously noted...I am using Interstate AGM batteries in all gens of our Vipers...48 month full replacement, projected life 8-12 years, excellent cold crank and amp hours. The size for Gen III and Gen IV Vipers is group 34.

The Interstate product code is MTZ-34

[Gen3CoupeTX]

I went AGM last time my Gen 3 coupe needed a battery. Liked it so much I put one in my wife's SUV as well. Why not?

Mine is the Odyssey Extreme AGM. Or it's known as Odyssey 34-PC1500T on Amazon; Posts up top, correctly oriented.

[Steve-Indy]

Agree on Odyssey...still riding 3 of them fir 9, 10, and 11 years now !! But, as I said above, going Interstate now for ease of purchase, my ability to test at store before purchase, and convenience of return if necessary.

Going AGM has sure cut down my battery worries !!

Expense and weight of these batteries is a factor...but, decrease in failures and hassle make the change worth it to me.

[Getnlwr]

Holy shit that's an expensive battery! $300 on amazon.

There is an interstate warehouse about a half hour away from me too.

[Steve-Indy]

The Interstate is about $254.95...and, the local store gives us a little discount.

[SA Heat]

50 pounds? Wow.

[quickster2]

Heavy yes. Buy the Interstate on sale if not in a hurry. 4 year replacement warranty. Was an easy decision on my part to go this way. Combined with DSE's battery cover and charging port should be good to go for several years. Mine was $250 out the door in Michigan at my local Indie shop

[01sapphirebob]

My local Costco Sells interstate batteries. Might be worth it to check them out...

[Steve-Indy]

Costco may be worth a try...BUT, upon searching their site, they keep defaulting to "MTP" series...which is a flooded lead acid battery, non-AGM, and only 30 month full replacement on the MTP-34.

In the greater Indy area, other popular purveyors of Interstate batteries staff have told me that they do not handle the AGM Interstate batteries that can be found at the Interstate company stores. Admittedly, I did not ask about special orders...especially when I could drive a few miles and pick up one that day.

[quickster2]

FYI my local Costco store could not order the correct battery. Had to go to an Interstate dealer has Steve-Indy stated. I got an almost newly Mfg. battery had to be shipped from the Indianapolis distribution center.

[Gen3CoupeTX]

I've not had an Interstate AGM, but trust that brand without exception. Knowing that Steve is a fan would be enough to convince me. AGMs are heavy, no doubt. But it is one less thing to worry about - And I could always just crank up the boost a little ;-)

[Getnlwr]

Guys. Found a local shop that will match Amazon's price. They told me the only version they had in stock is the Combo Top and side post. I'm not near my car to look. There is nothing on the side that would press up against the side terminals if I wanted to go that route, right? Will pick up battery ASAP. Just wanted to verify. The Battery is this one.

https://www.battsys.com/odyssey-battery-34-78-pc1500dt-850cca-group-34-78-battery

I may hook the tender up to the side posts if that is an option.

[Steve-Indy]

While I am not a fan of any DT (dual terminal) battery, you should be OK as to the spacing. Make purchase contingent of your impression of the spacing at time of installation. I just do not like extra sources of that much amperage "sitting around".

[Getnlwr]

Ok, well I got the battery down to $280 at a local shop. Picking it up tomorrow. Can't wait to have the Viper be reliable again!

Time to shop for a rear diff cooler next.

[Gen3CoupeTX]

Getnlwr, I bet it will work just fine. I don't usually buy dual terminal, but did so on my wife's SUV since that Odyssey was a great fit and the price was right. Using my notoriously bad iPhone photography skills, I just snapped a pic of my Gen 3. If the spacing is the same on a Gen 4, you will have plenty of room for dual terminal. That shiny thing that doesn't photograph well is a battery cut-off. Clever idea to connect your battery tender to the screw-in portion of the dual terminal.
https://i.imgur.com/sVKtADx.jpg

[Steve-Indy]

Guys, a general reminder about battery safety here seems appropriate here as we are discussing Vipers whose build dates vary between 8.5 and 16.5 years ago.

Be SURE that the red positive terminal protector/insulator is intact and solidly in place. The amperage in these new batteries is substantial. This becomes very important if there is an accident with rear end damage...as well as in Vipers that have already sustained rear end damage. Fires are not hood near a gas tank. Yes, there are "case histories" of both.

P.S. Thus far, Spring's arrival in Indy is not very conducive to Viper driving. We are READY and getting a little impatient !!

[Gen3CoupeTX]

Steve, excellent input ... Cool that you care, Sir! I've been meaning to protect mine, but one of those 'tomorrow' jobs I put off. You've motivated me to do the needful. Salute, Mike M

[Getnlwr]

I got it installed. Was nice to start the car up with that much kick. The battery that was in it was only from 2013. I had assumed it was the one from when it was new circa 2008. looks like it was replaced right before I bought the car.

appears to be a battery heat sensor or something on the side of the battery tray. That was unexpected. The little battery place that had it was drooling over the car. Sort of normal when I take it anywhere for a fix of anything. Battsys.com was the website for the company, The deal they had on it was pretty good. Would recommend them. They were $20 cheaper than amazon. I am tempted to do a battery master switch as well.

[Steve-Indy]

Thanks, Mike...fortunately, I have the opportunity to speak with many of our fine Viper posse...usually several per day. Their willingness to share safety related experiences is remarkable.

Gen V owners have considerably more room between the battery terminals and the cover plate...plus, the positive terminal is toward the front as opposed to the rear.

I feel that Doug Shelby made a great contribution to Gen III and IV Viper battery safety by designing and selling his quick disconnect battery cover. As many know, Doug (DSE) has a wide automotive and racing experiences. Thanks Doug !!!

[Getnlwr]

I'll have to take a look at the quick disconnect cover.

[quickster2]

"Be SURE that the red positive terminal protector/insulator is intact and solidly in place".

FYI I added a strip of Teflon to the underside of the cover for additional insulating protection in addition to the terminal protector as Steve-Indy pointed out. Cheap insurance IMO.

While you are back in the battery compartment (with battery removed) also a good idea to remove the ground strap from the frame and make sure there is good contact and no corrosion before hooking up the new battery.

[Getnlwr]

I did have some on the pos terminal. I cleaned it the best I could. I will likely just replace it shortly. After seeing the cover off, and the height issue, I am supprised the gen 3/4's dont have a side post only battery. Would save some height issues for sure.

[Gen3CoupeTX]

Steve, I redid mine today ... Sincere thanks again for weighing in! Insulators in place, all buttoned back up. I never realized the top of the (+) post and the cover were THAT close. Getnlwr said what I was thinking while doing mine today - Side posts would have had a lot more clearance than the top posts do. Thanks for letting me quasi-hijack your thread to sort out an issue I didn't realize I had. Enjoy the AGM!

[Steve-Indy]

While I was not really surprised to hear of a delayed "smoldering" situation after a track incident with significant rear end deformation that made disconnecting the battery less than easy...the surprising one came from two gentlemen in a Gen III on a freeway. In this latter situation, the engine cut off, and while stopped on the road, smoke started coming from the truck. When I got the call (I had spoken with the owner previously), my advice was to disconnect the battery immediately. But, who has the correct tools...27 Torx bit, ratchet, etc. ?? Fortunately a dealer was not too far away, and they took the car there for some "urgent care"...accomplished with a little proding. The interesting part about this story was no know history of rear end damage...BUT, there had always been difficultly closing the trunk...noting some mid alignment of the trunk panel when closed. Draw your own conclusions as to the possibility of unreported damage (at less in my opinion).

Here again is a shameless plug in the name of safety for my friend Doug Shelby's which access battery cover !!

I need to point out that Doug offered his special covers LONG BEFORE the above mentioned incidents occurred. It pays to have bright, talented folks who are also involved in high level racing.in our Viper camp. Thanks, again DSE !!!

[Getnlwr]

Knowing what I know now... if I have to replace my battery again I'll be getting the group 78 battery it's the same as the 34 except side posts. Replace the ground cable and take the adapter off the positive that came on the car and it would be safer overall than the group 34. Its much closer than I expected.

Sorry to say it... this is a shitty design. All it would take is bending that cover panel and you would have a really bad problem very quickly.

[MJBCarmel]

Thanks Steve..helpful information. See that this chain is a few years past., still recommend the above for a Gen 4? Much appreciation.

[Steve M]

I went with a Duracell AGM the last time I needed to replace the battery in my '08 (that was back in 2018). It has held up just fine so far, but the car is always on a Battery Tender when it isn't being driven.

I also redid the terminals last year to address the issue noted earlier in this thread where the terminals can possibly come into contact with the cover. I covered that in this thread:

https://driveviper.com/forums/threads/24708-Mil-Spec-Battery-Terminals

[ChargerMan426]

What made you not like Optima anymore? Thats all I've used for years....granted now that I think about it, its been like 4 or 5 years since I needed a battery.

[Steve M]

What made you not like Optima anymore? Thats all I've used for years....granted now that I think about it, its been like 4 or 5 years since I needed a battery.

For me, it was two things:

1. Back in the early to mid-2000s, Optima moved their manufacturing from Colorado to Mexico. During that transition, their QC went to crap, and they had a large run of batteries that didn't hold up. I'm sure that's since been fixed, but combined with #2...
2. The competition caught up, if not surpassed Optima's quality during that same time. At that point, you could go buy a Sears DieHard Platinum AGM (no longer made) that was a very, very high quality battery - arguably better than Optima at that time.

There are only a couple of battery manufacturers left these days: Johnson Controls and Exide. Pretty much all batteries you see on store shelves are either Exide or Johnson batteries with whatever color/sticker the retail store puts on them. From a quick Google search, it looks like Optima is made by Johnson Controls - they didn't start off that way though. Things change...companies that start out strong usually get bought out at some point. The corporation that does the buying out sometimes relies on the reputation built by the original company, but the penny pinchers usually win out in the end.