AMC Eagle Den Forum
The Shop => Question and Answer => Topic started by: ANT85MAR on November 17, 2012, 08:21:41 AM
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My Eagle battery died a few days ago after 5 years and it was a Sears diehard 72 month battery group size 56. I was told by sears that this group size was discontinued because there is not many vehicles that use it and that they have no other replacement that is compatible for my Eagle. I have been searching on the internet now for a couple of days with no luck. I also went to a few auto parts stores and who ever had that size avaialable wanted anywhere from $189 to $250 and it only had a 12 month full replacement warranty, no prorating it, and wouldnt even list the amount of years it would be good for, plus it was sitting on their shelfs for up to 6 months. The dust on some of them was so thick you would think they would clean them a little before showing them. This gives me the impression that these battery makers arent confident in their own products. I did find a few smaller ones that may fit my battery tray, but they all have a low cranking power and with the cold winters in New York that is not good considering the car is not started every day.
Has anyone else had this problem finding the right battery and what did you do to correct it?
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I got my new battery at autozone. It is a duralast and I believe it came with a two year full replacement warranty. It fit the battery tray perfect has 590 cold cranking amps. Cost was a little over a hundred bucks and was in a box new not covered in dust from sitting. Something you may want to consider is keeping a battery maintainer hooked to your battery when not in use. I have several that I keep my batteries hooked up to and your batteries will last many years longer. Cost around twenty bucks and you can find them at walmart and they work like a charm.
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I also got a brand new type 56 (kinda longer rectangle battery) from Auto Parts Source.
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Sears still sells one group 56 Battery. Plus Start Automotive Battery - Group Size 56. Mine has a weak cell (Its only a little over a year old) and Sears told me they have to order on if I want to replace under warranty (1 year total replacement, 48 months prorated). Not sure I want to wait a week though...
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I don't know if you have a CarQuest where you're at, but the East Penn Deka batteries have a good reputation. They're the house brand at CarQuest and should be available at some other places.
Here's a locator: http://www.dekabatteries.com/default.aspx?pageid=10
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I got a new one recently at Sears, hoping to get a Die Hard, they only had Plus Start ones. So I just went with that. Last week, my voltage regulator starting going out, so I had to take out the battery and battery tray out to get the alternator out, and I realized that one of the studs rusted off. So I called up Kennedy American and found out they only made the large battery trays, which will hold most standard Die Hard Gold and Platinum batteries.
So now I just have for this el cheapo Plus Start to die, so I can change the tray and put in a good battery with more than 500 amps, cause the Plus Start won't cinch in to the large tray.
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O'Reilly sells a 56
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I went back to Sears for the plus Start 56 and they told me they couldn't get it. They had the group size 55 which is not compatible to the Eagle according to the Sears website but the stores computer shows its good for the car. The manager could not explain why there was a discrepancy between the store & online. plus it had less cranking than my Diehard. Another thing that doesn't make sense with Sears is, I called the online number and was told if I lived in the midwest or the western half of the country I could get the plus start 56 battery but because I live on the East coast I couldn't get it. They told me they had 2 companies that made the battery for them, but the company that supplied it for the east coast stopped production of it because the weather is too cold here for it.
Thanks to all for the suggestions. I will call them and see it I can get something shipped to me, otherwise as a last resort I couldl mount something in the truck & run a power line to the front of the car
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I've been searching on and off all day...Interstate makes a group 56 also...590 CCA. I just went through all of Optima's web site comparing the physical sizes with Group 56 and there's a few close but no cigar there either...
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I wonder how much larger than battery tray is? Looking by eye it can't be to much wider. If it has the bump out like my old smaller tray, it looks like it would interfer with the turning blades of the alternator. I'm going to call Kennedy American on Monday and get the deminisions for it and take it from there.
Another thing I aslo learned about Sears is they discontiune everything after 7 years. In the past 2 weeks I had other incidents with them. I had a weed wacker which was still good except I needed the spool to hold the line and couldn't get it anywhere, even trying the local local garden shops and had to buy a new one. Also I had their cordless tools and need a new battery for it and they changed the style of the battery & its no good for my tools. The old style battery no longer exists anywhere.
I will never buy anything from Sears again other than there craftsman tools.
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Im thinking Im going to get the interstate. It fits, its higher CCA than the Sears, and they have them at Firestone so can warranty it across the country.
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Thanks Recomer for mentioning Firestone, I had completely forgotten about them and they are located 10 minutes away from me.
I will pay them a visit tomorrow and pick one up.
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as much as i hate to say it but you can still get a 56 at wal-mart for about $80 and a two year warranty.
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as much as i hate to say it but you can still get a 56 at wal-mart for about $80 and a two year warranty.
Yep...saw those too. And reviews are pretty good on them. The interstate at Firestone is 89.00 here...
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I've had awful luck with Duralast. Had three of them in my three of my cars and they went dead or drained themselves after 2 years. I finally found luck with Napa and Interstate batteries. Don't listen to the consumer reports. They don't know what they are talking about. Get one with 'reserve' power; high number around 150.
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Thing to watch out for if you go to Wally World is the amount of time they sit on that rack.. I know a lot of batteries that go dead prematurely from there.. Watch that manufacture date..
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This website http://www.rtpnet.org/teaa/bcigroup.html (http://www.rtpnet.org/teaa/bcigroup.html) shows just about every 6- and 12-volt automotive battery size ever used in North America. Then you can go to your favorite friendly local purveyor of parts and get a battery by it's group number instead of by the store's computer. :eagle:
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This website http://www.rtpnet.org/teaa/bcigroup.html (http://www.rtpnet.org/teaa/bcigroup.html) shows just about every 6- and 12-volt automotive battery size ever used in North America. Then you can go to your favorite friendly local purveyor of parts and get a battery by it's group number instead of by the store's computer. :eagle:
I found that site too. I copied it all to a spreadsheet and filtered it. The width is the issue, 6 1/16 inch. Only three batteries fit that, Group 54, 55 and our 56. Slightly smaller (5 13/16") is a Group 52 and slightly bigger (6 5/16") is a group 60.
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34/78ext is going to be the battery to use. Top post and common. Going to a yard and finding a pan from a Cherokee.
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double post sorry.
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Sears came through with my warranty replacement so I ended up with another plus start (its either a 55 or 56). Will install this evening. I contacted the local firestone and they couldnt promise they'd be able to get a interstate for me. The Sears under warranty replacement was $12.00 so Im not going to complain yet... I'd love to see pics should you get a cherokee tray in the eagle to fit a larger battery.
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Cherokee pan won't work. My battery is good so I don't have to do the mod. for the 34/78 to fit I think I'll have to modify the radiator area a bit those batteries are big add if I measured right you only have like a 7"x11" area to use without modifying.. Grind the lip that is on the radiator/shroud. Use some rubber and pad the edge or weld it into a box. If someone has time to take a look when it's light would like to know if that part can even be ground I'm limited on my daylight hours.. Usually at work.
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I have the battery for my MJ (Comanche) in mine. Group 58. Switching it to Group 24 (have a brand new one)
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On my dearly departed Eagle, I took the battery tray, make cuts in the corners & flattened out one of the long sides of the tray. It was able to hold a bigger battery (800 - 1000 CCA) It did fit between the fender & the AC line. You could probably rig up a strap to hold it against the fender & away from the AC line. I ran it for several years like that with no problems. I have used several brands of batteries over the years, Delco, Interstate, & AmeriStart. the latter is less expensive than Interstate & has more oomph. It also lasts 6 years.
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I know this is "holy batman" old. But this is good information! Thanks to everyone contributing to this post.
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When I was at the salvage yard getting my 4.0, I looked up a table of battery sizes on my phone, found a few group numbers that had the same depth and width, and asked for any one of those. Dont remember what group size they gave me, but its worked perfect ever since.