Well if you think it's the original battery, then for sure I would change it. It's almost five years old. I've had enough batteries die on me in the middle of the night. Get a Walmart Maxx battery, rated "best buy" year after year by Consumer Reports. Free charging system check and installation.

 

Well I am assuming it's the original battery; the date code would tell me for sure. That friggin sleeve prevents me from easily telling if there is some other sticker/stamping on the sides.

I have a web subscription for Consumer Reports. They list ratings for group size 24 batteries, but not for 124R batteries.

The Walmart.com site says they charge $2.50 for non-Walmart battery installation? I guess they're counting on upselling!

 

Love the short edit time window.

The only size-124R EverStart I can find on Walmart.com is the standard one. No "Maxx".

 

I installed the std. Walmart everstart in my '06 two years ago. Part No. 124R3 700 CCA

Works fine.

But, you do have to check the electrolyte once or twice a year, they are not "maintenance free"

You might want to invest in a load tester - they are cheap and invaluable.

 

Yeah, I got a 24 series battery in my Elantra and it's also supposed to be a 124. 24 fits, but it's tight. I get 875 CCA but I think it's a Duralast.

 

Bought an Autocraft Silver battery (24FH) at AAP. This one has the 2-year free replacement warranty; I had wanted one with a 3-year, but for $54 (before tax), I won't complain. AAP has awesome online discount coupon codes. And the store had three 24FH batteries, all dated 8/11; pretty good. (I was not about to walk away with a battery that was already a year old.)

Yeah, I need to get a load tester. I used to have a ton of tools before moving. I've lost/left behind/sold/given away most everything at this point.

Thanks for the replies.

 

x

 

^ Weird. My battery does not have that on top; it's essentially completely black on top. (And that photo clearly shows the top of the battery.)

 

Found this online:
----------

How do you read the date codes on the batteries?

Positive Terminal - Manufacturing Date. This code indicates the actual date when mechanical assembly of the battery was completed. At this point, electrolyte has not been added to the battery and formation charging has not taken place. LETTER stands for the month and could be anything from A to L (A=January, B=February, C=March, and so on), NUMBER stands for the date.

Negative Terminal- Shipping Date. This code indicates the month and year when the battery was shipped out of our factory. LETTER stands for the month (see below); NUMBER is the last digit of the year.

Example:

A battery with “D15” stamped on the positive terminal and “J2” on the negative. “D15” means that the battery was assembled, without electrolyte, on April 15th. “H4” means that it was shipped from the factory around August 2004.

 

Well, thanks but my battery has 081120 (no letters) nearest the + terminal, and the K---- stuff over by the - terminal, so...

 

SOLITE or ROCKET,,,, and black wrapper around battery,,,, figure the battery to be slight older than build date on door post..

Black flat top with yellow/white/black sticker and stick figure print, consider it original to chassis too

Got pic of your battery ??


As they say on my main hangout interweb site --> "Pics,, or it didn't happen".... and "This topic worthless with out pics"

 

I'll take a pic or two later this week when I swap it out.

What's the sleeve for, anyway?

 

Don't waste your money. I'm still on the original battery made in 05. Any aftermarket cr@p you put in will probably last 3 years or less.
The sleeve protects it from the heat

 

Thanks but I live in NC and the summers here make Satan jealous. (That sleeve isn't going to protect it from this nonsense heat.) I don't feel comfortable leaving the battery in there any longer. It was less than $60 after tax so I'm hoping it's worth it.

 

Pics attached. OK when I said it's "plain black" I forgot that big label on top. As usual, I blame the wine.

[attachment=29029SC00666.JPG] [attachment=29030SC00672.JPG]

 

QUOTE (Negative 1 @ Aug 15 2011, 10:53 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=491422

Thanks but I live in NC and the summers here make Satan jealous. (That sleeve isn't going to protect it from this nonsense heat.) I don't feel comfortable leaving the battery in there any longer. It was less than $60 after tax so I'm hoping it's worth it.

I always change batteries proactively at four years or thereabouts. A breakdown in my area would be a disaster - way, way more than the cost of new batteries.

And yes, the wrappers are heat shields, and pretty much unique to Hyundai - as far as I could find.

 

I have 07 sonata that I bought in Feb 2007 with 120k on it already and original battery. Still going fine.

Also just traded in 2003 Explorer that had original battery until I replaced it in the summer 2010.

Before that owned Pontiac that I traded in 2007 and it had 5 year old battery in it without any issues.

Just saying...

 

Yeah, yeah, I know. I had a 2000 GMC Sierra with its original battery still in it when I traded it in during 2008. A 9-year-old battery working fine--in a truck with a V8 that was short-tripped the whole time (it had 40K when I traded it in!). But... It lived in NY during most of its life.

I'm not taking any chances with my Sonata, especially now that I live on the surface of the sun...

 

That SOLITE is an OE battery.. just as I described in previous post.

 

Ironic... It's called "Solite" but the damned thing weighs almost 40 pounds!

[AHEM]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I'm wondering... If a battery passes a load test, does that necessarily mean the battery doesn't need replacing? The battery I replaced in my Sonata passed a load test I conducted after the fact. (I love doing things backwards.)

I have another vehicle that has what may be the original battery. Not sure... This car is a 1999 which would put the battery at 13ish years old?! Not sure that's possible, but it passes my load test just fine. I was considering replacing it just in case though...

Please, someone with more a clue than me chime in.

 

Load testing is not generally considered to be a "predictive test" for car batteries.

Some of the high end "impedance" testers make a claim for predicting battery life - be prepared to pay big bucks.

That said, I'll still load test my batteries this fall.