I had heard that the Company now makes batteries in Mexico. I guess now I know for sure.

I went to google and got this information. I guess the Battery that was the best is now just another crap Mexican piece of junk.

 

Thanks for this information.

It's not that people are just plain tired of it, which they are, but it is not
sustainable. Our company made $50M last year, about 20 percent profit. So to congratulate us, they cancelled our basic health plan and went with a bare bones catastrophic plan with no out of pocket maximum, so the vice president's wife could get another ferarri for christmas (no joking).

"unsustainable"

 

It is definitely getting ridiculous. How much money is enough?

 

Thanks for the info guys. My 05 R53 still has the original battery. I am starting to get the "twitchy gages" when it sits for a couple of days when your first start it. I was about to pull the trigger on an Optima. I'll be buying the made in the USA Interstate now. We cant continue this farming out American jobs thing much longer. Its getting out of hand... Johnson Controls has a manufacturing facilty in my town of Middletown Delaware. I wonder how much longer they will stick around?

 

If you live in Middletown you can drive over to route 13 and get me a Sausage & Egg sandwich from Helen's sausage house.

I go to Elkton Maryland to visit a friend at least once a year. I can't hardly wait until I get up there to get My Sausage sandwich fix.

My Friends also shop at the Amish Mall in Middletown for a lot of food and sweet stuff.

I sure hope Johnson's stays put. If the Exodus of Manufacturing plants keeps up the way it has been going there will be no place for anybody in America to work.

We really need to thank our Government for introducing the N.A.F.T.A. trade agreement. ( North American Free Trade Act)

Our Government would probably pay Johnsons to move to Mexico

Ronnie

 

I read Optima is cutting quality corners in Mexico. I still have USA made Optima batteries in several cars, they just kepp going, and going.....


Odyssey (aka Sears DieHard Platinum) makes one heck of a good AGM battery.

http://www.odysseybattery.com/

 

@ ronnie948- wow small world we live in right... I eat a Helen's often. Not as much as I used to, the wife says to much fat in the diet is not good. I also do the Amish Market thing too. You gotta look me up next time you are in town. I'll show you some good roads and some good eating spots.

 

I like the technology of the Optima and Odyssey batteries. I have had Optima Red Tops in a few cars and have always been happy but the last one died just two months over the 3 year warranty. I was disappointed but bought another since the local auto parts place had the 34R in stock.

Hopefully this one will last longer. I have never had a problem with them going 5 years or more before.

Rich

 

Was considering an Optima, but after learning this (Johnson Controls/Mexico) I will get an Interstate when I need one.

 

Just replaced a Mexican made optima today...was about 5 1/2 years old...so nothing great for its life...had an open cell, and would self discharge to about 10-11 volts in a few minutes of coming off the charger....car would still crank fine, even at 5° f, but was still bad...

 

You know, Deka and Odyssey make great batteries, and they are both made in the USA.

 

And my understanding is Odyssey makes the Sears Diehard batteries

 

Enersys, the maker of Odyssey, does make the Platinum Diehard, but Johnson Controls does the lower models.

 

The 'Platinum' Diehard model won't fit my 2013 Mini R56 according to their website.

The Diehard 'Advanced Gold' (@ $210.), AGM, group size 48, 700 cca will fit. But, you're saying that one is made in Mexico? ( I believe that is Sears' best battery after the Platinum model ).

 

I'm not sure where Johnson Control batteries are made, they have plants all over the world. I would imagine that anything we buy here in the U.S. is actually made in the U.S. I wouldn't spend too much time worrying on what brand you get. They're all going to last 5 or 6 years. It is nice to try and get one made in the U.S. though.

 

I found this from an article that's only a couple months old:

"Since 2007, Johnson Controls, a global multi industrial, has produced 28 million AGM batteries. The company has the world's largest production facility for AGM batteries in Zwickau, Germany, with other production locations in St. Joseph, Missouri; Toledo, Ohio; Changxing, China; Gumi, South Korea and Hannover, Germany."

So at least they still have a couple plants in the U.S. that at least make the AGM batteries.

 

Issue is they had REAL quality control issues after the move...
Mine did OK..
Grayraven had one last 3 years I think...and like me, his would still start the car, but the voltage was too low to be in spec..so like the soup **** "no battery for you"... They refused a warrenty replacement on a battery with a bad cell cause the car would still start from what I recall...just BAD customer service... I mean my 10.5 volt redtop would start the car at 5° f, but is it healthy for the alternator, etc? Heck no....mine was 5+ years old...so not mad, but his was still under 3...in the free replacement period...moves like this make me feel more comfortable getting a batter (even if made by the same company) with a different name on it....so the warrenty replacement goes better cause NAPA, SEARS, etc HAS a name to protect...kinda sad when you expect more from a gutted sears warrenty department than a company like johnson-controls....