Battery source

[dirtyfingernails]

Can the 6TL batteries (or civilian equivalent) be purchased locally? If so, what's a good source? Also, how long do you expect these batts to survive? I only drive the truck once a week.

 

[Big Mike's Motor Pool]

i had 6tls from interstate batteries last me less than 6 months. buy cheapo batts from wal mart or somplace similar, thats what im doing

 

[nattieleather]

Is there a civilian batter on the markett that has the same legth, width, and height as a 6tl to fit in the battery hold downs?

 

[emmado22]

I am up to 3 years on one set of 6TL's, and 5 years on the other. No problems at all.....

 

[OD_Coyote]

I got my Interstate 6TLs from my local NAPA, but they were pricey.
The batts are just over 2 years old and still doing fine,

 

[Bill W]

I have a set of 6TN's ( yes TN ) these look like TL's so I don't know the difference. They are less then 2 years old and can't keep a charge., I have them on a desulfator for about 2 wks now and hope I can bring them back, if not I'm going to wallyworld for my next set of standards

 

[Big Mike's Motor Pool]

i know they make adapter plates to fit optimas inplace of 6tls.

 

[greybird]

Optimas are great but jsut a little bit of overcharge will leave them dead. keep a close monitor ion the charging voltage

 

[jwaller]

look in your phone book or go to the interstate battery web site and find your local dealer. thats where you will find the 6TL's. I have 6 of them going strong now for over 2 yrs and 4 of them are blems or somehow damaged and cannot be sold as new. still good and they have all the right stuff to start your truck in the coldest of winters.

 

[sprucemt]

Deka, mfg by East Penn, should be available through a dealer. The current issue battery is a 6tmf.

Link to the main site is http://www.eastpenn-deka.com/
Link to the dealer locate page is http://www.eastpenn-deka.com/default.aspx?pageid=843
Link to the military battery page is http://www.eastpenn-deka.com/default.aspx?pageid=551

 

[dabtl]

I got mine at O'reilly Auto Parts in one day. Sometimes it is amazing what O'Reilly can come up with.

 

[emr]

Iv been running up to a dozen 6TL's , the ones that wore out lasted almost 6 years, the others are going strong, i always take em out and clean em 2 times,,sometimes 3 times a year,along with the bat box's ,Re Paint the metal ones>and always rotate a 5 amp 24 volt charger on them , so the most important thing with any bat is no dirt, clean terminals, and a full charge, all the time, when they sit they drain, low bats sulphate, fast charging is brutal to any bat, 1.5 amps is the ultimate charge for a bat. when i take em out i run the 1.5 ampers on em individually, bats are a big maintanence thing, hot or cold drains them at the same rate. at perfect temp they are draining, and yes i even take em out for the coldest winter months and bring them inside.to much money not to, and when i want to use the truck , and i do.. i cart the bats to the truck, the 5 tonners may keep em in this winter with the chargers on em, they are a bitch.Randy

 

[dirtyfingernails]

Thanks for all the info. I'll try Interstate--I know they have a local retailer. Also, when I rebuilt my battery box, the terminals were coated in a brown (coppery color) goop. When I reinstalled the batteries, I cleaned that stuff off. Now I've got oxidation on the terminals. What was that stuff and where can I get it? Thanks again.

 

[CCATLETT1984]

you want to get dielectric silicone, you can get it at a electrical supply store. it blocks the oxygen that causes the corrosion.

I just replaced a 6TL battery in the cucv that grounded itself internally. the battery was manufactured in 1991. the other batt is still going strong and tested to +/- 3amps of rated.

 

[houdel]

Try more than one Interstate dealer. I called the 5 closest, got quotes from $100-$165. NAPA gets $165. The correct Interstate/NAPA part number is U6TL, The Deka number is 6TMF. Had two near new Dekas in my truck when I bought it, one had a dead cell, replaced it with an Interstate U6TL. The Dekas are marked "Maintenance Free", hence the "MF", but they still had caps to check the electrolyte level. In another thread a member stated he got blems for about $40 but my dealer couldn't find any.

 

[dirtyfingernails]

Good info. Thanks houdel and ccatlett. By the way catlett, your avatar animation is disturbing to me. I always scroll down to avoid seeing that stick man burn!

 

[sprucemt]

Here is a little tidbit for you all.

Alpharetta, Georgia (August 8, 2007 ) - Exide Technologies (NASDAQ: XIDE, www.exide.com), a global leader in stored electrical-energy solutions, announced today that it has secured a second contract with the German Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (BWB). The largest technical authority in Germany, the BWB is responsible for ensuring that the Federal Office of the Bundeswehr for Information Management and Information Technology (IT-AmtBw) is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and equipment.

According to the terms of the new agreement, Exide will supply approximately 27,000 NBB 248™ maintenance-free NATO bloc batteries to the German Army for military-vehicle applications.

Exide’s newest contract is its second supply agreement with BWB for 2007. In May, the authority selected the Company to provide approximately 11, 000 NBB 249™ maintenance-free NATO bloc batteries —12 V/45-ampere-hour GEL™ batteries — for military-vehicle applications for the German Army. Together, the two contracts make Exide the exclusive supplier for these types of batteries for the German Army.

“Our exclusive alliance with the BWB is proof that Exide is fast becoming the battery supplier of choice ― supporting the most demanding of requirements ― for military forces around the world,” said Joel Campbell President – Industrial Energy Europe for Exide Technologies. “This contract also gives us the unique opportunity to build upon an already strong relationship and streamline logistics costs for an important customer.”

The battery sets for both contracts are scheduled for delivery during 2007 and will be produced at Exide’s Industrial Energy manufacturing plant in Büdingen, Germany. The Company has a long history as a bloc battery supplier for military-vehicle applications in GEL™ technology and also enjoys a leading reputation as a supplier of submarine batteries.

Here is the link http://www.exide.com/news/pressrelease/20070808_german_military_batteries.html

 

[houdel]

When I was looking around for a U6TL for my truck I tried the local Tractor Supply store. They carry Exide batteries but they did not have a listing for the U6TL so they called wherever it is they get them from and asked if they were available. Yes, Exide makes U6TL batteries but they will not sell them to private individuals, only to governmental agencies and individuals with documentation that they are an authorized purchaser for a governmental agency.