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And most of them are relabeled for the retail market. I got my last two batteries for the kids cars at Costco. Probably the same manufacturer as Walmart or Sears or Les Schwab or Batteries plus gets them from.

Good point, I seem to recall reading that there's only 1-3 battery manufacturers left.... rebranding is quite common these days with a great many products.
 
We had a 70 LTD wagon for quite a while. Very similar car to the Ranch Wagon in the OP. If the tailgate window is opened 1/2" or so when travelling the widows clear up much better. However, fill that car with 6 breathing bodies and that sucker turned into a terrarium!
 
I generally use Interstate batteries and normally I'll get about a good 7-8 years out of them, but there not cheap batteries. Ten year service life isn't unheard of from them either if there well taken care of.

On your wagon, have you checked the condition of the weatherstrips that the sides of the window slide on? Sometimes when those are worn it will scar the sides of the glass on the metal channels making score marks like if when cutting normal glass. That can definatly make tempered glass shatter for no particular reason.

Just a thought from my years of body and restoration experience,,,,,
 
Having been stuck a couple of times over the years with a dead battery, I now buy a new one every 4 years without waiting for the current battery to show either signs of crapping out or possibly leaving me high and dry...
 
If available in your area my #1 recommendations for a battery of any kind is either the Interstate or Optima batteries. I worked in a marina for years and years and from what I've experienced those 2 seem to be the very best options both in lifespan, durability in adverse conditions and overall performance. Bar None.

The Optima's Will cost you an arm and a leg though , but you can easily expect a 10 year life span from them commonly !!! Like anything else,, you get what you pay for generally. Of course proper maintenance and charging methods are paramount too.

Over charging can fry even the best of them, so a "smart charger" is a really good investment in the long run.
 
There are only of few OEM's that make automotive batteries for the US market.
Johnson Controls is one of them and their batteries are GTG.
They are then private-labeled for the various sellers.
Walmart batteries are by Johnson Controls.

Doin' a little searching and stumbled on this...
Who makes WalMart car batteries? - Quora So, no Johnson Controls for Walmart batts.

And most of them are relabeled for the retail market. I got my last two batteries for the kids cars at Costco. Probably the same manufacturer as Walmart or Sears or Les Schwab or Batteries plus gets them from.

I'm running an old 100 month Costco battery in my 1/2 ton GMC. I'd have to guess, without looking, that's it's close to 10 years. I don't run the truck much and last time I went to start it for a run it turned the 350ci a little slow but didn't slow any more during the 8-10 second cranking 'till she fired. Costco doesn't even carry their own label anymore. Nor do they rate the batteries with months any more either.

Any way, my belief is if you don't abuse your battery....In the habit of leaving your lights/radio/door ajar for days, weeks and killing the battery to DEAD? A couple/three times a year? That kind of stuff will take life out of a lead/acid starting battery. Rated the same, they all last about the same has been my experience. I've got two Bimart batteries in vehicles and one marine starting in the boat. And a Costco in the other vehicle.Had no problem with those brands over the years.
 
As usual, I haven't read all the posts so don't know if this had been suggested already. I suggest you put a 100 watt light bulb in your wagon and let it dry out. You might also like to get a product called Dri-Z-Air which may be found at Fred Meyer.
 
A 5 gallon bucket 1/4 full with calcium chloride will keep a vehicle in storage nice and dry inside. That's what I use in both my hot rods and boat as well. It works great and cost almost nothing. I've never had a mold or moisture issue in any of them doing this. You'll be amazed at just how much moisture it will draw. In my boat ( a 26 ' cruiser) I change it 2 times a winter sense the pail usually ends up being half full of water part way through the season.

If you happen to have a rodent problem as well, peppermint oil on a paper towel sitting on a plate works wonders too. Around here those pesky critters use dryer sheets as bedding, so don't believe that old wife's tail, it doesn't work. At least here in VT it don't.
 
One of the biggest factors is if you let it go totally dead or not. I've bought numerous cars from auctions that had newer batteries that were totally shot because they sat for a long time in a discharged state. Even sitting a short period of time when fully discharged can wreck it's life. (I think the process is called suphonation, but can't remember all the details, I think its buildup of sulphur on the plates).

Smart chargers can extend life quite a lot. Both in how it charges for a regular charge and also some have a "reconditioning" cycle where it changes the charge to "knock off some of the suphonation" (again trying to relay this from memory). I give older batteries periods of "reconditioning" and it seems to make a huge difference on longevity. I have revived and used batteries that in the past I would have recycled by reconditioning numerous times over a long period of time. I also do a "reconditioning" cycle once in a very long while on newer batteries to help stave off sulphonation.

Some reference stuff that may be helpful: (1) how to test if battery is good, (2) why use smart chargers instead of trickle chargers, (3) a smart charger with reconditioning cycle I can recommend from personal experience. The videos are worth watching IMO.

(1)
(2) Why to use smart charger instead of trickle charger
(3)Cetek MULTI US 7002 charger. It's fairly expensive but you can save about $30 or so on the price by careful shopping around.
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Bought a new 2012 Jeep Wrangler and the OEM battery died within 8 months. Replaced it with an Interstate (Texas Company) that still starts it just like a brand new one. My wife got a New Cadillac in '13, and the original battery is still performing like it did the first day. Bottom line, its a crap shoot. Also got her one of those Scorpion Car Jumpers.. its still in its box, unused.
 
It REALLY depends on several factors. Operational temperature, proper charging and original quality. I have had batteries like the older generation optima last 12 years, others last 1-2. On average you can expect most batteries to last 3-5 when properly cared for in your run of the mill car. Discharge it too far too many times? It won't last nearly as long.

The operating temp matters, if you place a battery in the interior of the car it will last longer than if it's baking in the engine bay. With a standard car battery they are designed to be maintained at a certain voltage...If you let it drop(discharge) and don't promptly recharge it, it will build a" memory" and not have the same capacity as new. Which is how you end up with batteries that test with over 12 volts and end up with very few Amp hours of capacity (fail load test). Properly working charging system also has a lot to do with how long the battery lasts. Your alternator usually has a voltage regulator inside or bolted to the alternator, the combination regulates charging the battery. Poor quality or corroded wires/ connections can cause a false low voltage reading at the alternator and make the alternator over charge the battery. Which, also kills the battery prematurely. Don't buy the cheap battery at walmart and expect it to last long either, they are made from recycled materials made as cheap as possible.

If you drive infrequently, invest in a smart battery charger (battery tender). The 1.2 amp types are great for this. If you let a battery sit over time, especially with a small amp draw that accessories and computers have in modern cars it will discharge the battery over months of not driving and damage the battery (loses capacity).
 
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