OEM AC Delco battery

[Lyndon S.]

Re: OEM AC Delco battery

So when did the case go from black to a white translucent , some time in the 87 MY?

[John M.]

Re: OEM AC Delco battery

John------


Usually, assembly line batteries will differ in labeling from SERVICE batteries. So, it's unlikely that if one purchased a new Delco SERVICE battery at the same time they took delivery of a new car that the batteries would appear exactly the same. That may have changed, though, since Delco/GM have been out of the battery manufacturing business for a long while now.

Note on the label that it says the replacement battery is a 75B-72, while no place on this battery does it say that this battery is a 75B-72 (although it is). While a 75B-72 battery was once-upon-a-time available in SERVICE, you'd have had a difficult time finding one. The 75B-72 was quite rare while the 75A-72 was quite common. Do you know what the difference is? Well, the 75A has the "Delco Eye" on the right side of the battery whereas the 75B has it on the left side. That's because on a later C4 Corvette you couldn't see the "Delco Eye" if it were on the right side. So, the 75B was, essentially, a Corvette battery (although there may have been some other applications that used it, too).

Joe....I agree, service replacement parts were often times different in appearance than factory installed items. I am attaching 3 additional photos of the factory installed battery from my 92. One photo is a close up of the date code, 2EK 22. A second photo indicates the location of the Delco Eye in rleation to the date code. The final photo indicates the orientation of the battery if it were installed in the car. The negative post is to the outside of the vehicle with the positive inboard, or more "inside the engine."

In response to service replacement parts differing from factory installed was first apparent to me when I attempted to buy and store a replacement oil filter. I ordered this 92 in May, it was built in June, and I took delivery in Mid July. About two wees after taking delivery, I wnet to my local Chevrolet Dealer and purchased a replacement PF51 oil filter thinking I should save it for the future. How surprised I was to find out later the factory PF51 filter was black with a silver label and my replacement filter was a blue PF51 with a completely different label. So, in essence I do agree with your statement that replacement parts could be different in appearance.92 battery showing Delco Eye Orientation.jpg92 battery date code.jpg92 Battery Relative To Vehicle Installation.jpg

[Joe L.]

Re: OEM AC Delco battery

Joe....I agree, service replacement parts were often times different in appearance than factory installed items. I am attaching 3 additional photos of the factory installed battery from my 92. One photo is a close up of the date code, 2EK 22. A second photo indicates the location of the Delco Eye in rleation to the date code. The final photo indicates the orientation of the battery if it were installed in the car. The negative post is to the outside of the vehicle with the positive inboard, or more "inside the engine."

In response to service replacement parts differing from factory installed was first apparent to me when I attempted to buy and store a replacement oil filter. I ordered this 92 in May, it was built in June, and I took delivery in Mid July. About two wees after taking delivery, I wnet to my local Chevrolet Dealer and purchased a replacement PF51 oil filter thinking I should save it for the future. How surprised I was to find out later the factory PF51 filter was black with a silver label and my replacement filter was a blue PF51 with a completely different label. So, in essence I do agree with your statement that replacement parts could be different in appearance.[ATTACH=CONFIG]49642[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]49643[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]49644[/ATTACH]

John------


Don't get the idea that SERVICE parts are generally different than PRODUCTION. In general, they are identical (at least, for parts purchased about the same time as the car was manufactured). However, battery labeling and oil filters were different. I believe this was an intentional sort of difference designed to identify PRODUCTION parts from SERVICE parts.

However, the oil filter difference changed quite some time ago. Now, the SERVICE oil filters are the same as PRODUCTION. I don't know about the batteries. There may or may not remain a labeling difference.

[Terry M.]

Re: OEM AC Delco battery

My 2008 FACTORY oil filter is slightly different than SERVICE filters I bought when the car was new. If anyone really cares I will take some pictures, but IIRC the difference is in the label.

[Lyndon S.]

Re: OEM AC Delco battery

I know that AC does not make the battery anymore , anyone know why they did away with the eye?

[Edward J.]

Re: OEM AC Delco battery

Lyndon. My take on the removal of eye is it was not accurate for the over all battery condition, the eye is only in one of the batteries cells. It can give you a false sense of security.

[Lyndon S.]

Re: OEM AC Delco battery

I think you can still get a delco battery that is made over seas that has the flat top and the delco eye in it.

[Joe L.]

Re: OEM AC Delco battery

I know that AC does not make the battery anymore , anyone know why they did away with the eye?

Lyndon------


I think your question is pretty much answered in the first part of your sentence----when GM existed the battery manufacturing business, the Delco-Eye went with it. Today, Delco batteries are manufactured by outside suppliers and, I suppose, the manufacturing technology those manufacturers use wasn't compatible with the easy incorporation of the Delco-Eye. Plus, I expect the manufacturers did not want to start producing a battery with unique specs, just for GM. Of course, I'm sure they would do it "if the price was right" but, I expect that GM/Delco didn't want that extra cost to stick them with a competitive cost disadvantage at the retail level. So, exit the "Delco-Eye". As far as I'm concerned, it was pretty much useless, anyway; I'm surprised that Delco kept it around for as long as they did.

I believe that several manufacturers produce batteries today for Delco. There really aren't that many major manufacturers so it may mean that just about all of them supply Delco although I think that Johnson Controls is the major supplier. I think the manufacturers may vary with respect to specific battery models (i.e group number) and warranty level. They may also vary regionally; batteries are heavy so I'm sure they want to keep transportation costs down from manufacturing site to retail outlet.

I have found the following battery brand to offer at least some models with a smooth top and the Delco Eye. I do not know where these are manufactured, though. It could be that some other battery manufacturing source either purchased some of the Delco tooling (and, thus, including the Delco-Eye) or purchased complete Delco manufacturing facilities. I have heard that China-manufactured batteries are on the market which surprised me since I would think the transportation cost would be high. However, I suppose that if the batteries can be made cheaply enough, that off-sets transportation costs.

A few months ago I went through just about all the Delco batteries on the shelf at a local Delco retailer and this retailer has a LARGE number of batteries on the shelf. I could not find a single one that was labeled made in China but that does not mean that some were not. I did note quite a few differences in top configuration which I believe implies the different manufacturers.

http://www.fvpparts.com/products/batteries/

[Lyndon S.]

Re: OEM AC Delco battery

Joe

I think those are made in Korea or Japan.