2012 Cadillac Escalade Battery Replacement

If your 2012 Cadillac Escalade has been on the road for ten years or longer, there's a good chance you've had to replace the battery at least once already. If you find yourself looking at a replacement battery for your 2012 Escalade, we'd like to share some thoughts with you about the OPTIMA DH6 YELLOWTOP battery.

Modern vehicles demand a lot from the batteries that power them, from integrated alarm systems, multiple systems with memory presets and satellite-based systems, like OnStar, that stay active, even when you're not driving your Cadillac. The days of battery companies bragging about cold cranking amps may be in the past, as there is definitely a focus now on providing adequate reserve capacity for electrical demands that modern vehicles require.

If we're being honest, Cadillac Escalade owners can probably thank Lincoln for the creation of their vehicles, as the introduction of the Lincoln Navigator in 1998 probably resulted in the introduction of what was essentially a badge-engineered Escalade the following year, which was essentially a GMC Denali. That first generation of Cadillac Escalades could be started by a variety of batteries, but one direct-fit replacement option, the Group 75/25 REDTOP, weighs in at just over 33 pounds. 

By contrast, the OPTIMA DH6 YELLOWTOP, which is the direct-fit option for the 2012 Cadillac Escalade weighs in at a hefty 54 pounds. What happened between 1998 and 2012? The 6.2-liter V8 is only 9% larger than the 5.7-liter engine from the first generation, so why does the battery need to be almost 64% heavier? Reserve capacity. Multiple video screens, charging ports, OnStar, Wifi hotspots and other accessories all add to the electrical demands in modern vehicles. In the case of Escalades, if those features weren't in the truck when it left the factory, they were often added later (we can only imagine how much the Escalade pictured in this blog has been modified from an electrical standpoint).

The DH6 YELLOWTOP is a 72 Ah battery and the higher the Ah rating, the longer a battery will be able to power accessories and still start your vehicle. While OPTIMA's conservative 72 Ah rating is on the high end, there are batteries being sold today with a far lower rating (that's one reason they cost less). The Ah rating for some other battery brands is so embarrassingly-low for some other brands, you'll have a hard time even finding the specification listed. Instead, they'll try to hang their hat on cold cranking amps (CCA) and hope you don't notice. 

If you can't find the Ah listing for another battery brand, most will still usually list the weight of the battery as that is another strong indicator of how much energy is packed into a battery, as more weight typically indicates more power. If you can't find the Ah rating or weight of a battery, then you may want to consider other options that will allow you to make a clear comparison.

One final thought we'd like to share is about maintaining proper voltage in your battery. Whether you choose an OPTIMA battery or another brand, maintaining proper battery voltage (~13.0-13.2V for our YELLOWTOPs) whenever possible will maximize the performance and lifespan of your battery. We're so confident this is true, we'll offer an additional year of free replacement warranty coverage, if you buy an OPTIMA battery and an OPTIMA Digital 1200 charger from us at the same time.