Jeep Grand Cherokee Battery

Whether you go by the first production year of 1992 or the first model year of 1993 for the Jeep Grand Cherokee, OPTIMA Batteries have had a long connection to this iconic SUV in terms of offering powerful battery upgrades over the original factory equipment. In the ZJ generation, from 1993 through 1998, Jeep Grand Cherokee owners had their choice of OPTIMA Group 34 batteries.

If your Jeep Grand Cherokee is relatively-stock from an electrical perspective, a REDTOP would work just fine. However, if your Grand Cherokee has significant electrical accessories, like an aftermarket alarm, winch or stereo system, we would recommend a YELLOWTOP. A quality battery charger would be a good idea for either one as well. These early generations will have a choice between the REDTOPs and YELLOWTOPs, but that will go away in later generations, where only a YELLOWTOP is offered.

In the second generation of Jeep Grand Cherokees from 1999 through 2004 (WG/WJ), the OE battery was a group 65. While OPTIMA does not offer that specific size, OPTIMA Group 34 batteries work just fine in those applications, with adapters, which we include with every battery.

The third generation of Grand Cherokees, which were built from 2005 through 2010 (WK) is where the choices between REDTOPs and YELLOWTOPs go away and things get a bit more complicated in terms of options. In the early years of this generation, the Group 94R, also known as the H7 was the standard battery in most Grand Cherokees. OPTIMA offers a direct-fit replacement for those batteries in our DH7 YELLOWTOP.

A physically larger Group 49 battery, also referred to as an H8 was an option, starting in the 2007 model year. However, you'll find that the OPTIMA DH7 YELLOWTOP probably outweighs and out-powers most of the flooded H8 options you'll find. Additionally, our friends at Weistec offer an adapter, which allows you to run our smaller, lighter DH6 YELLOWTOP in either an H7 or H8 application. The DH6 will still offer plenty of cranking power and reserve capacity, but offer some weight savings over the heavier batteries. The one fitment exception to the option between H7 or H8 batteries is the 3.0-liter diesel-equipped Grand Cherokees, which all came with an H8 battery.

These sizing options continued for the 2008 and 2009 model years, although the BCI (Battery Council International) fitment notes indicate owners of Jeeps from these two years should call a service specialist before changing their batteries. 

That requirement went away in the 2010 model year, but a new one was ushered in for all Jeep Grand Cherokees built from 2010 through at least 2022. That requirement is that the batteries used in those Jeeps are all AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) and vented to the outside atmosphere. Fortunately, OPTIMA batteries are meet both of those requirements. 

In terms of fitments, the WK2 Grand Cherokees from 2011 through 2020 and the WL Grand Cherokees from 2021 forward still generally utilize the same choices between the DH7/94R and the H8/49 sizes. The one exception would be for some Jeep Grand Cherokees that came with Start-Stop-equipped 3.6-liter V6 engines. Those examples would probably use the OPTIMA DH6 YELLOWTOP. They also came with a small Group 401 battery, which OPTIMA does not offer and may be sourced at your dealership. There is also a Group 400 battery listed as an auxiliary battery for Start-Stop-equipped Grand Cherokees from 2016 through 2021.

If this has all gotten a little confusing for you, we completely understand. If you'd like to make sure you are ordering the right battery for your Jeep Grand Cherokee, just head to our home page and plug in your Grand Cherokee's information in our online battery finder.