Illinois Battery Specialists

Did you know that Prii need to be started daily in cold weather in order to preserve the quality of the aux battery? Neither did I, but these guys did.
As for me, I found out the hard way. After having to get my car jump started twice, I headed down to Belmont and called this guy en route. He explained with a large dash of humor that a) they did service hybrids, but Prius aux batteries are a pain to replace, b) he didn’t have a new battery in stock but he had a stock rotation one that would do, and c) I made him convert from millimeters to inches while he was checking.
The work area is clean but the reception area is a charming mess. The whole staff was munching on ice cream popsicles. A few minutes later, after he changed the battery, he explained to me the bit about starting the car every day. We talked about customers stealing ballpoint pens. He charged me $ 105: $ 85 parts, $ 10 labor, sales tax. The dealer had quoted me $ 450 for the same service.
He showed me the new battery, explained why there was a disconnected cord, and apologized for not having any media on hand to back up my radio station selections before he yanked the old battery.
Hopefully I’ll never have to go back, but if you need a car battery these guys know their stuff.

Highly recommend. Went in today to get my battery replaced and was done in about 15 minutes. Great customer service and helpful staff. Plus there is a huge shrine to the 85 bears and da coach.

I sure like this place– Two batteries from here and never a problem. Recent computer change on my ’96 Jeep involved removal of the battery. A repair shop specializing in electronic repairs left my battery cables loose!
Illinois battery did a thorough diagnosis
Including alternator output. Free! Then–
Fixed it quickly and properly-​No charge.
«They’re The Best»

Great people! Excellent customer service.
I needed help with my car on a very cold winter evening just before closing time. The battery was fine but the problem turned out to be a starter for my Smart Car. My 4-​yr old grand daughter was with me & they stayed late & even kept her entertained until my husband arrived to pick us up. If I need a battery in the future I won’t go anywhere else. The folks are top notch!

Lowest price on a great battery, free installation on my Chevy venture which would have been an extra charge at other places. In and out in under an hour. Perfect in my book!

Great guys, great service. My car died and I had trouble getting it to start with a jump so I was worried I wouldn’t get to the shop before they closed. I got there 15 mins before close and they were nice enough to stick around and install a new battery. Life saver! I will definitely go back in the spring when I need to get anew battery for my motorcycle.

I bought my battery from them last summer. They were very kind and the battery was reasonably priced. The installation of the battery was also very quick. I was satisfied with the service but today they proved worthy of a five stat rating from me. Recently I had been having problems. My stereo would randomly shut off then go back on then my gauges started doing the same. I figured it was some kind of connection issue with my battery so I took it back to these guys. Turns out my battery was loose and they fixed me up in half an hour. The best part is that they didn’t charge me! Considering I got my battery a year ago, it may very well not be their fault that it came loose. I was expecting to pay something for them fixing the problem but was very satisfied to find out that they did it for free. Great customer service and excellent warranties on their batteries. I highly recommend these guys for all your car battery needs!

Waste of time, money, and gas. Dead batteries are sold here and not even tested prior to selling. After returning with dead battery for exchange I was given a battery that tested okay however does not have enough juice to crank the engine. Take it to AUTOZONE to test or charge and another BAD battery. Bring that one back and guy is like «What do what me to do?» Just bad customer service in this dingy place. Bad Batteries and bad customer service.

I have used this place for 2 of my cars. They are awesome. Great service.

Needed to replace my dying battery and went to Unilocal to research.
I agree with the others — this is an old school shop that delivers 5 star service.
Swapping the battery took less than 10 minutes. I was gone after 15 minutes and left quite pleased.
The batteries are better valued here than at a chain hardware store. Also, if you are wondering if your battery or alternator can survive the winter, you can bring your car here for an honest answer.

Very helpful. Do not try to sell you something you do not need. This place is old school, honest and hard working employees!
Our family has been buying batterys here for YEARS! I highly recommend Illinois Battery!

Illinois Battery is the place to go if you need a new battery. They are quick, honest & reliable. They checked my old battery & determined I needed a new one. Reported this to me in a quick fashion & then after my okay, they got the old battery out & the new one in. Was there a total of about 30 mins. They are pleasant & a wonderful staff. Defintely check this place out for a battery.

You want a battery installed and want to avoid the big chains? This is your place. Just as everyone said. Pulled in, they hooked up the tester, confirmed that my battery was bad, sent me in to pay (about ninety bucks) while they installed it. I was in and out in 10 minutes or so. Fast, friendly, reasonably priced with a 5-​year warranty. Plus, they had WBEZ playing jazz over their garage sound system. i can’t think of any reason to criticize these guys, but I save the 5-​star ratings for when I’m blown away.

I’ve gone here for years and have referred friends to them, as well. My last experience was a little difficult situation. My girl (at the time, :D) had lost one nut and one bolt from her scooter battery. No auto parts store or shop sells those tiny pieces without buying a battery. Illinois Battery didn’t sell them either… they just gave them to me.
They’re my first stop for car/​motorcycle batteries.

Recommend this place highly. They got me in after 5PM on a Friday! Not only that, but they tested the battery and alternator to tell me which was going to hades… Turned out it was the battery and they had the old one out and the new one in quicker than greased lightning.
While it may cost a little more than going to the nearest chain store (it did in my case), this place is totally worth it. They are a local operation that manufactures their own batteries… so you are supporting a Chicago institution while stimulating the local economy as well.
These guys being local also means that they are willing to go further for your patronage than some faceless chain… and I dunno about you, but I think that is worth the possible extra cost.
Check ‘em out.
Cheers.

This place is about a mile away from my home, and I’d always pass it wondering what they did. When my battery light on my car lit up this week, I figured it was time to find out.
I rolled up. They tested my car and found out that my alternator was toast. I rolled out less then five minutes later.
I’m going to my favorite auto-​repair shop (Ashland Tire & Auto) to get my alternator replaced. But if it turns out that my battery needs replacing too, I’m headed right back to Illinois battery.
PS– on the way in, I noted that a man in a powered wheelchair was on his way out.
Fast, great service. Please help me keep them around.

What a gem! My boss referred me to Illinois Battery and he told me it was old school. He wasn’t kidding!
Prices are great, the service is outstanding and they are quick!
I was outta there in less than an hour with my brand new car battery installed. The Technician even gave me what he called the «Sears Corrosion Protection Package» aka a spray applied to the battery terminals that their competitors will charge you $ 20 + for!
I highly recommend these guys!
P. S. They will offer you a calendar (a nice one with pictures of our lovely city), at least they did for me back in January. If you ask for it, they also have a «secret» sexy calendar. My boss dared me to ask for one, so I did. I think the dude at Illinois Battery was a little embarrassed but it was hilarious! My coworkers, which all happen to be dudes, enjoy the bikini babes! Thanks Illinois Battery :)

well, I used to go there all the time — then I heard they don’t make their own batteries anymore.
I went recently in an emergency. The service was prompt but the place is bigger dump than it used to be and they were not very professional.
Hard to say who made the battery or what the quality is now but they used to have a very good reputation! They slapped a sticker on what looks like a generic manufactured battery! The sticker said «NATIONAL». I asked about that and he just said he didn’t have any Illinois stickers left! That doesn’t inspire confidence… but I’ll see!

I buy several batteries each year from Illinois Battery Specialists. I was bummed when they closed the old store on Irving Park road.
Today I learned they re-​opened directly across the street ! Inside it looks different, but they have the same helpful staff.
Need a car battery? Most time installation is free, they will test your charging system and give you a straight answer.
They also carry motorcycle and other moto-​sports batteries. They also stock gel-​cell batteries for alarm systems, UPS, and those ride on toys for kids.

This place is awesome!
Very quick and $ 45 for a battery with a 2 year warranty — rock and roll!
If you think you have an issue with your alternator or battery take it here for an honest answer.