Battery died...maybe early?

[gregk24]

So this morning I got in the Accord to head to church, I turned the key and heard clickclickclickclickclick. GREAT! Dead battery. The car is a 2012 and has a mere 36K miles, is this normal for such a "young" battery? What gets me the most is that one day its working fine and the next its dead. I figured I would take this opportunity to upgrade to the V6 battery (24F) but neither Walmart or AutoZone had them in stock, so I went with the EverStart Maxx 51R from Walmart, a Johnson controls product (same provider that Honda uses) however this one has 90 more CCA's. I do notice the engine turns over more quickly, and it wasn't slow to turn over with the previous battery.

 

[Rand]

Did you do any tests on it or just throw in a new battery?

 

[Colt45ws]

Depending on when that car was made, that battery could be 4 years old now. On the low end, but definitely within expectations for a southern climate.

 

[Quattro Pete]

It really depends on how the previous owner used the car. If he was primarily driving short distances, then the battery may have been constantly undercharged and sulfated itself to death.

Also, is your alternator working correctly?

 

[Ramblejam]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
If he was primarily driving short distances, then the battery may have been constantly undercharged and sulfated itself to death.


+1. A $40 Battery Tender Plus hooked up overnight a few times a year does a great job at extending battery life.

 

[Rolla07]

I would of had it load tested first and attempt recharging first. Seems young for dead batt..im at over 130k miles and 8-9 years on mine but im not in florida..

 

[Nick1994]

Your short tripping might be part of it. If you have a volt meter, maybe stick it on there every once in a while and see if it's keeping totally topped up.

 

[Kuato]

4 years is about what I've gotten out of the last several batteries in our vehicles...

 

[crazyoildude]

I got 10 years out of a Motorcraft battery in my mom Mercury Grand Marquis and it was still ok when i replaced it. The wal mart ever start maxx from what i hear or read is not a great battery. I replaced my moms battery with an auto zone duralast gold which used to be good batteries but lately im not so sure.
I think the bigger the battery the longer they last but i could be wrong

 

[901Memphis]

You should have held out for the bigger battery, maybe you can exchange it when they get the bigger one in Stock within the next 30 days

 

[901Memphis]

The dealerships are the reason the batteries die, once the car sits for a few weeks it's dead and they use a jump box and the battery is permanently sulfated because they don't charge them fully.

 

[gregk24]

The 51R is what Honda put in it from the factory so all will be well, I'm not worried about it. Also, crazyoildude...where did you hear that the every start maxx was a poor choice? I heard on here that it was good, which is why I got it! It is Johnson Control so I have faith it is up to the task. Time will tell!

 

[901Memphis]

Originally Posted By: gregk24
The 51R is what Honda put in it from the factory so all will be well, I'm not worried about it. Also, crazyoildude...where did you hear that the every start maxx was a poor choice? I heard on here that it was good, which is why I got it! It is Johnson Control so I have faith it is up to the task. Time will tell!


They are good batteries, and have been ever since they dropped Bosch not all that long ago.

 

[sciphi]

Honda batteries die young. Our Fit's battery died at 2 years old and about 25k miles. And no, Honda will not warranty a battery at 25k miles. It got replaced with a modified lawnmower battery (U1R adapted for NA or NB generation Miatas) that's been fine for ~5 years now.

 

[bubbatime]

3-4 years is about all we get out of a battery in Florida.

If you pop the caps off, refill with water, and charge the battery 3-4 times a year with a battery maintainer, you might add 12-18 months life to the battery.

 

[dareo]

Welcome to Honda Batteries. Wife's two year old 2014 accord had a warranty battery and then a starter replaced just last month. In two more years i will have to pay for the battery and will likely go 24F

 

[EdwardC]

Any chance something was left on in the car, draining the battery? It might have been salvageable.

Also, I gotta say, your battery tray and hold down is screaming for a larger battery!

I'm sure the 51R will do fine for many years.

 

[silverrat]

Originally Posted By: Ramblejam
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
If he was primarily driving short distances, then the battery may have been constantly undercharged and sulfated itself to death.


+1. A $40 Battery Tender Plus hooked up overnight a few times a year does a great job at extending battery life.




Could you link to the specific model you would recommend? I am interested in this but there seem to be different types.

 

[Ramblejam]

Originally Posted By: silverrat
Originally Posted By: Ramblejam
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
If he was primarily driving short distances, then the battery may have been constantly undercharged and sulfated itself to death.


+1. A $40 Battery Tender Plus hooked up overnight a few times a year does a great job at extending battery life.




Could you link to the specific model you would recommend? I am interested in this but there seem to be different types.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/automotive...r-0111941p.html

 

[crazyoildude]

My brother bought one and it lasted a year then got another one under warranty and that one went dead about 2 years later ...I then read the reviews and they don't seem to be the greatest battery but who knows they could have changed for the better. But wal mart replaced the battery no questions asked so thats a good thing..
I used to have luck with the auto zone batteries but according to my parts guy in commercial they are not so great anymore either but i get the big auto zone duralast gold battery for $90.00
I always buy the biggest battery i can fit into the space where it sits i still believe the bigger the better when it comes to batteries.