Battery replacement: based on age or performance?

Joined
May 7, 2018
Messages
1,657
Location
Northern KY
Do you always replace your battery at a certain age or do you wait until it starts failing? Or is a specific gravity tester a good way to decide if you need a new battery?
 
I use this Schumacher BT-175 to check the CCA and also do a simple check on the sitting voltage of the battery. A new fully charged battery is usually 12.7 volts. A four year old Walmart Ever Start I have is indicating 600 CCA and 12 volts. The CCA is fine, but the voltage is a bit weak. In my area four years is fine. That battery owes me nothing. I’ll probably change it this fall.
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In my vehicles, I tend to wait until I get a no start, then replace same day. Wife’s car, if the battery sounds slow one winter, I’ll replace before next.

Just picked up one of those testers, might start using that.
 
I wish I was a little more proactive in this area. I often wait too long and run into problems at the worst times…
I think that most people who are not proactive, would be safe if they just replaced their battery every 5 years. Meaning that replacing a known good battery(any brand...Silver, Gold, Platinum), not an economy battery or cheapest battery you can buy for your vehicle. And maybe in the 3rd-4th year, have it checked out.
 
Just like I don't change my oil at 3k miles, or my tires when they're just about reach the wear bars. I don't change my battery out just because the calendar says it's a certain age, I get my money's worth out of what I buy. And buying a tool to check the condition of a battery, is a waste of money if you don't use it everyday for your job. You can take it to pretty much any chain store and have them load test it for free.,,
 
Elkins45,
I’ve had them last between 11 & 17 years… No :poop:
However, I only buy batteries with removal caps so I can monitor and add to the acid level(when needed) with distilled water. And keep the maintainer on regularly. This also helps to reduce or even eliminate the corrosion on the posts & terminals.
 
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I hear ya. After keeping track of car maintenance purchases for years, I realized that I was replacing my batteries every 3 years or so. So I have started buying batteries that warranty at least to 36 months, and then I just take them in to get tested & changed. WM changed my last one at 33 months for free. At this point, I'm no longer going to wait for it not to start, when it happens religiously at 33-36 months. I do it on the weekend when I have the time, and I won't have to be troubled about not getting to work.

I do what CharBaby suggests. I replace batteries every five years. The last time I had a battery fail, it gave NO warning. So after that, the five year program started. Have not had a problem since.
 
When it doesn’t start after I’ve left the doors open for a while for detailing… or when it doesn’t start… in general. I did proactively replace the factory 12-year-old battery in my 2004 Dodge Ram.
 
Wait until starting is weak, then get it tested and replaced. Likely in the fall when colder temps will spell a no start.
 
I like to give them a second chance, when I start noticing slow crank I'll put my CTEK on it and go from there. My last AGM I got almost 2 more years out of it after the first sign of cranking slow.
 
On a somewhat related note, have any of you done the electrolyte replacement with Epsom salts to recondition a weak battery? I might start a separate thread, or at least do a BITOG search for it.
 
I had a battery that was showing signs of weakness. I dumped and replace the electrolyte and it went three more years.
 
Just did a pre-emptive battery replacement myself.

Using a conditioner- charger, got 5 years out of it. Then mum one day leaves driver's door and trunk open. It killed the battery. I charged it back up, but it was sluggish on start and started showing a lower than normal charge state after rest.

Swapped it with another Super Start Maxx. It lasted so long, I couldn't claim even a pro-rata on it.

Living in Central Florida, batteries last a long time until they simply don't. I've had 2 failures over the years being in FL. The first cold snap always reveals a weak battery. On one occasion it was simple failure: a shorted cell dragged the battery under 10v instantly the moment you removed the booster cables.

Jumped it and sent it with the advice to drive to any battery center *right now* and get it changed out.

The other time it was a failed fuel sending module that would just let the booster pump puuuuuuur away relentlessly until the battery just discharged to nothing. After about 5x this happened; it geeked the battery, it was weak and unable to hold a charge after cycling deep, to dead, then back. After module replacement and program, Yep - you guessed it... battery replacement after it couldn't actually be charged any longer and just boiled at the end of a charger.

So conditions and circumstances vary. But after an event of severe abuse, inability to hold a charge, obvious defect or thought to be still "good" a couple of years after warranty?

Trade that bad boy in for the core charges on a new battery. It *will*, absolutely leave you stranded for dead in a ditch when you really need it and condition is mostly unknown 5 years beyond the date sticker.
 
Wife's 17 Tuscon tested marginal at the last oil change (OEM battery in South Texas).

I threw a walmart battery at it the next day. $129 I dont have to worry about her getting stuck somewhere.
 
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