Changed my vehicle batteries

[nickaluch]

Changed my car batteries today got cold feet and was pushing my luck. Changed out the battery on my 2018 Traverse it was the OE battery showing no weakness. Pontiac G6 beater GM battery battery I got for $20 installed early 2018 showing no weakness. Purchased new batteries from Costco

 

[TheOilWizard]

Proactively changing out a 6-year-old battery seems smart to me. You know it'll fail at the most inconvenient time, too.

 

[Kira]

Do you have a volt meter?
Voltage taken first thing in the morning tells a lot. Voltage taken after start-up tells more.
As mentioned, smart move.

My car cranked a tad slower than usual when I began a trip to the dead center of Nassau County, Hicksville.
Simultaneously, there was a Sears battery commercial on the radio and a Sears at the end of the exit ramp.
I figured it was a magic message. I just rolled up and said, "Put one in".

 

[nickaluch]

Proactively changing out a 6-year-old battery seems smart to me. You know it'll fail at the most inconvenient time, too.

Happened to me a few years ago on a freezing cold holiday weekend on my daughters college car. Luckily in my driveway and she was home not away at school. I got robbed on price with the holiday and limited inventory because of the first 10 degree day and froze changing it.

 

[nickaluch]

Do you have a volt meter?
Voltage taken first thing in the morning tells a lot. Voltage taken after start-up tells more.
As mentioned, smart move.

My car cranked a tad slower than usual when I began a trip to the dead center of Nassau County, Hicksville.
Simultaneously, there was a Sears battery commercial on the radio and a Sears at the end of the exit ramp.
I figured it was a magic message. I just rolled up and said, "Put one in".

When I was a kid my dad shopped at that Hicksville Sears for all his guy stuff and now I live in the next town over. Last thing I purchased at that Sears was a craftsman lawnmower 18 years ago still going.

 

[fdcg27]

Wise decision.
Replacing before failure and stranding beats eking a few additional months out of a battery.
Batteries are a wear item and six years is a pretty typical life for one.

 

[raaizin]

Smart, I just changed battery on our 2019 Q5 which is 5 years old. I would like to keep the car 3-4 more years and decided to replace at my convenience.

 

[Nukeman7]

Two words to alleviate undue stress when a battery exceeds 5 years of age:

JUMP PACK

 

[troymcclure]

Proactively changing out a 6-year-old battery seems smart to me. You know it'll fail at the most inconvenient time, too.

Not to mention less strain on the alternator as old batteries may start to fail for quite a while before becoming symptomatic.

 

[road_rascal]

Yikes. I should probably replace the battery in our 2018 Equinox then.

 

[Donald]

You guys need to find a guy like the Indian guy on YT who melts the lead from old batteries in a pan over a fire, pours the molten lead into a mold then assembles a new battery.

 

[ATex7239]

I always change batteries early. I prefer preventative maintenance vs reactive maintenance.

 

[xmanjeff]

Yikes. I should probably replace the battery in our 2018 Equinox then.

pick up a jump pack and keep it in the equinox , those original delco batteries run an amazingly long time if treated right

 

[SC Maintenance]

For just a few dollars on amazon you can buy an Ancel battery tester - at most 40 bucks, they were under 20 around black friday - posted here. They are fairly accurate - or enough to know whether you need a new battery or not. I have been using one for years.

That being said, yes 6 years is a good life for a car battery. I seldom get that long.

 

[Dave Hess]

Two words to alleviate undue stress when a battery exceeds 5 years of age:

JUMP PACK

All the cars in my family have a jump pack and recharged 2X times per year.

 

[bovine1]

I keep a Hulkman in both our cars. They work great except for the fact that our 05 camry loses it's idle setting when the battery goes dead. It makes it hard if you are by yourself. I crank it fine with the Hulkman but it dies when you get out to take jumper off.

 

[Patman]

The climate in my area allows me to get very long life out of my batteries, I got almost 9 years out of one in my previous Civic. I’m currently on the original batteries in both of my cars (2016 Civic and 2018 Corvette)

Because the Corvette’s battery is buried in the trunk it’s a tricky one to get out so I plan on getting it changed next year sometime. It’s not the type of easy change that a roadside assistance person would typically be able to handle.

The Civic is an easy one I can do myself and since there is a Carquest within walking distance from my place I have that as an option if the battery dies on me at home. On the road if it dies I will call roadside assistance. My previous experience with Civics has been that when the battery is close to dead it gives you some clues beforehand anyway. I’m the type who likes to stretch my maintenance dollars as far as they can go (some will say I’m a tightwad!)

 

[Astro14]

All the cars in my family have a jump pack and recharged 2X times per year.

Same. And part of the oil change routine, which includes checking the spare tire pressure, is to put the jump pack on a charger and top it off.

I have found that the lithium ion jump packs, specifically the Noco, tend to be pretty well charged even after sitting for six months to a year.

I have also found that the sealed lead acid jump pack in my truck tends to lose charge after only a few months.

 

[TheOilWizard]

For just a few dollars on amazon you can buy an Ancel battery tester - at most 40 bucks, they were under 20 around black friday - posted here. They are fairly accurate - or enough to know whether you need a new battery or not. I have been using one for years.

That being said, yes 6 years is a good life for a car battery. I seldom get that long.

The battery testers are nice. I try to test mine every oil change at minimum.

That said, I'm hesitant to rely on them with much confidence. I've seen batteries pass the test during an oil change only to fail a couple months later. Older battery, pass or not, seems I would still consider replacing it if finances allowed.

Admittedly, there could be something I'm doing wrong or do not understand about the process.

 

[The motor guy]

Do you have a volt meter?
Voltage taken first thing in the morning tells a lot. Voltage taken after start-up tells more.
As mentioned, smart move.

My car cranked a tad slower than usual when I began a trip to the dead center of Nassau County, Hicksville.
Simultaneously, there was a Sears battery commercial on the radio and a Sears at the end of the exit ramp.
I figured it was a magic message. I just rolled up and said, "Put one in".

I remember one time I did this and the parts guy thought I was nuts. Pretty sure he took my perfectly fine 4 year old battery and put it in his car. Not like they ever die at a convenient time.