How often do you replace your battery ?

Patman · Sep 12, 2003

If I get to the 4-5 year mark I start getting prepared to buy a new battery, just to be safe for the cold winter.

My battery started showing me signs last winter that it was getting weaker, especially on those -10F mornings, so I knew I'd be replacing it before the winter of 2003/2004. A couple of weeks ago I was sitting in my car listening to the radio for 20min and when I went to start it, the starter barely had enough power to turn over the engine, luckily it caught in time. And this was on an 80F day. So that weekend I went out and bought a new one. I've had the car two years, and when I got it I knew the battery had to be at least a couple of years old by the looks of it.

Batteries are cheap, I got one from Walmart for $69 CDN ($50US) and it's 650cca vs the 550cca of the stock ones and most other aftermarkets. This new one is made by Energizer actually.

My wife's Civic is getting close to 4 years old now, so I'm keeping a close eye on her battery too. I'll see how it starts up once the weather turns colder, and at the first sign of weakness she'll get a new battery too.

Chris142 · Sep 12, 2003

quote:

Originally posted by BOBISTHEOILGUY:

Myself, I have a 400 watt linear amp on my cb

Dang! I thought I was a big strapper with a 250watt one

I don't get much life out of batteries (even w/o the fire in the wire).

They usually die well before the prorated warranty is up. My newest one is an "Orbital" by Exide. I have had it a year and it's ok so far.

Scali62 · Sep 13, 2003

I've got a 1000 amp marine starting battery in my 4 cyl. Japanese pickup, overkill but I had bought it for a boat that I sold.. It's over 2 years old now & still seems to be in good shape. I'll check the battery to see how if it's rated , I should be good to go for a couple more yrs.

thanks,

Mike_dup1 · Sep 13, 2003

I had a young college kid working for me for several summers on my survey crew. He would work Walmart while in school. He warned me to avoid Walmart batteries. They have a high failure rate but they are cheap and thats what attract buyers.

btw
I went till 2000 on the oem battery in the 1993 Lumina sedan. Just started to turn over very slowly in the cold weather. Could not find another AC Delco in stock anywhere, so got Interstate. 3 yrs and still ticking.....

[ September 13, 2003, 03:42 PM: Message edited by: Mike ]

MustangGT · Sep 13, 2003

The battery in my wife's 92' buick skylark lasted 10 years-original (replaced in 02'), had the car since new and we have some bad winters here too.

cousincletus · Sep 13, 2003

Just had the original Mopar battery fail in my 2001 Dodge pickup without warning (2 1/2 years old). Was at the bank, came out after about ten minutes and just a click. Never had one fail all of the sudden like that before. I was checking fuses and connections and wasn't even thinking about a dead battery at first. Anyway, called the Chrysler roadside assistance number and got a jump, took it directly to the dealer and they put a new Mopar in it without charging me a prorate. Thought that was pretty decent service. Hope this one lasts longer.
The longest I had a battery last was in an '88 Chevy S-10 pickup (base model with four cyl. and a five speed). Lasted nine years and was an AC/Delco.
Most batteries show signs of wearing out after about five years or so.

sbc350gearhead · Sep 13, 2003

Most OEM batteries I've had lasted about 5 yrs. The duralast batteries I replace them with, seem to last 7-8 yrs. I haven't had a battery go over 8 yrs yet.

Rick in PA · Sep 13, 2003

The lifespan of a battery usually depends on the cost and the warranty offered with the battery will give you an idea of what that is. It all depends on how much lead they pack into the battery, more lead = more life = more cost. Of course there are the exceptions to this rule of thumb (see the nine year battery above).

I use a battery load tester, usually in the fall, preparing for winter. The load tester contains a fairly hefty heating element that draws a lot of current. If you load test and the voltage holds-up, the battery is OK. If you load test and the voltage drops-off, time for a new battery.

Myself, I wait for the battery to show signs of weakening before replacing (I'm cheap). I usually catch it in time, but there have been ocassions where I needed a jump.

greencrew · Sep 13, 2003

As soon as the engine begins starting hard I replace the battery. Then I get the largest CCA battery I can find.

labman · Sep 13, 2003

I have had a lot of bad luck with batteries, not only do they fail in about 3 years, but with no warning at all. The worst one was the OEM Delco in my 92 Grand AM. Started fine, drove about 2 miles to pick up my wife from work. After waiting 10 minutes, it was dead. Just enough slope to try drifting it. No go. Tried a jump from a friend. Wouldn't turn over. Accepted ride to where my daughter had my truck. Came back and tried again with the heavy duty jumper cables in my truck, no go. I finally took the battery out, and took it home and put it on an 8 amp charger over night. Still dead in the morning. The car didn't start until I went and bought a new battery and put it in.

The only ones I know with worse luck on a battery is Firestone. After the original one in my 77 LUV went bad, I bought one of their lifetime batteries.

I think all the short trip driving my wife and I do, kills our batteries.

goldfinger · Sep 13, 2003

My stock AC Delco lasted just over 3 years. I replaced it with a Exide on 10/00 so it's going on 3 years also. I thought I had killed it while putting my remote starter in because it was reading under 11v, but it charged back up and hasn't given me a problem yet. The real test will be the first cold day.

ruking77 · Sep 13, 2003

Every 10 years. I have had one go to 12 years. The batteries happened to be Panasonic batteries that came oem with Toyota Landcruisers 1987,1991,1994. The other cars are still too new

Cutehumor · Sep 13, 2003

quote:

Originally posted by Mike:
I had a young college kid working for me for several summers on my survey crew. He would work Walmart while in school. He warned me to avoid Walmart batteries. They have a high failure rate but they are cheap and thats what attract buyers.

I'm on my first walmart battery everlast, doing good eight months later. I researched and found that walmart everlast batteries are made by interstate

kinda like how walmart supertech filters are made by champion labs

I had autozone duralast battery last four years 3 months
OEM pontiac sunfire battery last 4 yrs almost to the dot

Scali62 · Sep 13, 2003

If she's still holding charge is it important to just install a new one as a precaution after 3 years or so, or can it just be tested from time to time as it's getting old to make sure all is OK ? What's the " lifespan " of your average battery also? thanks,

BOBISTHEOILGUY · Sep 13, 2003

loaded question as many batteries are rated for various years as tires are for various miles.

Myself, I have a 400 watt linear amp on my cb, which I leave on all the time, while car is parked over nite as well. If I get into the car and start it and it drags a bit, battery is time to be replaced. When I don't have a linear, I keep my radar detector on all the time. It puts just enough drain on the battery that if it suffers while starting due to this little drain, the battery is on its way out. A really good investment is one of those jumper boxes carried in the trunk. I've had occassion to help start others with it and when my alternator went out, I jumped myself, then pluged it into the lighter so to keep the lights going long enough to get home. Anyway, that's what I do.

Toy4x4 · Sep 13, 2003

I've got an Optima Red Top and will be coming up on three years shortly. No problems as of yet. Decided on one of these as I've heard great things about them and the Sears Diehard Sealed (

) battery the Optima replaced started to leak and corrode after a couple of years.

[ September 14, 2003, 02:04 AM: Message edited by: Toy4x4 ]

Shannow · Sep 13, 2003

First winter slow start, I'll add a "battery booster" additive. I've no idea what Cadmium sulfate does in a battery, but I get an extra reliable year out of them.

Usually the next winter I will then have a few mornings of poor cranking, then I trade it in for a new one.

Except for the two times when they have failed dead on me for no reason (one night in the middle of nowhere, I stopped for a leak, and there weren't even dashboard lights when I turned the key). I flagged down a jump start, and the batter seemed fine the next day, but I got rid of it anyway)

Mike_dup1 · Sep 13, 2003

quote:

I'm on my first walmart battery everlast, doing good eight months later. I researched and found that walmart everlast batteries are made by interstate

kinda like how walmart supertech filters are made by champion labs

I had autozone duralast battery last four years 3 months
OEM pontiac sunfire battery last 4 yrs almost to the dot [/QB]

He did tell me that Walmart kept changing the Battery brands. He worked in shipping and recieving. One time they tipped over a pallet of batteries, some broke but the rest went on the shelf to be sold. (He graduated this past spring, so the tales of his Walmart job are gone.)

Well just because Interstate may make the battery does not mean is the same qualtiy as a Interstate Battery. If that were the case, Walmart would sell Interstate batteries like K-Mark sells AC Delco. They want to sell cheap, so corners are cut in the production. Sure they may last but put a Walmart and an Intersate with the same rating side by side and I'd bet the Walmart would be the loser.

Batteries I have had in my company vehicles that I would never buy; all of these never lasted for more than 1 or 2 yrs but were supposed to last up to 2x more. In 30 yrs I never had an AC Delco fail before its time.

Napa
Wonch
Mopar

[ September 14, 2003, 09:22 AM: Message edited by: Mike ]

SHOZ · Sep 14, 2003

AFAIK Interstate just markets batteries. I don't think they are a manufacture. Johnson Controls makes most of the non-Exide batteries at WalMart. Johnson Controls is the manufacturer of the Sears DieHard too. They are the biggest car battery manufacture in the US. Exide is the pits.

Robbie Alexander · Sep 14, 2003

quote:

Originally posted by labman:
I have had a lot of bad luck with batteries, not only do they fail--snip--

Me too. Always blowing battery. Not the Battery per se because they are junk for my applications, it the way I use my auto, I start and stop 20-30-40-50-60+ times a day, unless some days I leave it idle all day (traveling ot not). All my autos except the early ones not EFI, don't last. I get 6 months to 8mo. on a cheap battery,
about 1 year to 1.5 year on a GOOD one,
On my Tacoma I've gone through 6-7 (maybe more) in 381K since 1997. If I can get aroung 1.5 to 2 years I'll change it even if it appears to be good just because of how hard I am on them.

How often do you replace your battery ?

Similar threads