Preemptively Replace Battery...OR not?

[f355spider]

Battery on my Toyota Tundra went 14 years. I only changed it because I started to see the CCA slip during one of my checks during an oil change. Probably could have easily gone another 6 months to a year, as the degregation seemed slight...but my GF daily drives it and didn't want to risk it.

I'd keep going if I owned a battery tester and can test it at least every 4 months or so. Once you see it start to degrade, then decide if how much longer you want to go.

 

[Kira]

Too bad there is no set of substantiated lifespans.

Nobody has mentioned the frequent "first hot day" fails.
I believe those are broken bridges (the lead links between the cells).
When that happens, the circuit is broken and the battery is of no use.

 

[Patman]

I’m in this situation with both of my cars. My 2016 Civic and 2018 Corvette are both on the OEM batteries and both show no signs of any issues. I typically get very long lives from my batteries though, so I hate the idea of replacing them too soon. I might just do the Civic battery in the fall and then the Corvette battery next year. We’ll see

 

[fdcg27]

I can't see how anyone obsesses about battery replacement.
The cost of a replacement battery is so small relative to the costs of owning and running a car while the potential cost of an unexpected failure is so high that replacing the battery proactively would seem to be sensible.
Five years seems like a good number to me and it won't matter whether you buy it from the dealer, Costco, Batteries+ or Joe's Battery store, since they're all from the same manufactures.

 

[nobb]

Get a battery tester and check the condition regularly. Batteries usually don't just fail out of the blue. If the winters get to - 20C or below where you are, I'd probably replace the battery when it gets to 70% of the CCA rating. In more tempered climates I'd have no issue running a battery until 40-50% of CCA.

 

[John105]

I’ll state the unpopular and rather boring suggestion. Load test the battery and go by the results. If said results aren’t to one’s liking, start a new thread and ask again.

 

[John105]

I can't see how anyone obsesses about battery replacement.
The cost of a replacement battery is so small relative to the costs of owning and running a car while the potential cost of an unexpected failure is so high that replacing the battery proactively would seem to be sensible.
Five years seems like a good number to me and it won't matter whether you buy it from the dealer, Costco, Batteries+ or Joe's Battery store, since they're all from the same manufactures.

What I think, really. There are plenty of people who try their best to conserve resources be it money or natural resources. Some even run small to large businesses and deploy what they’ve learned to their home life. That’s why some not all don’t subscribe to the just replace it mantra. A battery at costco now has no replacement warranty (never had one fail, just wear out), and for a 24F it was I think $120. Started at $79.

$120 is not a lot to the median person here. But there are actually folks who won’t pay $130 nor $65 to even join Costco because the fee matters.

Again I’d just go with the science but respect those who don’t as life is too short

 

[Nukeman7]

These align with most of my thoughts. Just tested the voltage and such with my cheap Viking tester. 12.56V after sitting overnight, almost 100% charged, 390CCA showing even though the battery is rated 356CCA.

I replaced my old Panasonic Honda batteries every 10 years preemptively.

My commute is now within about 8 miles of home instead of 35. We've got AAA and the dealership is about 5 minutes from my current job. And Costco is about 5 minutes from home
I'm thinking I'll roll the dice and wait a bit longer...

I'd suggest going to your local AutoZone, Advance Auto or O'Reilly auto parts store and get the battery tested for free. That would give you independent secondary data to validate the accuracy of your cheap HF Viking tester. If the results are similar and showing above the rated 356 CCA, I'd not replace the battery until it dropped to <300 CCA. Perhaps pick up a jump pack on sale as insurance against getting stranded in a desolate location.

Also, there are recent threads on BITOG that indicate swapping an AGM into a car with a charging system profile designed for a flooded lead-acid battery will shorten the AGMs lifespan. As such, when it is time to buy a replacement, I'd get whichever type was OEM with the Toyota. I'd also follow @sky jumper's advice about buying a Duracell battery at Sam's Club (or an EverStart battery at WalMart with a SKU number that starts with "EP", signifying East Penn as the manufacturer).

 

[930.engineering]

.
My Mini Cooper's AGM battery is 13 years old. It turns the engine
over quickly after winter night. I'd notice (hear) way before it fails.
.

 

[RaymondP]

9-year-old BMW 3 series car/AGM Varta H8 battery. Watching availability at both Walmart and Costco. Alternative retailers significantly higher priced but not convinced of any advantages for paying the extra. Battery turns engine but shows some tiredness after a few days without driving. Stop/Start still activates, though I mostly drive with it disengaged.

When I do replace the battery with similar, will have to reset the system to tell it a new AGM battery has been installed, as the charging algorithm will alter for the new battery. Will see if I get through the summer.

 

[oilstudent24]

I have had a couple fairly new Toyota batteries leak acid within a year or so. The East Penn one in the same vehicle has been fine. Not a fan of JCI or Clarios personally. Do not know about their AGM offerings. I would stay with a flooded battery if that’s what it came with.

 

[Greenbeforeblue]

I replace the battery in my truck after five years service for two reasons. One, it's my only vehicle apart from two motorcycles. Two, every time I put the key in the ignition I have the intention of going someplace and haven't built in time to deal with dead battery.

 

[PandaBear]

OEM Toyota battery that is 8 years old. Still showing OK with a cheap digital load tester. I'm thinking of either a Toyota replacement or Costco/Interstate AGM replacement. Is 8 years pushing my luck? Should I be preemptive? Costco AGM or Toyota flooded or Costco flooded?

Opinions...and...1-2-3...GO!

In a hybrid I'd just wait. Mine is 10 year and still going strong. It is hard to tell without knowing your location and what kind of quality your replacement is as well.

 

[DuckRyder]

Frankly there is almost no part that I’d rather have a new one than a still good 8 year old one.

Absolutely no way it replace an OEM battery testing good…

 

[meep]

Agreeing with @DuckRyder. Spend the money on a nice lithium jump pack.

 

[Elkins45]

The original battery in my 2017 Titan still tests good but in February I bought a $179 Walmart AGM prior to a fishing trip to Florida. I didn’t install it, just put it in the passenger floor along with some tools and took it with me. Of course, since I had a spare the original EFB worked fine. I still haven’t replaced it but the truck has only been driven once since that trip.

I hate removing a battery that’s still functional but after eight years I figure it’s probably living on borrowed time.

 

[BrendanC]

i run my batteries to failure. let it keep going!

 

[4wheeldog]

I only have one question for the OP……Are you married or in a committed relationship? Does your mate also use the vehicle?
My criteria for battery replacement is when the battery tests 75% of its original rating.
If my wife didn’t drive the vehicle I would be tempted to go to 50% or maybe outright failure. But replacing an 8 year old battery is a no brainer if you value your relationship.

 

[Sumboodie]

The only way I've gotten 6+ years out of a car battery is to keep it on a battery tender when it's not being used. But as to the original post - it depends on how good you are at guesstimating when and where your battery will conk out and leave you stranded. Is your safety or the safety of your family worth the gamble ??? Y M M V

Depends on the battery too.

I've seen 15+ years on group 31s

 

[Marlin39a]

My factory Toyota Tundra battery died after 4 1/2 years. On a 110 degree day, it sounded a loud pop, and it was gone. Thought I would go 5 years, but it didn’t. The Camaro is just over 3 years old, and I’m replacing soon.