Preemptively Replace Battery...OR not?
- Thread starter HowAboutThis
- Start date
Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
Is your current battery a flooded or AGM battery? If it's a flooded battery, does it have removeable cell caps? If so, then remove the caps and check water level. Add distilled water if needed.
Then put a smart trickle charger (battery tender) on it for at least 24 hrs. 48-72 hrs is ideal. Batteryminder 1500 (1.5A) is my favorite.
Then (for flooded or AGM battery) put a load tester on it. The load will report battery health/strength. Then no need to guess about battery health. If you don't have a battery load tester, you can buy a battery load tester from Amazon for $34 (free overnight shipping).
Some mechanic shops, some automotive electrical shops, and some autostores (such ad Oreilly I've heard) will test your battery for free (if you don't own a load tester).
There are many options.
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Another approach would be to replace battery next Fall, even if it's still functional at that time. This winter will be over within a month. If your battery functions through end of February, then it's probably good through Sept.
When you do replace the battery, the best battery deals that I know of are Walmart Everstart and whatever Rural King sells. Costco might be good for batteries too.
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Know what I'd do? Put a DMM across the posts on the battery and watch the voltage drop during cranking. Won't hurt anything.
My stepson refuses to replace a battery until it leaves him stranded. Only problem is I always have to bail him out. Last month he calls me at 7 am on a Sunday morning. He was stuck at a local bagel place. I went and gave him a jump and said what are we doing with this? He had just finished an all nighter so he wanted to do it at 5 pm. I said nope. I have stuff to do. Leave the keys with your wife. I'll fix it.
Here's the BIG problem: My brother sells batteries but the warehouse isn't open on Sunday so we were at the mercy of the auto parts store. Battery ended up costing 320 dollars. I called my brother and asked how much it would have been from him. 180.
Maybe next time Dodo will pay attention when I suggest being proactive.
Here's the BIG problem: My brother sells batteries but the warehouse isn't open on Sunday so we were at the mercy of the auto parts store. Battery ended up costing 320 dollars. I called my brother and asked how much it would have been from him. 180.
Maybe next time Dodo will pay attention when I suggest being proactive.
This doesn't make sense (to wait) on so many levels.
My car, I wait until I get a sign that the battery has weakened. Family members get a new battery at the 5-year mark, regardless, unless it's my wife, she has CAA. 
Patman
Staff member
But then at what point do you determine is a good time? I hear about people replacing batteries every 3-4 years and here I am at ten years and my Honda battery is still going strong. I would have spent a lot of money replacing batteries all these years. And I have roadside assistance anyway so other than the inconvenience it doesn’t cost me anything extra to wait until my battery either fails or shows severe degradation on a cold start. That’s what happened with the last battery I needed, which was a 9 year old Everstart Maxx in my 06 Civic. After a cold start where the battery sounded weak, I immediately went to Walmart and bought a new one. And even if that battery completely died, I could have walked to Walmart to get a battery, it was less than a km away. And where I’m living now I can walk to Carquest if the battery dies at home.
I was stranded at Stateline, Nevada once over an bad battery. Had to have a tow back to Las Vegas-thirty miles with Auto Club.. Never again. I replace mine at 5 years. I don't care.
And in "The West" you could be stuck in a whole lot worse places-simply not worth it.
BTW-you are not going to have a battery last ten years since your last replacement. File that under "it's not going to happen". At least anecdotally.
Good thing you don’t live in the Arizona desert where it can be 118F. You wouldn’t want to wait for AAA or walk. Could and has been fatal.
Patman
Staff member
“a few”
No, he won’t.
He won’t become proactive until you stop bailing him out.
Let him be stranded once, and then he will start changing his behavior.
The general consensus seems to be batteries are not once what they use to be. There are always outliers.
I wanted to say this but didn't.
Patman
Staff member
That’s right. He said file it under things that won’t happen and I countered with the fact that it can. Maybe it’s more rare nowadays but it’s still possible. I’m one of those people who manages to get very long life out of a battery so I’m pretty confident in being able to get a battery to last a lot longer than 3-4 years. So therefore I’m not in the camp of spending money on replacing batteries too early just for convenience. If I am inconvenienced once every 7-10 years then so be it.
My Dad got almost 10 years out of the OEM battery in his AMC Concord. He switched it out proactively because my sister needed a car for a 6-week stint downstate and he didn't want her to get stranded with a dead battery, otherwise, I think he'd have continued to let it ride until it gave out.
Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
Next time refuse to help him until your brother's warehouse is open.
I hate to admit this, but I had to pay way more for an Oreilly Superstart G34 because my cousin and I were stranded in my car the prior winter. No start. Wouldn't jump.
The nearest Oreilly store manager brought us a new G34 battery, which cost around $230 for battery. Delivery and install was a free favor.
Walmart sells the same battery under Walmart Everstart name for $140, but we had no way to get to Walmart and Wally doesn't deliver nor install batteries.
After that I spent an additional $35 for a battery load tester and $51 for a Batteryminder 1500 smart trickle charger/tender. I also now keep a set of basic tools in my trunk. I'm not getting stranded and overpaying for another battery again.
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Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
The last 2 batteries that stranded me gave no signs of gradually weakening. They died without warning.My car, I wait until I get a sign that the battery has weakened. Family members get a new battery at the 5-year mark, regardless, unless it's my wife, she has CAA.
I think that was because my car is stored in a heated garage (60-70F) where my battery can always start the car, but car and battery got cold went parked outdoors in winter when I was indoors at appointments. When I came outside again after 1+ hour appointment(s) and it wouldn't start. No prior warnings.
So now I own a smart battery maintainer and a load tester. I smart charge/maintain it to keep it healthy as long as possible, load test it at beginning and end of winter. Now I know how healthy it is and when to replace.
I also carry a good set of jumper cables. I always did, but sometimes a dead battery can't be jumped. So although jumper cables are usually salvation, sometimes they don't get it done. Prevention works best.
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