Quite impressive to see this car still able to start
- Thread starter iCurious
- Start date
JHZR2
Staff member
Why?
It’s a small 4 cylinder with probably low compression.
A battery from 2019 isnt that old. Our two primary vehicles are doing fine with 2020 batteries. Climate and care play into it a lot. A corolla doesn’t have many electronics and loads. We used to get 10 years out of batteries in cars with no keyless/power windows/doors
The test wasn’t performed at full charge, so the result is suspect. Still, 12.2v/9mOhm = 1355A of short circuit current. A starter that only needs a few hundred amps max is fine. It’s not 0F.
It’s a small 4 cylinder with probably low compression.
A battery from 2019 isnt that old. Our two primary vehicles are doing fine with 2020 batteries. Climate and care play into it a lot. A corolla doesn’t have many electronics and loads. We used to get 10 years out of batteries in cars with no keyless/power windows/doors
The test wasn’t performed at full charge, so the result is suspect. Still, 12.2v/9mOhm = 1355A of short circuit current. A starter that only needs a few hundred amps max is fine. It’s not 0F.
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My father and I used a Schumacher battery load tester.. one of the old box type ones with a manual gauge and the big copper coil in it to test his golf cart batteries. Just for the heck of it we tested the battery in his 2017 Nissan Rogue. 12.1 volts, 200 amps! Even though the car was starting he replaced the battery that day.
I used the same tester to test the battery on the Lexus, came out at 12.6 volts, 850 amps. A week later the Lexus battery died. Dad blamed the tester for killing that battery.
I used the same tester to test the battery on the Lexus, came out at 12.6 volts, 850 amps. A week later the Lexus battery died. Dad blamed the tester for killing that battery.
Patman
Staff member
My 2016 Civic is still on the original battery. Same with my 2018 Corvette.
The big honking V8 in my Tundra (ok it was the itty bitty 4.6) was starting just fine on a 10 year old Panasonic. In winter no less with 5W30, regardless of ambient temps. Replaced proactively as it just seemed wrong to push my luck further.
But... the one time the battery drained down to 9V (no idea why, nothing was left on--and this was a few years before it was replaced), I gave it a jump from my running car. I hooked up the cables and went to check to see if the lights would come on. For no good reason I elected to just try the key--in years past, I would hook up the cables, and all I'd get was a click. Wait a few, then it would crank, but too slowly. Wait a few more, hope that it'd work this time...
What did it do? it simply fired up to life! Modern starters are reduction gear affairs and barely need anything it seems to crank the engine. And once it's running, the battery is just a big ole noise filter (assuming you aren't running a massive stereo).
So I don't worry about oversizing the battery all that much anymore, at least not if it's more modern. Not unless if peak loads are well past the alternator loading.
But... the one time the battery drained down to 9V (no idea why, nothing was left on--and this was a few years before it was replaced), I gave it a jump from my running car. I hooked up the cables and went to check to see if the lights would come on. For no good reason I elected to just try the key--in years past, I would hook up the cables, and all I'd get was a click. Wait a few, then it would crank, but too slowly. Wait a few more, hope that it'd work this time...
What did it do? it simply fired up to life! Modern starters are reduction gear affairs and barely need anything it seems to crank the engine. And once it's running, the battery is just a big ole noise filter (assuming you aren't running a massive stereo).
So I don't worry about oversizing the battery all that much anymore, at least not if it's more modern. Not unless if peak loads are well past the alternator loading.
JHZR2
Staff member
Good points.
And those Panasonic batteries were excellent. The one in our 94 Previa lasted well beyond a decade.
The one in my ECHO as well.
Personally, I start getting leary of FLA's around 5 yrs. You can't stop sulfation unless you keep it hooked up to a good tender every night, which I do. Now there starting to make these FLA's non serviceable . Totally sealed across the top. Another bean counter idea. Customer can't add distilled water to them, so they dry up and die. My Honda has a starter that is a PITA to get to. Buried under the intake manifold. I changed it 1X. Nightmare job. Don't want it to suffer from " starter death" due to a low / bad battery. So, whenever it needs a battery, I go for the max CCA's and try to find one with the pop tops so I can add water and check battery. NY winters are rough on batteries, then they get cooked in the summer heat. My Toyota starter's are a joke to swap out. 20 min job. Not too concerned about those batteries. But, they are all hooked up to a Noco 2 Genius tenders. Ran fused wiring that come out the bumpers and just plug them in. One battery going on 8 yrs thanks to that Noco 2 Genius, and adding distilled water.
f355spider
$50 Site Donor 2025
The maximum CCA battery choice may not be the best, if longer life is desired. Particularly when the battery is the same exact case size as a lower CCA battery. According to a blog post from a battery engineer, to get more cca, requires more lead plates. More plates packed tighly together in the same size case means they can more easily short out from sulfation. He said the lower cca battery may in some cases last longer than the higher cca battery when the case sizes are the same.
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Yup, CCA is just a marketing gimmick. Higher CCA for the same sized battery requires more plate surface area, meaning thinner plates. When new, the higher CCA battery will provide better cold weather cranking performance, BUT if it's going to deteriorate faster than a lower CCA battery then is it really worth it.
Also, even if you got the lowest CCA rated battery for any particular size, chances are that CCA rating already far exceeds what the starter needs even in the worst cold start situation so why get more CCA than necessary if it's going to come at a cost of less durable plates.
f355spider
$50 Site Donor 2025
Going up a size to gain more cca would be an acceptable solution, if the space exists. Or a change in technology. Many higher performing AGMs have greater CCA than their flooded counterparts (not in all cases though).
Thanks for that info. Did not know that about the extra lead in the higher CCA's.,,leading to faster sulfation. I will put back the recommended CCA's for the car in the future, and save myself some money too !!! The higher the CCA's, the more expensive the battery. Thank you all for that information. Much appreciated 
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.....I used to just change batteries out every 4-5 yrs regardless. I’ve since became a battery charger geek after my last haul of new batteries in all 3 cars December of last year. I’m on a quest to see how long I can get before they start losing their health. I’m in Virginia for work and have 1 car on a Pulsetech, one car on a battery minder and my 3rd car at the airport. The BM is on a 21 Altima with a flooded and the wife’s 24 Altima is an agm being charged by a Pulsetech. After my 9 day trip I'm interested to see how these chargers fared and which one topped off better. They were bothering at 100% health before I left and well beyond the stated ccas.
When the state of charge is below about 75 % the meter may not give the correct cca reading.
Op, charge it and test it again.
My rule of thumb is if a charged fla battery test less than 1.1 X rated, replace it.
Op, charge it and test it again.
My rule of thumb is if a charged fla battery test less than 1.1 X rated, replace it.
