Time to get a new battery?

[OM605]

I did not drive my car for ten days, it is parked outside and when i tried to start it, it turned over so slowly that i needed maybe five attempts to get it to start. I've been driving a lot for the past few days and everything is fine now but the starter seems a little slow compared to what it used to be. I checked what the voltages are : 12.09V with the engine off, no draw except from the trunk light, 13.69V with the engine running at idle. Doesn't look like the alternator is the culprit but i know very little about this subject. The battery is 4 or 5 years old now.

 

[supton]

Sounds like it is time. Perhaps it was never fully charged up over time, and slowly died. You could hook up a smart charger, see if it wants to recover. Maybe with a full charge you can eek out some more life.

 

[GSCJR]

Yes, replace the battery. Your charging system voltage is good.

 

[researcher]

Just remember.. most alternators don't fully charge the battery on more modern (recent) vehicles. Not as quick as you think. You might want to put a proper battery charger on that battery, chrage it up fully, then see how it performs. Don't forget to do a load test, not just an "ear" test of how the starter sounds. Should do these things before condeming the battery, though 4-5 years old I do begin to suspect it

 

[MParr]

Time to replace the battery.

 

[bobdoo]

This is what you need:


It's a 3-LED battery charge indicator. It also is a plug-in for a Ctek charger.

Green is charged. Yellow could be charged. Red-charge it now!

I've got these on all my problem batteries: the cycle, the sump pump, the boat batteries. Anything that discharges batteries faster than I expect, and that must be stopped from sulfating.

 

[DrDanger]

12.09v less than an hour after the car is shut down is surface battery voltage.
If its more than 2 hours after car is turned off its the batteries real voltage, indicating roughly 50-60% charge.
There are tables showing you the voltage related to battery charge (health).
How low can you go... well below 12v is getting pretty sketchy.

 

[TheLawnRanger]

After four years, change the battery at the first sign of impending failure. Four years is a number I've always heard and isn't scientific. I've had a battery quit after only a couple of years that was a major brand.

 

[OM605]

Thanks everyone, i'll put a charger on it for a whole night and we'll see if it can revive it a little longer, otherwise i'll buy a new one just for peace of mind. Does the brand matter? I'm tempted to buy the biggest possible battery that fits into my car but from an store brand.

 

[OM605]

Also, is it worth paying extra for an AGM battery? I don't drive short distances but my car is just driven on week ends.

 

[GMBoy]

Thanks everyone, i'll put a charger on it for a whole night and we'll see if it can revive it a little longer, otherwise i'll buy a new one just for peace of mind. Does the brand matter? I'm tempted to buy the biggest possible battery that fits into my car but from an store brand.

Best bang for the buck is the WalMart Everstart battery.

 

[GMBoy]

Also, is it worth paying extra for an AGM battery? I don't drive short distances but my car is just driven on week ends.

An AGM will serve you well in your case.

 

[Sayjac]

Best bang for the buck is the WalMart Everstart battery.

Price and warranty wise (3year full for Maxx) I have found that to be a true statement. Checking recently, noticed the price had jumped ~$20 on battery Groups I've been keeping an eye on. That said, it's all relative and still best value around. Just wish I could find more of the East Penn made batteries in WM stores in this area. The Clarios/JC batteries seem to predominate. Don't think this helps OP though as display location shows France.

To topic, think it's a good OP going to put it on a charger just to see if he can revive it before replacing. It's what I would try and I don't think it can hurt. Not driving for 10 days didn't help.

 

[zzyzzx]

My voltage first thing in the morning is around 11.5V on a 4 year old battery that was nearly a year old when I got it, and my car starts just fine. And this is a battery that a rat chewed a hole on too.

 

[GSCJR]

Shop by CCA (OE or more), then price. Brand doesn't matter, probably Bosch or Varta made where you are, and AGMs are not worth it in my opinion. @Trav might be more helpful on the topic of brands.

 

[Astro14]

None of your cars require an AGM but your battery is weak. 12.09 is nowhere near charged. An hour run after being nearly dead isn’t enough to charge it.

Personally, I would replace it, but if you like, a good, overnight charge on an automatic charger might help.

 

[OM605]

It is charging at the moment, we'll see. 12.09V was after 3 hours of driving. Ambient temp around freezing if it matters.

 

[UncleDave]

One can drive cross country and the battery won't be fully charged.

Alternators aren't great chargers (unless you attach a third party kit from palmar or something like that)

They are "good enough".

Like astro says a smart charger overnight will help you out and let you know where the battery really is in terms of what its holding.

 

[Nick1994]

What do you mean there is no draw except for the trunk light?

 

[OM605]

The battery is in the trunk, therefore the "dome light" of the trunk was on when i checked the voltage at the terminals.