I'd have more confidence in the old battery vs a new battery just cause I know the history with the old one. What if the new one turns out to be a lemon.
Battery lifespan question ????
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Originally Posted By: Duffyjr
I'd have more confidence in the old battery vs a new battery just cause I know the history with the old one. What if the new one turns out to be a lemon.
New batteries do fail-but not often. Old batteries will fail-it's just a matter of when.
I'd have more confidence in the old battery vs a new battery just cause I know the history with the old one. What if the new one turns out to be a lemon.
New batteries do fail-but not often. Old batteries will fail-it's just a matter of when.
There are several things that go into determining a batteries life span. A good charging system and low average temperature helps a battery last.
In general most chemical reactions will happen twice as fast for every increase in temperature of 10 degree Celsius (18 degree Fahrenheit), or happen half as fast for every decrease of 10 degree Celsius (18 degree Fahrenheit). So for every decrease of 10 degree Celsius that a battery is kept at it should last twice as long. This explains why batteries in vehicles in a hot climate like Arizona may only last two year, while the same battery in a cold climate Canada may last 10 years. Also, something as simple as keeping the vehicle in a garage that is cooler because it is built into a hill side can mean a significant improvement in the life of a battery, compared to parking it in the hot sun all summer. The average ambient temperature that the battery is exposed to plays a huge role in determining the life expectancy of a battery.
And when a battery does fail, it can be over several days, or all at once. I replace the batteries in both of our vehicles when they get to 4.75 years old even if they test good. With the climate here in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania they seam to last at least 5 years, and putting a new battery in at 4.75 years is cheap insurance against getting stranded.
In general most chemical reactions will happen twice as fast for every increase in temperature of 10 degree Celsius (18 degree Fahrenheit), or happen half as fast for every decrease of 10 degree Celsius (18 degree Fahrenheit). So for every decrease of 10 degree Celsius that a battery is kept at it should last twice as long. This explains why batteries in vehicles in a hot climate like Arizona may only last two year, while the same battery in a cold climate Canada may last 10 years. Also, something as simple as keeping the vehicle in a garage that is cooler because it is built into a hill side can mean a significant improvement in the life of a battery, compared to parking it in the hot sun all summer. The average ambient temperature that the battery is exposed to plays a huge role in determining the life expectancy of a battery.
And when a battery does fail, it can be over several days, or all at once. I replace the batteries in both of our vehicles when they get to 4.75 years old even if they test good. With the climate here in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania they seam to last at least 5 years, and putting a new battery in at 4.75 years is cheap insurance against getting stranded.
the Walmart maxxxstart in the buick has a date sticker of 10/09, and it still starts right up after almost 8 years of florida living.
test it, if it tests okay, keep on trucking!
test it, if it tests okay, keep on trucking!
Thanks for all the advice. I had the battery tested at a local shop. It failed and now I have a new Deka battery. 85 bucks is cheaper than a stranded, stressed out wife.
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Got to laugh at all the recommendations to "have it tested." If a battery is starting the car with no noticeable changes, its GOING to pass the cheesy little load test. And then it could still fail tomorrow. The tests are kinda meaningless unless something wonky is already going on and you're trying to decide "battery or charging system?"
Not really. Ive had a couple batteries that started fine but were down to 500CCA, from 700-800 new. I replaced them.
Got to laugh at all the recommendations to "have it tested." If a battery is starting the car with no noticeable changes, its GOING to pass the cheesy little load test. And then it could still fail tomorrow. The tests are kinda meaningless unless something wonky is already going on and you're trying to decide "battery or charging system?"
Not really. Ive had a couple batteries that started fine but were down to 500CCA, from 700-800 new. I replaced them.
Good decision on the replacement. Just going to work, I would run them till it acted up. Going camping is another story. My Diehard Gold went bad last fall at 3.5 years. With all the electrical demands placed on batteries today, you are lucky to get 5 years from them.
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I usually don't get more than 7 years from a battery. They will just one day quit, by losing a cell. Replacing every 5 seems prudent. My wife's Camry seemed to struggle a bit one cold winter, but still started; so I took the hint and replaced it prior to the following winter. I suspect this fall I should do likewise on my truck as I killed the battery last winter by accident, and this winter will make it a 7 year old battery.
I just made a new record for me in battery longevity. My old '94 dodge Cummins with 2 Autozone Group 27 batteries finally got slow to start. I had a Battery Minder on them but they wouldn't improve. So I pulled them saw the date was 06/06-11 years old!! Tested with a VOM and one was 10.5V and the other 12.9. Replace with 2 new and now tested the old good battery still at 12.9, 12.6 after a 10sec load test. This truck is on dirt washboard roads 40% of it's milage. I'm impressed.....
Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Got to laugh at all the recommendations to "have it tested." If a battery is starting the car with no noticeable changes, its GOING to pass the cheesy little load test. And then it could still fail tomorrow. The tests are kinda meaningless unless something wonky is already going on and you're trying to decide "battery or charging system?"
Not really. Ive had a couple batteries that started fine but were down to 500CCA, from 700-800 new. I replaced them.
Yep, it's not just a go - no go test.
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Got to laugh at all the recommendations to "have it tested." If a battery is starting the car with no noticeable changes, its GOING to pass the cheesy little load test. And then it could still fail tomorrow. The tests are kinda meaningless unless something wonky is already going on and you're trying to decide "battery or charging system?"
Not really. Ive had a couple batteries that started fine but were down to 500CCA, from 700-800 new. I replaced them.
Yep, it's not just a go - no go test.
If you are going to replace a battery based on it's CCA value as tested, it's worth remembering that the CCA rating of a battery is at 0 Deg F. Any load test you have done obviously isn't going to be at that temperature so the test equipment infers the CCA rating rather than actually measuring it. I'd have a hard time believing that is super accurate.
The battery in my 92 Cavalier is an O'reilly's top of the line battery with a date code of 06/09 and it still starts fine.
Originally Posted By: pkunk
I just made a new record for me in battery longevity. My old '94 dodge Cummins with 2 Autozone Group 27 batteries finally got slow to start. I had a Battery Minder on them but they wouldn't improve. So I pulled them saw the date was 06/06-11 years old!! Tested with a VOM and one was 10.5V and the other 12.9. Replace with 2 new and now tested the old good battery still at 12.9, 12.6 after a 10sec load test. This truck is on dirt washboard roads 40% of it's milage. I'm impressed.....
I know someone who finally replaced the two factory Ford batteries in his 1994 7.3L F-Super Duty dump truck....after 20 years.
Originally Posted By: barryh
If you are going to replace a battery based on it's CCA value as tested, it's worth remembering that the CCA rating of a battery is at 0 Deg F. Any load test you have done obviously isn't going to be at that temperature so the test equipment infers the CCA rating rather than actually measuring it. I'd have a hard time believing that is super accurate.
I use a Midtronics conductance tester. Seems fairly accurate. My Group 65 Walamrt Maxx batteries are rated 850CCA. A brand new one will register about 870 and over the years will slowly drift down until it makes a sudden dive. My last one went to 445CCA. I know its going off a cliff so I replace it.
I just made a new record for me in battery longevity. My old '94 dodge Cummins with 2 Autozone Group 27 batteries finally got slow to start. I had a Battery Minder on them but they wouldn't improve. So I pulled them saw the date was 06/06-11 years old!! Tested with a VOM and one was 10.5V and the other 12.9. Replace with 2 new and now tested the old good battery still at 12.9, 12.6 after a 10sec load test. This truck is on dirt washboard roads 40% of it's milage. I'm impressed.....
I know someone who finally replaced the two factory Ford batteries in his 1994 7.3L F-Super Duty dump truck....after 20 years.
Originally Posted By: barryh
If you are going to replace a battery based on it's CCA value as tested, it's worth remembering that the CCA rating of a battery is at 0 Deg F. Any load test you have done obviously isn't going to be at that temperature so the test equipment infers the CCA rating rather than actually measuring it. I'd have a hard time believing that is super accurate.
I use a Midtronics conductance tester. Seems fairly accurate. My Group 65 Walamrt Maxx batteries are rated 850CCA. A brand new one will register about 870 and over the years will slowly drift down until it makes a sudden dive. My last one went to 445CCA. I know its going off a cliff so I replace it.
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Originally Posted By: barryh
Any load test you have done obviously isn't going to be at that temperature so the test equipment infers the CCA rating rather than actually measuring it. I'd have a hard time believing that is super accurate.
Batteries rely on a chemical reaction; and the rate of chemical reactions have a very predictable response to temperature changes.
Any load test you have done obviously isn't going to be at that temperature so the test equipment infers the CCA rating rather than actually measuring it. I'd have a hard time believing that is super accurate.
Batteries rely on a chemical reaction; and the rate of chemical reactions have a very predictable response to temperature changes.
Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
I use a Midtronics conductance tester. Seems fairly accurate. My Group 65 Walamrt Maxx batteries are rated 850CCA. A brand new one will register about 870 and over the years will slowly drift down until it makes a sudden dive. My last one went to 445CCA. I know its going off a cliff so I replace it.
Colt45ws is a man who gets it. I am always surprised at all the hand wringing and guessing that goes on when it comes to batteries, charging systems, and starting systems. If you are concerned about the state of your battery in any vehicle, you need accurate information on a continuous basis. I recommend the Midtronics PBT300. It will tell you the state of your battery in seconds both in terms of voltage and CCAs. It will also tell you instantly if you have a bad cell. It uses the same algorithums used by many car dealers to warranty a battery (for example our BMW dealer uses a Midtonics tester to warranty all batteries).
I use mine to monitor the state of the batteries in all my vehicles at least once per week. Typcially, many new batteries will show a CCA well over the number printed on the battery. For example, the battery in my wifes 2017 BMW 330i is rated at 900 CCA but tests at almost 1,100 CCA when at full charge. As Colt45ws correctly observed,over time as a battery ages, the peak CCA reading will gradually go down. When it gets to a certain level it will simply fail to start the car even if the voltage showing is within spec. I expect maximum reliability from my vehicles and replace any battery that is approaching a max of 60% of original CCA especially for a car my wife drives.
The PBT300 will also easily test your charging and starting systems.
https://www.amazon.com/s?field-keywords=midtronics+pbt+300
I use a Midtronics conductance tester. Seems fairly accurate. My Group 65 Walamrt Maxx batteries are rated 850CCA. A brand new one will register about 870 and over the years will slowly drift down until it makes a sudden dive. My last one went to 445CCA. I know its going off a cliff so I replace it.
Colt45ws is a man who gets it. I am always surprised at all the hand wringing and guessing that goes on when it comes to batteries, charging systems, and starting systems. If you are concerned about the state of your battery in any vehicle, you need accurate information on a continuous basis. I recommend the Midtronics PBT300. It will tell you the state of your battery in seconds both in terms of voltage and CCAs. It will also tell you instantly if you have a bad cell. It uses the same algorithums used by many car dealers to warranty a battery (for example our BMW dealer uses a Midtonics tester to warranty all batteries).
I use mine to monitor the state of the batteries in all my vehicles at least once per week. Typcially, many new batteries will show a CCA well over the number printed on the battery. For example, the battery in my wifes 2017 BMW 330i is rated at 900 CCA but tests at almost 1,100 CCA when at full charge. As Colt45ws correctly observed,over time as a battery ages, the peak CCA reading will gradually go down. When it gets to a certain level it will simply fail to start the car even if the voltage showing is within spec. I expect maximum reliability from my vehicles and replace any battery that is approaching a max of 60% of original CCA especially for a car my wife drives.
The PBT300 will also easily test your charging and starting systems.
https://www.amazon.com/s?field-keywords=midtronics+pbt+300
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I use a Clore Solar BA7 battery tester and for something a bit expensive for a tester it's paid off itself many times. I used it to monitor the health of my 4 year old Diehard Plat (Odyssey) battery in my truck and the CCA still tests as a brand new flooded lead acid battery.
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