How long do your car batteries last?

[W2R]

My Solara battery also went at 2.5 years but they gave me a new one as they said it was under warranty !

Gee, I guess I really screwed up on that one! Oh well. It was within my budget, so no harm done.

 

[megacorp-firee]

Cripe, I just had to put a new battery into my 2002 Jetta. And it isn't like I abuse the battery, unless starting the car at 30 below is abuse.

That certainly qualifies ... my condolences for having to endure that.

 

[megacorp-firee]

Shoot, you guys are doing great. I would average 4 years in very hot Texas. Not only was the heat a killer, but it would get so dry that the scorpions would suck the water (acid and all) right out of the battery.

Now that is THRIST.

OTOH, I do have a set of tires for the Vette that are 37 years old and still have ~80% tread on them.
Needless to day, they are only special occasion.

I think you need to go out and enjoy that vette (on the road) a bit more

My experience in the cold climates of the midwest is about 5 -6 years on a battery.

 

[SteveR]

I put a new battery in my 2001 MDX this year which I not all that bad considering the heat and cold history it has seen from -20 (sorry REWahoo) to 120. I also tow it behind the RV so the battery gets more abuse from the axuilary braking system which requires 12 volts to run a vacuum pump while I am underway for 6-8 hours a day.

My 2003 Toyota Truck required a new battery last year but I think that was mostly due to the underuse of the truck and the battery staying in a low charge condition.

I have 6 batteries in my RV; 2 for the chassis and 4 for the coach. The chassis batteries are AGMs and should last quite a while as they tend to be less fragile that wet lead acid batteries. The coach batteries are 6 volt deep cycle and they get a lot of use. They might last 2-3 years at best. When they die I will go with AGMs which should go 10 years or more.

 

[xtradoe]

unless starting the car at 30 below is abuse.

I think there is something to this, I live in so cal and drove my 2004 Dakota to the midwest over the holidays, the first night it got pretty cold and the next morning it cranked over real hard, two days later the battery was trashed ..... I personally think the change in climate had something to do with the shorter battery life for sure.

 

[Texas Proud]

I had a car that was a battery KILLER... it was an 85 Cougar.. the longest I had a batter was 12 months... the second longest was 9.... one only lasted one week!!!

I originally bought one from KMart and they kept replacing it under warranty.. then they FINALLY said that they would not do it any more.... after 6 years and I think about 18 or so batteries...

I then went to Wal-Mart and bought another... and had an additional 10 in about 4 or 5 years... the batter was 'small', I had an electronic dash, there was no heat shield on the battery and it HOT under that hood...

The one that lasted one week developed what the guy said was 'hammer lock'... it tested as a good battery as it was putting out the necessary power as long as it was not starting the car... but when you needed it all to start, BAM.. no power....

My GM car went maybe 4 or 5 years... my Acura is just over 4 and going good.. but this is Houston and that is about all you can expect...

 

[Hillbilly]

I'll take my truck battery up to around the 6 to 8 year range. But the DW's, that is a different story. It gets change at 3 years regardless. I travel too much and don't want the phone call (if I can cheaply avoid) that the battery is dead. Some things are just not worth the risk .

 

[travelover]

Off topic, but interesting to me.

Regarding the temperature effect on batteries, the big battery (NiMH) in my hybrid has it own climate control system. The computer monitors the battery temperature and actually turns on the A/C to cool it as necessary. Similarly, when it is too cold, the amount of charge or discharge is limited until it warms up.

 

[free4now]

Yep, leaving the lights on really does ruin battery life... I used to have a car that didn't have any reminder or auto shut off for the headlights, and I was going through new batteries about every 3 years as I would leave the lights on once every 1-2 years and drain the battery all the way down. I ended up making very well on my Kragen battery warranty. Taking the battery down to empty is really bad for it.

 

[martyb]

I finally had to replace the factory battery in my 98 F150. It was still working but getting a little puny on cold mornings. The original was made in Sept. of 97. The replacement battery is a NAPA Select rated a best value by Consumer Reports. Let's hope they do batteries better than they do investments.

I've got the same truck (98 F-150) and I replaced my original battery just recently too. I guess Ford had a pretty good batch of batteries back in '98!

 

[SC]

My car batteries have always failed within a year after the warranty expires. If I buy a 5 year battery, it usually fails at around 5 years and 2 months.

I'm really surprised to see most people in this thread getting a lot more time from their batteries. Based on my experiences, I'd guessed that the battery makers had the longevity down to a science, to get past the warranty period but no further.

 

[ERD50]

My car batteries have always failed within a year after the warranty expires. If I buy a 5 year battery, it usually fails at around 5 years and 2 months.

I'm really surprised to see most people in this thread getting a lot more time from their batteries. Based on my experiences, I'd guessed that the battery makers had the longevity down to a science, to get past the warranty period but no further.

Smart thing about battery (and tire warranties) is that they are *pro-rated*. This makes so much sense to me. If your battery dies after 2 years on a 4 year warranty - they credit you 50% of the price. 25% after 3 years, etc.

Doesn't that make more sense than a typical One Year warranty? Dead on day 365 - 100% covered. Dead on day 366 - zilch (unless you complain, and *maybe* get a grace period).


-ERD50

 

[UncleHoney]

I've got the same truck (98 F-150) and I replaced my original battery just recently too. I guess Ford had a pretty good batch of batteries back in '98!

Other than gas the F150 is about the least expensive vehicle I've ever owned.

So far on mine the only expenses (53K miles) outside of gas and oil have been;

idle air control valve $45
fuel pump $200, I replaced it myself
front brake pads ~$45
battery $85

 

[Texas Proud]

Smart thing about battery (and tire warranties) is that they are *pro-rated*. This makes so much sense to me. If your battery dies after 2 years on a 4 year warranty - they credit you 50% of the price. 25% after 3 years, etc.

Doesn't that make more sense than a typical One Year warranty? Dead on day 365 - 100% covered. Dead on day 366 - zilch (unless you complain, and *maybe* get a grace period).


-ERD50

Most have a 'full replacement' time period... that is what save me on my car... they always failed prior to the free warranty expired.... so, buy one with a 3 year free replacement which is usually a 5 or 6 year battery.... some are only 18 months free..

 

[megacorp-firee]

My car batteries have always failed within a year after the warranty expires. If I buy a 5 year battery, it usually fails at around 5 years and 2 months.

NOW That's some good engineering!