Man, car batteries don't last very long

[yuandrew]

So I was just about to leave for work this afternoon only to find out the battery in my car was dead for no reason at all (it was working the day before and no, I DID NOT leave the headlights on).

After maybe a half hour, I finally got a jump from my neighbor then went down to Kragen's to get a new battery. The car ran fine during the whole trip other than what seemed a slower than normal idle. I parked and turned the key off but then decided to turn it back on after a few seconds but it wouldn't start again. I borrowed some tools to remove the old one so that I could find a match. It's an AutoLite 84 month warranty battery. While changing the battery, I noticed that the date on my old one was September 2005. So that makes it three years (or 36 months) that it lasted. How long do car batteries usually last anyway ?


(I'm also starring at the alternator as well but I don't know if that has a problem or not)

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

Don't forget to check the alternator belt as well. If it's not a problem with the car, take the battery to the store and get your money back. It should last more than one day.

 

[jzmtl]

Depends on your local weather. Mine lasted me 7 years and still work in dead winter, but I replaced it just in case because test shows the CCA has dropped to half of rated. I heard in arizona desert heat they can crap out in a year.

If you have a problem with your altenator you'll find out in a day or two, hehe. But a simple way to test with multimeter is to start the car, measure the voltage across battery terminals, it should be around 14.4v if your alt works. Now turn on all the lights, if it still measures same then it works, if the voltage drops below 12 it doesn't.

 

[yuandrew]

Don't forget to check the alternator belt as well. If it's not a problem with the car, take the battery to the store and get your money back. It should last more than one day.

The belt is fine. I actually replaced it back in March.

 

[MarNav1]

No set time on how long they last AFAIK. Some give great service while others don't. Personally I've never had too much trouble with batteries myself. Get one with a good warranty and bigger than stock if you can afford it. Keep the terminals and battery area clean, much less of a problem today. Check the electrolyte if possible on occasion, some batteries can still be opened on top. Also pay attention to your cables as well. Checking alternator output is a good idea too. I usually do these things in the spring and fall.

 

[NA8]

I've found that Interstate Batteries makes a pretty good product.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Batteries

 

[bfg9000]

A lot of it depends on the quality of the battery. Environment (extreme hot or cold) and use (they don't like to be deep cycled) are important factors but better made batteries simply last longer under those same conditions.

Virtually all car batteries sold in the US are manufactured by three companies: Johnson Controls, East Penn, and Exide. Johnson Controls (maker of the mentioned Interstate battery line, and allied with Saft and Varta) has by far the best rep, and Exide the absolute worst. Exide products tend to be made for the cheapest buyers that place cost above all else: car manufacturers and stores like CSK that sell Autolite and Marathon branded Exide batteries. There's a reason OEM batteries tend to not last very long and even need replacing during a three year car warranty. There's also a reason those battery warranties are pro-rated: to force you to buy another junk battery from them.

OTOH I have some Optima car batteries manufactured by Johnson Controls in 1993 that are still in service today, 15 years later.

BTW if the alternator isn't charging, it's usually just brushes which are only a few bucks at the parts store.

 

[jzmtl]

BTW if the alternator isn't charging, it's usually just brushes which are only a few bucks at the parts store.

Most store don't carry those parts anymore, they'd rather you buy a new alternator from them instead. :green:

 

[DUQ]

You should replace your battery if it's 5 or more years old. Optima's are the way to go for sure :thumbsup:

 

[kramer5150]

Ditto optima!! My brother has used these since the early 90s, he gets over a decade of use from each one, parking his various cars outdoors as well as in.

My 2001 Lexus OEM battery just died last month!! It was a Panasonic branded battery. I don't drive the car much though.

 

[MarNav1]

Aren't Optima's gell cells? Deep cycle too?

 

[jzmtl]

They aren't gel, just spiral construction with acid retained in some rolled up stuff. Yellow and blue top are deep cycle, red is not.

 

[RyanA]

Newer cars usually have more parasitic drain than older cars (power everything/ bluetooth/ nav/alarms/clocks/etc) So that's something to think about as well. Although I can't even then most Rube Golbergish (Some even have little motorized panels to hide vents and such) car killing the battery in a day under normal conditions.

 

[matrixshaman]

Almost every car battery I've had in the last 40+ years has lasted about 5 years if they were treated right. There's something wrong somewhere if a battery with an 7 year warranty craps out in 3 years. Like others have stated here you may have a problem in the charging - if not the alternator carefully check your cable connections.
Oh and that GPS tracking device I put on your car really shouldn't be pulling that much current.








:laughing:
just kidding of course

 

[Diesel_Bomber]

3 years is a pretty good run for a battery in a warmer climate.

+ Whatever for Optima, fantastic battery. My '06 Scoobie is still on the OEM battery, all four other vehicles are Optima. Don't buy the Optima deep-cycle hype. They may be better at deep cycling than a normal Optima(and a normal Optima is better at deep cycling than a standard flooded cell battery), but no Optima is a true deep cycle.

Not sure who makes AC Delco, but I've had very good service from their batteries. Once started an 8.3L Cummins with a single AC Delco battery in 10F temps with no preheat.

:buddies:

 

[gadget_lover]

I've had corrosion on the battery terminals give those same symptoms. I could jump it, drive it, use the accessories. But when I went to start it it would just click.

Cleaned the terminals with that neat round wire brush to clean off the corrosion. Started fine for another few years.

Daniel

 

[bfg9000]

Johnson Controls bought the battery division of Delphi (who make AC Delco batteries) in 2006.

Exide is the largest auto battery company in the US, and I believe they are fully capable of manufacturing any level of quality parts, except their customers tend to consider only price and order just the cheapest crap, + they are willing to oblige (the same could be said about China, which is fully capable of producing quality CAD-CAM machines and Boeing 737, 757 and 787 tail sections--when the customer is willing to pay for it).

Their cheapest batteries tend to be more... variable in performance and a poor value because you can buy a solid Johnson Controls product at places like Wal-Mart (the EverStart Maxx) or Sears (Diehard) for the same price. Yep, the extra savings from the low wholesale price goes right into the retailer's pocket. And it may say something when notoriously cheap places like those will pay extra to avoid the warranty hassles (Sears actually sued Exide for supplying used and defective batteries + falsifying test data in 1999).

They do have a premium line, including a licensed Optima knockoff called the Orbital. And it is interesting to note the Yuasa industrial battery division Exide spun off in 1991 now (as EnerSys) makes quality "boutique" auto batteries in the Odyssey and Hawker Powersource brands!

The third manufacturer (East Penn) makes the popular Deka AGM models.


jzmtl, all the largest auto parts chains in the US, including NAPA, AutoZone, O'Reilly, CSK (Checker, Schucks and Kragen), and Advance Auto Parts, carry alternator brushes. Maybe not for every odd car but you can usually find a "close enough" match that will work fine--mostly because there aren't that many OEMs for alternators either. Maybe things are different in Canada, eh?

 

[GLOCK18]

My friends shop replaces 3 year old batteriers all the time, the battery in my Toyota truck was replaced after 2 years, replace my sister 3 year old battery last week in her Mariner.

 

[Monocrom]

As others have mentioned, there are a number of factors that can drastically cut down a battery's lifespan. Living or working near saltwater can kill a battery in months, if the terminals are not cleaned. A co-worker who's daughter learned that lesson the hard way, recommended lemon-juice or Pepsi to get them clean.

I know what it's like to have a battery die on you. Imagine working a double shift at last minute's notice. (When you're getting ready to go home at the end of your usual shift). Then after 16 hours, your car won't start. I had to get two jumpstarts before leaving company grounds. Took it to a nearby Exxon station with a mechanic's garage. The mechanic had some sort of machine that she used to test not only the battery, but the alternator too. Thankfully, it was just the battery.

Ironically, I was fortunate. My usual shift ends at Midnight. But since I worked a double, I got out at 8am.... When the Exxon station was open.

 

[NeonLights]

As others have said, battery life can depend on a lot of factors, but excessive heat, and parasitic drain to a low level are sure to shorten the life of most batteries. I had a 2001 Neon that went through three batteries in a year and a half. First one died, got it replaced under warranty, that one died, bought another brand myself, that one showed signs of problems, so I put in an Odyssey AGM/dry-cell battery (smaller and less CCA's than stock), and never had problems again. My 2001 Mustang is still on its original battery, and will fire right up after sitting in storage for a couple of months in the winter. I've had a lot of luck with the small, lightweight Odyssey AGM batteries.