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Thread: Car battery question...

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,685
    Yea, at 4-5 years, a battery is at or nearing end-of-life. I'm faced with that myself...actually pushed it a year, but I'll be replacing mine before winter you can be sure. Unfortunately, mine is a more expensive AGM type since it's in the passenger cabin under the passenger seat, so that raises the cost about another hundred. LOL
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,879
    For me batteries fail in winter when it gets colder and the engine is harder to start and the battery output is reduced by the cold. I bought a load tester from HF and check them in the fall when it starts to get cool. Cost under $50 with a discount and a free flashlight. I bought my wife's car a cigarette lighter to cigarette lighter jumper cable.
    Bill D.

  3. #18
    Batteries are truly a crap shoot. Our 94 Ford Areostar,( built Nov 93) went nine years on original battery. Wife left lights on and went shopping, so we replaced it. Replacement also went nine years. Second replacement only went five years. Currently it has six year old battery from my truck in it. Get auto parts store to check both battery and charging system, then go to another brand parts store and have them do the same. If both say battery is on it's last leg, then replace it. FYI, those little jump packs that are just a little larger than a smart phone do work. Another way to save on a battery is to check if parts store has a "used battery.) Seldom are they actually used, only passed their best by sell date, and only come with a one year warranty. They are still going to last 5-6 years. Remember that there are only a few battery manufacturers in the USA. Interstate doesn't make theirs, instead buying them from other sources.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Shenandoah Valley in Virginia
    Posts
    919
    The battery lost its charge due to your fault... Odds are it will last another year or two at least.... probably longer since it is an original to the car battery.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Cincinnati Ohio
    Posts
    4,731
    Had an F150 for nine years on original battery.

    Battery failed on my moms Buick and you could not jump it.
    "Remember back in the day, when things were made by hand, and people took pride in their work?"
    - Rick Dale

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Medina Ohio
    Posts
    4,515
    I have had batteries last 9 to 10 years and have replaced them and the new one lasted 1 and 1/2 years. You never know. I like the Exide batteries they seem to last the longest

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    West Michigan
    Posts
    558
    Blog Entries
    8
    I'd buy a new battery. Happy wife....Happy life
    Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "...Holy Cow....what a ride!"

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Commerce Township, MI
    Posts
    702
    I've had batteries last almost a decade and others that wouldn't last a day or 2 (diehard). If you're worried about it take to Autozone and have check it. I've had ones that were so hard to remove that I just replaced them.

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Monroe, MI
    Posts
    11,896
    My personal rule, at 4-5 years I start looking for a convenient time to spend the money and lately a good Advance Auto coupon code (I've seen them as high as 40% off, order online, pickup in store 30 minutes later.) Their batteries are made by Johnson Controls, same as many, many others including many OEMs.


  10. #25
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Somewhere in the Land of Lincoln
    Posts
    2,545
    As has already been stated the battery was drained from a light being left on overnight. I wouldn't fear it's going bad. As also been stated go to an auto parts store with an electronic tester and have them check it. If it's not as strong as it should be it will say so. As for the plugging for Interstate brand batteries. They make no batteries themselves. So you are paying for their marketing and dealer network and getting the same battery that is sold by other companies.
    As for exploding batteries. The one that blew up while jump starting it. That was caused by most likely not following recommended jump starting procedures. The hydrogen gas being emitted ignited and burst the battery. If it put battery acid all over it was an explosion. Just saying.

  11. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Henderson View Post
    After 4.5 years, I'd change the battery so I wouldn't have to worry about if it might fail on me in an inconvenient place.

    Mike
    Both Mike and Doug D. have given the best and safe advice. If you battery died and you were stuck at night unexpectedly, you became penny wise and pound foolish.

    5 years is the end of the life of a battery. I change my brake pads when they have 15% or so left, not when they are 10% or 0%. Not worth the risk of inconvenience or safety.

    Simon

  12. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by Ronald Blue View Post
    As for the plugging for Interstate brand batteries. They make no batteries themselves. So you are paying for their marketing and dealer network and getting the same battery that is sold by other companies.
    I've bought many many batteries over the years. Sears, Walmart (average lifetime maybe one year,) parts jobber house brands (hit-or-miss,) over-the-counter OEM's (which are usually stale because nobody buys from them unless the customer demands it,) and probably about a dozen Interstates, and the latter are the only ones where I've never had a premature failure, not one. Perhaps it's a matter of QC, but in my experience this is beyond anecdotal.

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Upstate NY
    Posts
    3,789
    Advanced Auto said the battery needed to be replaced, but their price was rather high. Said we could order one on line for 20% off and they would install it. That seems like a strange practice.

    Going to get the 2 year battery at Walmart next week. Quite sure we will be selling it with a year, so that seems like a reasonable compromise.

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    In the foothills of the Sandia Mountains
    Posts
    16,620
    Quote Originally Posted by Doug Dawson View Post
    I've bought many many batteries over the years. Sears, Walmart (average lifetime maybe one year,) parts jobber house brands (hit-or-miss,) over-the-counter OEM's (which are usually stale because nobody buys from them unless the customer demands it,) and probably about a dozen Interstates, and the latter are the only ones where I've never had a premature failure, not one. Perhaps it's a matter of QC, but in my experience this is beyond anecdotal.
    I had the opposite experience with Interstate batteries. I have had 3 that failed in their second year. The last one was replaced with a Die Hard 3 years ago and still going strong.
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  15. #30
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Medina Ohio
    Posts
    4,515
    The Walmart batteries I bought all failed just after the warranty was off one made it to 2 years and 1 month one made it 1 year and 1o months another that had a 60 month warranty made it 3 years. That one they prorated and I ended up with one of the others. I replaced three of the Walmart batteries with Exide that I bought from Rural King and the one in my diesel tractor is now over 6 years old
    Last edited by Jerome Stanek; 07-22-2018 at 1:18 PM.

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