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Thread: life span of an automotive battery....

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    life span of an automotive battery....

    can a new car battery fail in a little a 2 years?

  2. #2
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    Yes. They sure can.
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  3. #3
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    Yup, now days I new vehicles they can wear out that quick. It is amazing how much stuff is still drawing current in the background when the remote start fob is across town and the car turned off.

  4. #4
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    It's not only parasitic drain. There are many reasons that a cell can be damaged within a couple years. The parasitic drain, itself, shouldn't be a big deal as long as it is recharged. You should see how quickly cells die in the heat. Three years would be normal maximum life expectancy.
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  5. #5
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    Most manufacturers don't put the "Best" batteries in production cars. Even if they do anyone can get the bad one.

  6. #6
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    Most of the stories I hear about car batteries is that the original battery that comes with the car usually outlasts any subsequent battery installed in the same car. Lots of reports of five or six years on the original battery and subsequent batteries often only last three years even with a name brand battery. I replaced the original battery in my car just as winter started. It was five and a half years and still working just fine, but I didn't want to end up stuck in the cold. We'll see how long the NAPA battery by Deka East Penn I installed lasts.

  7. #7
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    After getting stuck at work with a dead battery (oem-4yrs old, wouldn't take a charge on the jump, alternator fine) on my previous truck, I adopted a policy of replacing the battery after 3 years, no questions asked. For the few extra dollars I fork out, it's a risk I no longer worry about.
    Brian

    "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger or more complicated...it takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - E.F. Schumacher

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Tymchak View Post
    After getting stuck at work with a dead battery (oem-4yrs old, wouldn't take a charge on the jump, alternator fine) on my previous truck, I adopted a policy of replacing the battery after 3 years, no questions asked. For the few extra dollars I fork out, it's a risk I no longer worry about.

    I got 9 years out of a battery in my F150.
    I have a Walmart Ever start mower battery that is 12 years old, It still puts out more volts than the new one.
    "Remember back in the day, when things were made by hand, and people took pride in their work?"
    - Rick Dale

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Tymchak View Post
    After getting stuck at work with a dead battery (oem-4yrs old, wouldn't take a charge on the jump, alternator fine) on my previous truck, I adopted a policy of replacing the battery after 3 years, no questions asked. For the few extra dollars I fork out, it's a risk I no longer worry about.
    I agree on the replace before you get stuck sentiment, I do it too. I usually go for 3.5 -4 years though. And 3.5 if I am about to go on a long trip.

    Way back when batteries showed signs of being tired before they died. More recently it seems they just die and in my exerience and with my kids cars they die in hot weather more than cold. Be interested in others thoughts on that.

    AS far as the original question, I haven't had one go bad in 2 years in any of my cars since I had my first one in 1980.

  10. #10
    Wow., I bought my back hoe in 2003 and the battery was shot. I bought a battery for it at the farm supply store that year and the thing is still starting the machine. The battery in my wife's 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage is still the factory battery.. Now, the Harley, I have to get a new battery every three years.

  11. #11
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    Yeah wow is right. I just had the battery replaced in my 2005 Chevy Express van for the first time since I bought it new.

    Reading all this is depressing.

  12. #12
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    Yes, they can. I just replaced mine at about two and a half years. This past week, as a matter of fact. It was undersized from a CCA perspective and I felt it was a risk if we get any cold weather. I went with the same group type, but it's 100 CCA higher and an AGM. Interestingly, I got nearly 7 years out of the OEM battery on my previous vehicle, but it lived inside the cabin under the seat and wasn't subjected to weather and heat swings like one up under the hood experiences.
    --

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

  13. #13
    Also, having raised 3 daughter’s and my wife (Also known as the 4 Queens lol). I always felt better when their car batteries were replaced before failure. Didn’t want them stranded in a parking lot waiting for a tow truck. With my car it didn’t worry me so much.

  14. #14
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    I have a 2013 Honda that's on its third battery that I'm expecting to have to replace soon. The funny thing is, it's never been slow to crank, headlights were bright & the horn worked. It just didn't turn over at all and no clicking. My best guess is that a computer in the car decides that cranking voltage/current isn't as high as it should be & just shuts everything down. Both times I had it tested & the battery showed as being bad & it was replaced.

    On the other hand, the battery in my 5th wheel was just replace after 12 years & it was still in decent shape. The first year I had it, the dealer was doing warranty work (in the winter) & let the battery run down while they waited for parts. It was actually frozen solid, but after thawing, it worked as good as new. I couldn't believe it didn't rupture the case. Weird.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Pratt View Post
    I have a 2013 Honda that's on its third battery that I'm expecting to have to replace soon. The funny thing is, it's never been slow to crank, headlights were bright & the horn worked. It just didn't turn over at all and no clicking. My best guess is that a computer in the car decides that cranking voltage/current isn't as high as it should be & just shuts everything down. Both times I had it tested & the battery showed as being bad & it was replaced.
    Now that you mention it I think I may have heard something like that before.
    Last edited by Ron Citerone; 01-05-2022 at 8:26 PM.

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