Acceptable lifespan for average car battery!

[Ben_spanna]

Just curious as to what everyone considers to be an acceptable lifespan for a car Battery, even after 2 years if your battery is supposedly "GOOD" do you change it out as preventative maintenance?

[VexXx Dogg]

3-5 years is average.
I used to get 3 years on the dot for local batteries like track/yuasa etc.

Whilst I would periodically check standing charge and charge rates of the alt, I won't swap a battery until the death click.

I'm on an XS power for the past 5 years and it's pretty damn good.

[Dizzy28]

Just curious as to what everyone considers to be an acceptable lifespan for a car Battery, even after 2 years if your battery is supposedly "GOOD" do you change it out as preventative maintenance?

On my current vehicle the original battery went after 21 months (had a 24 month warranty so got it replaced for free)
On my last vehicle the original battery went exactly on the day I did the three year service. That's the best I ever got from a battery. Sold the car a year and a half later with the replacement battery so not sure how long that one lasted.

[hydroep]

Read somewhere that a well made automobile lead-acid battery has (in theory) enough material to last 10 years. Real world conditions (heat and rough roads with dem extra-large pot-holes we have dong here) reduce that considerably.

I had a Turbo 2001 that lasted me 7 years. The servicemen at what was then MasterServ always used to react with disbelief when they saw the date on the activation sticker.

[ADONI]

A month before or after the warranty....

[Strugglerzinc]

2 to 3 years is normal. Higher end batteries go around twice as long but cost twice as much or more. The value remains exactly the same.

[*KRONIK*]

A month before or after the warranty....

This!

[zorced]

Once you keep your charging system up to par over the lifespan of the battery I believe you can get well over 3 years on a good battery.

[jeevdude199]

about 3-4 years had one of those turbo batteries that last me a little over 4 years

[Les Bain]

My Turbo lasted one month short of 4 years; 2 years after a battery technician said I would need to get a new battery soon.

Don't like the maintenance free batteries but that was all there was when the Turbo died.

[skylinechild]

got 4 yrs on a turbo 2001 battery...... woudl have lasted longer if i had remembered to top off the water in the cells...cells was dry and it was still starting the car...

when i finally topped up the water it lasted about 3 months longer.... then went to the big battery recycling center in the sky.....

new one going strong..... hav to check and see how long i have it....and then put aside $$$ to buy a new one accordingly

[88sins]

op, the only real answer to your question is it depends. Could be as low as 18 months, or as high as 10 years.
Depends on
What type of battery, how well it was made & what it's made of
How well your car's alternator & regulator working
How much power is being used & how low the battery charge & electrolyte gets & how often they get that low.
Temps
Shocks from rough roads
How often it gets a chance to get a proper charge.

As long as you parking the car in the shade during the day, alt & reg working well, no current leaks in car, & you not using the one battery to run a half dozen high draw accessories & giving it short charges a decently made battery should last 2-3 years.


Batteries are consumables, & will have to be changed. it's all part of the being a vehicle owner & driver lifestyle, so get used to it.

[rollingstock]

Yellow top installed in the old car in 2010, in the new vehicle now. Two amplifiers in vehicles. No issues yet. Only difference is the sitting voltage of 12.4 which was higher when newer

[wagonrunner]

no fixed time period.
change it when you can no longer depend on it.
usually the second jump start

[lostboys crew]

My previous battery was going 5 yrs strong then I said damn you lasting long . Then it died 2 days after

[*KRONIK*]

My previous battery was going 5 yrs strong then I said damn you lasting long . Then it died 2 days after

Yuh jinx it!

[*$kїđž!™]

Have a powermaster 2 years now an i am getting a lil lazy start on morning..when it starts it charges at about 13.5
The charging is good but thr lazy start is what is worrying me

[88sins]

That lazy start is your first warning signal.
Have it checked, but be prepared need a new one soon.

[VexXx Dogg]

Have a powermaster 2 years now an i am getting a lil lazy start on morning..when it starts it charges at about 13.5
The charging is good but thr lazy start is what is worrying me

check the resting voltage, like first thing in the AM, before starting. if it's low 12, high 11's it can indicate it's on it's way out.

If you're getting a lazy start, switch off blower/ac/lights/radio and try to tumble - might buy a few more starts

[*$kїđž!™]

Have a powermaster 2 years now an i am getting a lil lazy start on morning..when it starts it charges at about 13.5
The charging is good but thr lazy start is what is worrying me

check the resting voltage, like first thing in the AM, before starting. if it's low 12, high 11's it can indicate it's on it's way out.

If you're getting a lazy start, switch off blower/ac/lights/radio and try to tumble - might buy a few more starts

Hey yeah its aroud 12 before i start...how long again can i risk before i shut down cause of a dead battery...its 26 mths old....can i put it on a battery charger overnight to build it back up?

[VexXx Dogg]

you can try to top it up overnight, SR has something that desulphates it and should theoretically restore a higher possible charge.
Make sure it is topped up properly. dry cells can wreck it

[Strugglerzinc]

Forget resting voltage, check voltage while tumbling. Anything below around 10.5V confirms battery on its last legs.

[j.o.e]

Acceptable to me is 3 years. Anything after that is a bonus.

[88sins]

Forget resting voltage, check voltage while tumbling. Anything below around 10.5V confirms battery on its last legs.

correct.

[SR]

Battery recondtioner and charger. Have a pricesmart wet cell battery going on over 5 years with no issues and still in healthy condition

[adnj]

Warm climates make a battery more chemically active.

Average battery life expectancy in the US ranges from more than 50 months in Northern states to about 30 months in Florida.

Add the persistent heavy traffic that keeps underhood temperatures elevated and you may get less than that in Trinidad.

[thelem-again]

A month before or after the warranty....

This!

This for real.

On the dot!

[crazybalhead]

5 minutes after the warranty up.

[src1983]

My Bosch lasted 5 years before showing signs of failure

[Jade_Inc.]

Been using a red top optima for 7 years and going..using it for music as well and works great *knocks on wood*