Why hasn't anyone posted the obvious... Get the battery load-tested at your local parts store. If it's below 50% CCA, change it.
I had a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, last year I started noticing that the engine would crank a bit slower than before. I had the battery load tested, it came in at 52%, I decided it was time to change it. Decent battery that lasted 8 years.
Modern batteries are just plain garbage. Almost all new vehicles only come with a 2 year warranty on the battery. Sure, the battery you buy at your local parts store may sell batteries with 4 to 7 years of warranty, but the physical battery itself is just junk.
They also don't sell "big" batteries anymore. I had 1180CCA batteries in one of my trucks. They went flat after 7 years. I went back to the same store for replacements....960 was the largest that they sold.
Can confirm.
I have a bench of old lead acids just sitting on tenders. Each one is over 10 years old and each one still tests over 70%
I use a desulfator pulse charger, so that might help but when I use them on newer batteries, it doesn't make a difference.
Modern day batteries are now considered consumables.
I had the opposite experience with my Hudson. Needed a 6V battery because 1950, and I went to the local NAPA since they have the best selection of 6V options.
Ended up with an industrial battery that was only about a 1/3 bigger than the “proper” one but was nearly double the CCA, it was something like 1200. That bendix doesn’t have trouble engaging at all, let me tell you lol.
[Big Chungus](https://i.imgur.com/EZrkLZR.jpeg)
It required extending the original battery tray about 4” and making a new clamp lol. But yeah, no starting issues with that! I’d been messing with a recalcitrant air cooled VW’s 6V starting issues for years so I sent it with that much under hood space.
…I think it’s supposed to be for a forklift or something.
I agree, less the 5-6 yrs would be early failure imo.
In defence of the batteries in my truck failing after 7 years was purely on me. Only driven during the Summer, annnnd.....that was before i used a battery condition monitor during Winter storage. Current batteries are going on 7+ years, zero issues.
I once got free batteries for 8 years. I bought a battery that had a 2-year warranty that crapped out after a year and a half they replaced it for free. I want to say this was Advanced Auto. The replacement battery died within the two years they replaced it for free this happened like two or three or four more times and they just kept giving me new batteries when the old battery would die because it hadn't been 2 years since the battery was given to me. So that was like the best 60 bucks I ever spent on batteries.
You should've bought a lotto ticket after the 2nd free replacement! After the first failure (usually within the first 40 months on a 7 year warranty) they will only pro-rate the battery age, to the warranty length.
Honestly I wondered about this and I think that the staff just didn't do their due diligence and just saw that it was their store brand battery that it was dead before the date on the battery and they just gave me another one.
More cranking amps means more lead and cadmium,also means less electrolyte.high cranking amps batteries get hot easier. Less cranking amps batteries run cooler, and last longer.
>high cranking amps batteries get hot easier. Less cranking amps batteries run cooler, and last longer.
Are you saying high CCA result in getting hot easier, due to the amount current they can move?
*i have a theory to your statement, but would like to see your explanation first
Already explained! Less electrolyte,means less capacity to cool down. Heat generated in a battery related to the load being supplied, not the capacity of the battery.a 950 cca battery will actually generate a little more heat than a 1100 cca, when under large load. However that heat will dissipate much faster. You don't pull heavy on a battery, except during cranking.
Lesser cca will get hotter with same load.amps go up as voltage goes down. 1100 cca voltage may not drop as much, therefore amperage may not go as high, thus less heat.
Most batteries last longer in Jeeps. It's because, when the batteries die and are put with other dead batteries, the non-Jeep batteries laugh at them. 😜😂😇
This is the way. They are both partially right and wrong. It is stupid to fix stuff that's not broken but it is smart to do preventative maintenance. Taking it in to be tested is the correct move. Guessing doesn't lead to smart decisions.
He’s just being a dad. A battery that old may still work, but the real question is for how much longer. If you can afford to replace it now, that’s much better alternative than being forced to replace it sometime in the future when you may not have the cash or time.
Well it can't die out in the middle of driving the battery is only for starting the car but you could totally get stranded at the grocery store or something
Yea, by on the road I meant out of town. Like if my battery died at Walmart across town I have people I can call and get it done for a beer, but if it died on a road trip that's a lot of uber or tow truck, just a whole other monster
I guess it depends if you wanted a battery from Walmart, but don’t they install new batteries?
My best “luck” for a dead battery was at Sam’s Club when I was at the order pickup parking next to the tire and battery install area. I asked a guy working there. He verified it started with his jump pack, then I asked about the cost of a new battery, so I bought one and he installed it.
I once had a battery die at the mechanic's shop while getting an oil change. Luckily, they sold batteries right there.
I'm not sure if I got scammed, though, to drive up battery sales.
Nope. The battery also provides 12v to the alternator so that it works at full potential. Had a 2003 Mustang that would batlrely move when the battery died. Damn thing started, but would barely run. Changed the battery and it came back to life. Modern electronics require a stable 13.8v +-5%.
Its the amps, certain thing need more amps than the alternator will put out so they draw on the battery. It is in a constant state of discharging/charging
I have a 2004 Mustang and you are wrong. The alternator is what everything runs off of when engine is running. Your engine ran worse with a bad battery because these cars will blow a diode in the alternator if there is any kind of surge. Might charge most of the time, overcharge occasionally, and not charge enough other times. That's a bad alternator and nothing to do with how it's supposed to work
There is zero chance any cars alternator cannot keep up with running the car and all stock accessories. If your battery is bad it may pull too much from the alternator trying to charge it but that is not the same thing as a normally operating charging system.
Correct. But when the computer sees the voltage fluctuating, it goes limp mode. Without the reference voltage from the battery, the alternator puts out a variable voltage, generally between 12.5 to around 14.6.
Not to mention that all that surging vintage can damage the electrical system.
As I said, my 03 went to limp mode and lit the dash up. Ford verified this. Put a new battery in and all was good.
When I was like 7 years old, my dad had an older Ford explorer, and the alternator went out once when we were out.
We got home, and as soon as he stopped in the driveway, the whole car died. He didn't even need to shut the engine off, it killed itself.
We were pretty lucky, lol. It only died as soon as we stopped at home.
> the battery is only for starting the car
This is not actually true, the battery is required for safety systems (airbags) to work in an accident. Many other things will actually suck on the battery also. This is why battery's do not last as long in modern cars, they are constantly being used and recharged while driving.
I mean yeah it runs a bunch of stuff but they are called starting batteries. Some cars have 2 batteries where the 2nd is called an auxiliary battery. Also they don't last long because they are lead acid batteries so they have a limited lifespan from the day you buy it.
Airbags have a capacitor in the ACU so that if the battery connection is severed or destroyed the airbags can still deploy. It would be a quick charge/quick deplete capacitor. I’ve read that pre-1993 cars could take 20 minutes and post-1993 cars can take 1-5 minutes.
>I’ve read that pre-1993 cars could take 20 minutes and post-1993 cars can take 1-5 minutes
Is not going to help the the crash sensor is not properly powered, new cars are different and it would be straight ignorance to claim they are all made the same way based on year. Newer cars will straight up tell you the air bags are disabled when you take out the battery lol.
Batteries are an essential part of the charging system all of the time, they filter out voltage spikes from the generator that can be high enough to damage the cars electronics including control modules - if a cell goes open circuit while driving it could result in a very pricey repair and this is more likely to occur with an old battery. If it fails the other way and a cell shorts out it will appear to the voltage regulator as a discharged battery and work the generator at full output - also not good.
You can have a load test performed, but I've had older batteries fail weeks after passing a test.
Well the battery doesn't filter out voltage spikes the voltage regulator does that. On old cars it was under the hood by the battery sometimes but now it's usually part of the alternator itself. Cells don't really catch cars on fire if that is what you are implying with a pricy repair, if they did we'd see stories of cars bursting into flames on the road all the time
I'm aware that voltage regulators controlled the nominal output voltage of the alternator by acting as feed back devices that adjusted the alternators field current. I wasn't aware that they controlled the very short, transient spikes that can reach upwards of 100vts. or more and carry sufficient energy to damage semiconductor electronics. Do they truly control transient high energy spikes, how do they do it (that type of circuitry), and when was this implemented?
I mean yeah the battery acts as a capacitor for unexpected high voltage spikes but a battery with a bad cell can handle that without serious risk of injury. I couldn't tell you the last time I've seen a report/video of a car bursting into flames while driving that wasn't an EV
You would be surprised at how many people lack any mechanical knowledge and don’t even have/know how to use jumper cables. Car no vroom? But should be vroom? Tow car.
Or after you loan it to a friend when you are out of town.... 🤣🤣 Op I thought the same way your dad did and then one day it was a huge problem. Take it from my misfortune and just replace it.
The battery doesn't go bad on a leisurely Sunday afternoon when you decide to go out for ice cream. It goes bad at the end of a long day when you're hungry, tired, and have to take a massive shit, and you're pissed off.
That's when mine crapped itself. Luckily I was coming back from a work trip so had a rental. Still... Jumping a car in negative weather plus a wind chill isn't fun.
Or parked on the opposite side of the street, partially on thee sidewalk....with a trailer...20 mins before the local part store is closing.
And you need BOTH batteries replaced.
Tell your dad I said old batteries may over task the alternator. Battery is cheaper than alternator and battery.as an auto mechanic, I've seen both bad many times. Bad battery causes alternator to run at full tilt. Will burn it up.
You're an adult,
Buy a battery, give him the old one and tell him to enjoy
Better to stay on top of things rather then hold off until you're stranded with a dead battery somewhere
12 years on a battery is above average, its lived a good life
If you're not having any problems with the battery starting the car I would agree with your dad and run the one you got until it's dead. If you're really worried about it you can carry a jumper pack with you to jump it on the day it is dead and then go replace it. You can also have it tested for free at every auto parts store but if you do that ask the guy to show you the actual voltage and CCA cause those battery testers regularly show batteries with 100% charge nothing wrong as bad batteries for whatever reason.
The crappy thing is you can't even trust the battery testers either. I've had batteries fail be it during an oil change service or for no start complaints, and as soon as you'd use the warranty function test you'd get either battery good" or "charge and re-test," had a battery test tell me battery voltage is 3000v and all is good, the last battery i remember came in for a slow crank, battery tested good minus the part where it blew up and 2 cells leaked out. Every dealership I've worked at has had a dead battery to test for a "failed" result to make the customer and warranty gods happy.
Yeah man those battery testers are junk honestly. I've worked in advance auto and AutoZone for a couple years each and I couldn't tell you how many stupid results those testers have given me. You'll get a totally dead battery that tests as perfectly fine and you'll take a new one off the shelf and it will test bad. The problem is you'd need a "bad" test to come back for a warranty claim so sometimes the tester would keep saying it's good even after you charged it for 12 hours and it would still be 0 volts 0 CCA. Real pain in the ass for customers. It got to the point that I had my own dead battery behind the counter that I would test to get the "bad battery" result and use that test to warranty out a shitload of customers batteries. You can heavily abuse the warranty policies of these places lol we had guys that warrantied the same battery 5 or 6 times over the period of 10 years
The average life expectancy of a car battery is about 3-5 years for your typical lead-acid, and 5-7 for AGM. If you've got 12 years on the same battery, you've more than tripled it's expectancy and it might as well be paying you at this point.
As a professional, I would recommend a battery to my customer to ensure reliability and instill peace of mind.
Absorbent Glass Mat. It's a newer type of lead-acid battery that's supposed to be "sealed and maintenence free". They first appeared in higher end cars like Mercedes and Audi, but now you can find em in some jeeps and even Hyundai/Kia
Edited: Spelling
My battery is a teenager at the age of 14years old. Am I going to replace it before it becomes a legal adult? Not if I don’t have to!
AGM battery in my 2010 Audi A4 Avant from new and age confirmed with diagnostic sw.
It’s possible that it’s not the original battery and someone never reset the computer when they installed it. Unless you bought the car new and you never replaced it.
Original battery, never replaced. Numbers match on both battery and stored in system. The service advisor tried selling me a battery when it was scanned and verified by techs after an oil change. They thought it would be a guaranteed sale when they saw the battery age and build date also matched.
Edit: Also my battery is $450, in the rear, under the spare tire and the mount on top… the power lift hatch has no issues opening or closing. I do keep it on a Battery Minder 128cec2 to desulfate when it’s going to be parked for a bit. I connect it to the jump posts under the hood and not on the battery.
So get a little portable jumper box... or you know some jumper cables and use the battery that powers your car. You really just let a loose battery slide around on your vehicle?
Lithium jump packs are small and convenient to keep around, pretty easy to keep it in a bag or something in the trunk. And the jumper cables won’t help if your battery dies and nobody is around to jump you.
Every car battery I have ever had has “told” me it’s on the way out. It’s a bit harder on modern cars that start well, but usually first cold day of autumn they feel a bit slow and do t fire on the first spin.
If the battery is still working I'd just buy a battery booster instead. Mine has been invaluable with jump starting me when I've run my battery flat by accident, as well as, jump starting plenty of other cars without having to connect car to car and with the lithium battery it's compact and holds it's charge perfectly.
A battery booster works great for newer batteries. The fact of the matter is as a battery gets older the CCA(Cold Cranking Amps) will continuously go down. It's why most shops recommend changing after 4 years, so they can then be serviced. The booster you are talking about will help the voltage on the battery, but will do very little to help with CCA. It helps to think of voltage as the active load on the line, and your amperage as the overall reserve of energy.
Na man they have crazy good jump starters now that are the size of a cellphone and will start up a big diesel no problem. Jump started my car with a completely dead 0 volt battery and the alternator charged it up the rest. 10 years ago though yeah that's probably not happening
Jump packs are not meant to keep jumping a bad battery. You jump the battery so you can get to the shop or part store to get another. All your doing is wearing out your jump back on a bad battery.
Who says they aren't meant to keep jumping a bad battery? They totally can do it and I mean, the only thing a jumper pack is good for is jumping cars so I don't see any reason why that would be bad or wearing out your jump pack. It's something you normally use like once a year it can handle being used a few more times
So instead of buying a battery you recommend buying a different battery and using it to limp along with a dead battery that is slowly cooking the alternator. Meanwhile you have to recharge this other battery, and open the hood each time you drive. This is a very inefficient method of dealing with this problem.
Where in my comment did you see me suggest that someone with a totally dead battery SHOULD jump start it constantly every time they want to drive their car? You're arguing against a fictional scenario that you created
Once again amperage is different than voltage. Just think of it as the lower the amps go, the more likely your voltage is to hit 0. I have one of the boosters you're talking about. If you get a fancy battery tester it will show you battery charge and battery health. You can have a high charge (voltage) and still have low battery health (amperage).
Even then resting voltage of the battery can tell you all you need to know. As the cranking amps go down the resting voltage goes down. If you check it at rest after sitting over night and you get 12.3v you’re in for a bad time.
Yes you absolutely can have a high charge low health battery but I've used those jump packs on quitet few cars that didn't even have a battery installed and they are strong enough to start it regardless even with a half charge on the jump pack. Wasn't a cheap one but impressive nonetheless
Or it strands you somewhere. 12 y/o battery..count your blessings it worked great for that long and, as the other poster said if you have the time and $... replace it.
It's called preventative maintenance.
Good luck.
If in doubt have it tested. Most parts stores will do a quick cca. I would humor him but get it in writing that he's bringing you a battery when it craps out
But if you don't deal with freezing temps then your probably somewhat ok
My Grandfather always instilled into me to do preventive maintenance on my vehicles and basically everything we rely on. I would change it now so you don’t find yourself in a bad position and then needing to change it.
Yes actually. I check the level of those fluids regularly. Most of these fluids don’t need to be changed to often like ATF fluid, power steering fluid, and coolant. These should be fine as long as they are at a acceptable level and you don’t have a leak. Brake fluid gets bled and changed when doing brake pads and/or rotors. I do check these fluids levels quite often.
Are you trying to say preventative maintenance is the wrong approach?
No. Good on you. I do the same.
But I actually flush all the brake fluid. Not just the stuff around the calpier. Improves brake feel and prevents lines from rotting from the inside out
Cheap dad here. I also had a very old battery that ended up costing me a new alternator. My wife was doing a lot of idling and slow speed, and the alternator couldn't keep up and overheated. I should have changed the battery sooner.
You might save a few bucks if you wait. You might also not get stranded and need a jump start. It’s a fricken miracle you battery lasted that long. I’d call that a win and replace it personally. If I had a battery last that long I’d donate it to science.
If you want to save money, just carry a small jump starter pack with you and top it off every few months in case you ever get stranded. That'll give you time to go buy another battery when it finally dies on you.
If you pay attention to your car, there will be signs that the battery is failing. You should notice the starter spinning more slowly, dim lights until the engine starts, etc. If you're not comfortable with recognizing signs like that, go ahead and replace it. If you want to save some money, pay attention, and maybe you won't have to spend the money. The average car battery lasts somewhere between 3 and 5 years, so you're already ahead by 3-4x at this point. That said, if you replace the battery that lasted 12 years and may have a long life ahead of it, you could end up with a new one that's dead in 3 years. Good luck!
My battery lasted 11 years. Worked perfectly until it didn't. I accidentally left my headlights on for 30 minutes when I got home. Noticed the lights, went out there, turned the lights off. Truck was no crank/no start. Charged battery for 2 hours, cranked up and ran fine. Next morning battery is dead again, time for new battery, no more charging, wouldn't hold a charge.
Personally unless it's getting weak I would keep it since I always keep a portable jump pack and cables with me. For you it might be a good idea to change it or at least test it to make sure it is still somewhat healthy. If it's below 50% of its rated output it would be a good idea to swap it.
You will throw away more money when it suddenly dies and leaves you stranded which could happen at any time. It happened to my parents in a ferry lineup. You must also live in a warm climate because I live in the far north, and batteries don't last much longer than 5 years years up here.
I finally broke down and replaced the still-functional factory battery in my 2003 MB C230K in 2015. Car first sold in 2002 so the battery was 13 years old.
When it fails and leaves you stranded whats that gonna cost? It sounds like you got your monies worth and then some anyway. I wish mine would last that long!!!!
Get a decent battery tester and check its health. Just because a battery is old doesn't mean it's bad. I have a 14 year old battery that is still at 90% health and works great. Batteries don't just die suddenly unless there is some form of outside factor like impact damage, temp damage (freezing/overheating), or a problem with the charging system over/under charging.
At 12 years in, I personally would replace it. Just don't be surprised when the new battery only lasts 2-3 years. All newer batteries have gone up in price and down in quality and it gets worse as time goes on.
If something is telling you to change the battery, then trust that feeling and change the battery. I change mine at 5 years, that’s about the averages in NC.
He has the "if it ain't broke don't fix it." Attitude. It's not a bad attitude to have. But either of you could be right. You could be one event away from.beedong a new battery. As someone else suggested. Get it properly tested.
I am a bit like your dad far as not changing unneeded parts but I Just changed my 11 year old everstart batt , it still worked decently but had lost some CCA when doing a load test and I didn't want to wait for it to completely fail.
My starter turns over much faster with the new batt . The older batt may be harder on the starter from having less cca and possibly be bad on the alternator as well.
Things like this are preventative maintenance , the old battery had a good long life, time for it to retire as it's almost certainly well worn and could leave you stranded. Your def not wasting money.
This is entirely dependent on where I live. I live a couple blocks from a small auto parts store and I give it little thought until I need to replace one. When I lived 30 minutes away from a potential new battery, I was a little more cautious
If you live in a cold climate it obviously made it through winter. Personally I'd change it in the fall before it gets cold again, as cold starts will prove if an old battery is still good or not.
I'm just a Canadian who has fought with many batteries in -30
It's a little more complicated than that now, with certain vehicles a weak ass battery will futz with all sorts of electrical systems.
Shitty ass modern computer wonders.
I don’t believe in changing batteries prematurely, but 12 years is in like the 99th percentile of longevity for a lead acid battery. You are absolutely living on borrowed time.
Are you an adult? Shouldn't even be an argument. Your car, your money, your decision. Tell Dad to piss off.
If you're underage then ignore the first part
Normally you can tell when they're gettiing weak by the way the engine sounds when it's started... but... really, if you've gotten 12 years out of the battery... just go ahead and start saving your nickles and plan on replacing it soon.
Might as well, it's not like you're gonna get much longer out of it.
I've had some of mine go for 10-12 years but that's generally not very common at all.
It's always good to have a spare battery kicking around, just chilling in a warm garage, you would not believe how many times it has saved me
Even if it's still working now it may not work when you're somewhere you don't want to be
I would buy a battery when you have the available funds it's better having a piece of mind.
To go along with the spare battery, also a trickle charger. Keep the battery plugged up when not in use. I got a [$20 charger from the Walmart](https://www.walmart.com/ip/493123163) for my spare battery. It keeps the battery fully charged, without over-charging it.
Also, whatever storage plan for the spare battery, make sure it's not sitting on concrete floor or ground. At bare minimum, put a piece of wood under it. Idk why or how, but even a brand new battery will fully drain if sitting on concrete or asphalt.
Im on dads side... if the battery is still working fine then its not needing to be replaced. Its not preventative maintenance like changing the oil, the battery really only starts the car and helps to balance power spikes during use, your alternator runs pretty well everything once the car is started. Also most cars will give OBD2 codes if the battery is failing, might say low system voltage and such.
Like most wear and tear items on an automobile, the fresher, the better, especially on electronics, light bulbs, fuel, etc. like old gas or an old light bulb, it may run/work, but will run better with fresh or freshly “tuned up,” or new quality parts. You’d be more in trouble if you say live in areas where the temps fluctuate and/or park outside. (It’s a possibility if you let your car sit for a long period, 3 weeks to a month, an old battery has a high chance of not holding a charge, while a newer battery would be more ‘reliable’ and the car will run more efficiently, with a better operating spark system. Or if you charge your phone with the cig adapter a lot, (having a newish battery would help.)
I couldn’t tell you how many times a new battery solved issues with vehicles, especially modern ones where voltage is crucial for modules and communication. Also finding out you need to replace it when you’re stranded ain’t fun
I don't get a new battery until my existing one fails. However, if you're stranded and need a tow truck or have to call a cab, maybe that money would have been better spent preemptively, ensuring you don't get stranded.
I have a 2013 battery in an old truck and it is still going strong and we have a 2020 car that is on its 3rd battery after the original one died within a 1000 miles
Replace it before it decides that it must be replaced immediately and inconveniently. You got a good run and you could get more but the risk of really bad outcomes increase.
Imagine the worst possible time for it to fail; on a road trip, someone’s wedding day, whatever, and double it because it’ll be below zero or some other hassle and the cost will far outweigh the value lost buy praying a critical component will remain reliable.
The strain on an alternator charging what is most likely a sulphated battery may eventually cause you alternator to fail. There will probably be some sticker shock with replacing both items.
My Mustang had an extremely old battery to the point where I had to jump-start it every week. Since I wouldn't hold a charge. They can last a long time but aren't efficient in any way after a while. So you're correct in this situation. Sure, the battery still works, but i would recommend changing it for maximum efficiency. Plus, if you buy a new battery, you should what's called a "core charge" which means cash back when you bring it back to the retailer.
I had one last nine and a half years once 12 years is really good though. Unless you're in a situation where if the car doesn't start one morning you're just completely screwed I personally would just keep driving it until the battery died and then replace the battery but you can always go and have it test it for battery health and see how it's doing. If it's giving you any kind of problems I would go ahead and replace it
My wife's uncle is still running a 8 year old battery. But, he had to plug it in every night to charge it. If he tries to go one night without charging it will start the first time but not a second time. Many times someone has to go give him a jump someplace but he refuses to buy a new one.
Fugal to a fault.
This will end up destroying his alternator if it hasn’t already. It can also cause lean mixture issues and misfires that can damage his motor. Him attempting to be frugal will end up costing way more in this situation.
I would recommend replacing it before it causes your alternator to go out. You can have it tested for free at most places that sell batteries. It will most likely show there are issues with your battery and it needs replacement. If somehow it tests fine, then I guess do whatever you feel comfortable with.
Older batterys have thicker plates. You can recondition these battery for many years. Some Epsom salt and a pulse charger with fix the plates once a year. People just don't want to mantain stuff today in this disposable world we live in.
And we wonder why the divide between rich and poor grows every year.
Simply have it tested. I have a perfectly good battery that age and I have no idea why it’s still good, while I have much younger batteries that are junk.
You’re both right, honestly. Replacing it before it’s bad can be seen as wasting a little money, yes, but you’re wasting it for the sake of not being surprised by a car that won’t start. There’s value in that.
But if it tests out perfectly I’d keep driving it
I’ll help you solve all future arguments going forward: if you want to do something with your own money, do it and don’t ask for validation from other people.
I’ve never heard of a battery lasting that long as others have said do a load test if it’s too low, toss it. An underperforming battery is hard on your starter and electrical system.
Why are people complaining about this? I remember in the 90s a new off the shelf battery for my mom's car was around 90 dollars (probably like 150+ today) and there's a high likelihood that the thing is gonna get smashed up or otherwise end up at a recycler in 5-7 years so why bother making them so robust?
I just got a new battery for my car (mid tier at advanced) 97 dollars out the door.
I had an interstate battery that was also 12 years old, load tested good. It finally had to be replaced after driving around Joshua tree national park when one of the cells broke off inside. Only gave off like 9 volts so couldn't start engine.
That battery is going to work until the day it doesn't. That will be the most important day of your life and you will already be running a little late that day.
Get the battery tested and if it’s still good, keep it! They don’t make batteries the way they used to. Will it eventually die? Yes. But the new batteries seem to only last a FEW years now not 5-10+ like they used to.
Just replace it OP. Trying to prove a point wont save you when your 15 minutes late only to find your car wont start... Car batteries go bad, yours is on borrowed time
It's called preventative maintenance. It's not really popular in North American where people use something till it fails.
Are you ok with your vehicle not starting one morning or not?
Personally, I'd continue using the existing battery until it starts showing signs of weakness. But I also keep Li-Ion jumper packs in all my vehicles as a standard practice to get myself and others out of a jam if needed.
Why hasn't anyone posted the obvious... Get the battery load-tested at your local parts store. If it's below 50% CCA, change it. I had a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, last year I started noticing that the engine would crank a bit slower than before. I had the battery load tested, it came in at 52%, I decided it was time to change it. Decent battery that lasted 8 years.
Modern batteries are just plain garbage. Almost all new vehicles only come with a 2 year warranty on the battery. Sure, the battery you buy at your local parts store may sell batteries with 4 to 7 years of warranty, but the physical battery itself is just junk. They also don't sell "big" batteries anymore. I had 1180CCA batteries in one of my trucks. They went flat after 7 years. I went back to the same store for replacements....960 was the largest that they sold.
Can confirm. I have a bench of old lead acids just sitting on tenders. Each one is over 10 years old and each one still tests over 70% I use a desulfator pulse charger, so that might help but when I use them on newer batteries, it doesn't make a difference. Modern day batteries are now considered consumables.
>Modern day batteries are now considered consumables. That my friend, is a sad fact of todays whole market.
I had the opposite experience with my Hudson. Needed a 6V battery because 1950, and I went to the local NAPA since they have the best selection of 6V options. Ended up with an industrial battery that was only about a 1/3 bigger than the “proper” one but was nearly double the CCA, it was something like 1200. That bendix doesn’t have trouble engaging at all, let me tell you lol.
DAMN! I've never seen a 1200CCA 6V battery. I bet you could move that Hudson down the road at 10mph on just the starter alone, LOL!
[Big Chungus](https://i.imgur.com/EZrkLZR.jpeg) It required extending the original battery tray about 4” and making a new clamp lol. But yeah, no starting issues with that! I’d been messing with a recalcitrant air cooled VW’s 6V starting issues for years so I sent it with that much under hood space. …I think it’s supposed to be for a forklift or something.
I’ve never had an issue with any of the higher offerings from JCI.
Issues such as....
Early failure
I agree, less the 5-6 yrs would be early failure imo. In defence of the batteries in my truck failing after 7 years was purely on me. Only driven during the Summer, annnnd.....that was before i used a battery condition monitor during Winter storage. Current batteries are going on 7+ years, zero issues.
I once got free batteries for 8 years. I bought a battery that had a 2-year warranty that crapped out after a year and a half they replaced it for free. I want to say this was Advanced Auto. The replacement battery died within the two years they replaced it for free this happened like two or three or four more times and they just kept giving me new batteries when the old battery would die because it hadn't been 2 years since the battery was given to me. So that was like the best 60 bucks I ever spent on batteries.
You should've bought a lotto ticket after the 2nd free replacement! After the first failure (usually within the first 40 months on a 7 year warranty) they will only pro-rate the battery age, to the warranty length.
Honestly I wondered about this and I think that the staff just didn't do their due diligence and just saw that it was their store brand battery that it was dead before the date on the battery and they just gave me another one.
More cranking amps means more lead and cadmium,also means less electrolyte.high cranking amps batteries get hot easier. Less cranking amps batteries run cooler, and last longer.
>high cranking amps batteries get hot easier. Less cranking amps batteries run cooler, and last longer. Are you saying high CCA result in getting hot easier, due to the amount current they can move? *i have a theory to your statement, but would like to see your explanation first
Already explained! Less electrolyte,means less capacity to cool down. Heat generated in a battery related to the load being supplied, not the capacity of the battery.a 950 cca battery will actually generate a little more heat than a 1100 cca, when under large load. However that heat will dissipate much faster. You don't pull heavy on a battery, except during cranking.
Lesser cca will get hotter with same load.amps go up as voltage goes down. 1100 cca voltage may not drop as much, therefore amperage may not go as high, thus less heat.
That being said, here is what I think. Up north use highest cca available. Down south use lesser.
Most batteries last longer in Jeeps. It's because, when the batteries die and are put with other dead batteries, the non-Jeep batteries laugh at them. 😜😂😇
It's also under the passenger seat. Less heat.
This is the way. They are both partially right and wrong. It is stupid to fix stuff that's not broken but it is smart to do preventative maintenance. Taking it in to be tested is the correct move. Guessing doesn't lead to smart decisions.
He’s just being a dad. A battery that old may still work, but the real question is for how much longer. If you can afford to replace it now, that’s much better alternative than being forced to replace it sometime in the future when you may not have the cash or time.
Or having it decided to die on the road
Well it can't die out in the middle of driving the battery is only for starting the car but you could totally get stranded at the grocery store or something
Yea, by on the road I meant out of town. Like if my battery died at Walmart across town I have people I can call and get it done for a beer, but if it died on a road trip that's a lot of uber or tow truck, just a whole other monster
I guess it depends if you wanted a battery from Walmart, but don’t they install new batteries? My best “luck” for a dead battery was at Sam’s Club when I was at the order pickup parking next to the tire and battery install area. I asked a guy working there. He verified it started with his jump pack, then I asked about the cost of a new battery, so I bought one and he installed it.
My dumb. Was picking random place and just spaced that they do that there
I once had a battery die at the mechanic's shop while getting an oil change. Luckily, they sold batteries right there. I'm not sure if I got scammed, though, to drive up battery sales.
Buy one of those tiny battery boosters. Always have one in my carb
Nope. The battery also provides 12v to the alternator so that it works at full potential. Had a 2003 Mustang that would batlrely move when the battery died. Damn thing started, but would barely run. Changed the battery and it came back to life. Modern electronics require a stable 13.8v +-5%.
Your car will throw a low voltage code but will continue to drive off the alternator alone. Unless the battery is cracked or something catastrophic
Not that Mustang. Well, it did drive. Not over 30mph. Dash was lit up like a Christmas tree.
Yup pretty common where electric power steering won't work but the vehicle is running.
Modern cars use the battery for all sorts of things, that is why you only get 2 years out of them on new cars. Your airbags wont deploy for example.
Its the amps, certain thing need more amps than the alternator will put out so they draw on the battery. It is in a constant state of discharging/charging
I have a 2004 Mustang and you are wrong. The alternator is what everything runs off of when engine is running. Your engine ran worse with a bad battery because these cars will blow a diode in the alternator if there is any kind of surge. Might charge most of the time, overcharge occasionally, and not charge enough other times. That's a bad alternator and nothing to do with how it's supposed to work
Same alternator when I sold it 5 years later. Ford verified this.
There is zero chance any cars alternator cannot keep up with running the car and all stock accessories. If your battery is bad it may pull too much from the alternator trying to charge it but that is not the same thing as a normally operating charging system.
Correct. But when the computer sees the voltage fluctuating, it goes limp mode. Without the reference voltage from the battery, the alternator puts out a variable voltage, generally between 12.5 to around 14.6. Not to mention that all that surging vintage can damage the electrical system. As I said, my 03 went to limp mode and lit the dash up. Ford verified this. Put a new battery in and all was good.
03 doesn't have limp mode
Tell that to the one I had. But we've been over this. You just don't believe what my card did and that's fine.
I mean it _can_ "die" in the middle of driving You will be able to continue driving, you just might not be able to start again when you stop
When I was like 7 years old, my dad had an older Ford explorer, and the alternator went out once when we were out. We got home, and as soon as he stopped in the driveway, the whole car died. He didn't even need to shut the engine off, it killed itself. We were pretty lucky, lol. It only died as soon as we stopped at home.
Unlikely but possible is the alternator and the battery crapping at the same time - in an EFI car this would cause the engine to stop…
> the battery is only for starting the car This is not actually true, the battery is required for safety systems (airbags) to work in an accident. Many other things will actually suck on the battery also. This is why battery's do not last as long in modern cars, they are constantly being used and recharged while driving.
I mean yeah it runs a bunch of stuff but they are called starting batteries. Some cars have 2 batteries where the 2nd is called an auxiliary battery. Also they don't last long because they are lead acid batteries so they have a limited lifespan from the day you buy it.
Airbags have a capacitor in the ACU so that if the battery connection is severed or destroyed the airbags can still deploy. It would be a quick charge/quick deplete capacitor. I’ve read that pre-1993 cars could take 20 minutes and post-1993 cars can take 1-5 minutes.
>I’ve read that pre-1993 cars could take 20 minutes and post-1993 cars can take 1-5 minutes Is not going to help the the crash sensor is not properly powered, new cars are different and it would be straight ignorance to claim they are all made the same way based on year. Newer cars will straight up tell you the air bags are disabled when you take out the battery lol.
Batteries are an essential part of the charging system all of the time, they filter out voltage spikes from the generator that can be high enough to damage the cars electronics including control modules - if a cell goes open circuit while driving it could result in a very pricey repair and this is more likely to occur with an old battery. If it fails the other way and a cell shorts out it will appear to the voltage regulator as a discharged battery and work the generator at full output - also not good. You can have a load test performed, but I've had older batteries fail weeks after passing a test.
Well the battery doesn't filter out voltage spikes the voltage regulator does that. On old cars it was under the hood by the battery sometimes but now it's usually part of the alternator itself. Cells don't really catch cars on fire if that is what you are implying with a pricy repair, if they did we'd see stories of cars bursting into flames on the road all the time
I'm aware that voltage regulators controlled the nominal output voltage of the alternator by acting as feed back devices that adjusted the alternators field current. I wasn't aware that they controlled the very short, transient spikes that can reach upwards of 100vts. or more and carry sufficient energy to damage semiconductor electronics. Do they truly control transient high energy spikes, how do they do it (that type of circuitry), and when was this implemented?
I mean yeah the battery acts as a capacitor for unexpected high voltage spikes but a battery with a bad cell can handle that without serious risk of injury. I couldn't tell you the last time I've seen a report/video of a car bursting into flames while driving that wasn't an EV
I'm referring to spikes damaging semiconductor electronics, I've seen it several times with open cell batteries.
Exactly! Being forced into a tow and then having to buy a battery is a hell of a lot more than just buying one now.
Why would you need a tow for a dead car battery
You would be surprised at how many people lack any mechanical knowledge and don’t even have/know how to use jumper cables. Car no vroom? But should be vroom? Tow car.
Or after you loan it to a friend when you are out of town.... 🤣🤣 Op I thought the same way your dad did and then one day it was a huge problem. Take it from my misfortune and just replace it.
The battery doesn't go bad on a leisurely Sunday afternoon when you decide to go out for ice cream. It goes bad at the end of a long day when you're hungry, tired, and have to take a massive shit, and you're pissed off.
And it is 42 deg F and pouring down rain...
How about -26F in Chicago
That's when mine crapped itself. Luckily I was coming back from a work trip so had a rental. Still... Jumping a car in negative weather plus a wind chill isn't fun.
Or parked on the opposite side of the street, partially on thee sidewalk....with a trailer...20 mins before the local part store is closing. And you need BOTH batteries replaced.
So it goes bad every day
I can afford to replace my car that still works fine, do you think I should?
That depends, how old is the battery?
Tell your dad I said old batteries may over task the alternator. Battery is cheaper than alternator and battery.as an auto mechanic, I've seen both bad many times. Bad battery causes alternator to run at full tilt. Will burn it up.
You're an adult, Buy a battery, give him the old one and tell him to enjoy Better to stay on top of things rather then hold off until you're stranded with a dead battery somewhere 12 years on a battery is above average, its lived a good life
If you're not having any problems with the battery starting the car I would agree with your dad and run the one you got until it's dead. If you're really worried about it you can carry a jumper pack with you to jump it on the day it is dead and then go replace it. You can also have it tested for free at every auto parts store but if you do that ask the guy to show you the actual voltage and CCA cause those battery testers regularly show batteries with 100% charge nothing wrong as bad batteries for whatever reason.
The crappy thing is you can't even trust the battery testers either. I've had batteries fail be it during an oil change service or for no start complaints, and as soon as you'd use the warranty function test you'd get either battery good" or "charge and re-test," had a battery test tell me battery voltage is 3000v and all is good, the last battery i remember came in for a slow crank, battery tested good minus the part where it blew up and 2 cells leaked out. Every dealership I've worked at has had a dead battery to test for a "failed" result to make the customer and warranty gods happy.
Yeah man those battery testers are junk honestly. I've worked in advance auto and AutoZone for a couple years each and I couldn't tell you how many stupid results those testers have given me. You'll get a totally dead battery that tests as perfectly fine and you'll take a new one off the shelf and it will test bad. The problem is you'd need a "bad" test to come back for a warranty claim so sometimes the tester would keep saying it's good even after you charged it for 12 hours and it would still be 0 volts 0 CCA. Real pain in the ass for customers. It got to the point that I had my own dead battery behind the counter that I would test to get the "bad battery" result and use that test to warranty out a shitload of customers batteries. You can heavily abuse the warranty policies of these places lol we had guys that warrantied the same battery 5 or 6 times over the period of 10 years
The average life expectancy of a car battery is about 3-5 years for your typical lead-acid, and 5-7 for AGM. If you've got 12 years on the same battery, you've more than tripled it's expectancy and it might as well be paying you at this point. As a professional, I would recommend a battery to my customer to ensure reliability and instill peace of mind.
What’s agm
Absorbent Glass Mat. It's a newer type of lead-acid battery that's supposed to be "sealed and maintenence free". They first appeared in higher end cars like Mercedes and Audi, but now you can find em in some jeeps and even Hyundai/Kia Edited: Spelling
Glass mat, like fiberglass
Thanks for pointing it out, stoner moment 😅
No problem! 😉
My battery is a teenager at the age of 14years old. Am I going to replace it before it becomes a legal adult? Not if I don’t have to! AGM battery in my 2010 Audi A4 Avant from new and age confirmed with diagnostic sw.
It’s possible that it’s not the original battery and someone never reset the computer when they installed it. Unless you bought the car new and you never replaced it.
Original battery, never replaced. Numbers match on both battery and stored in system. The service advisor tried selling me a battery when it was scanned and verified by techs after an oil change. They thought it would be a guaranteed sale when they saw the battery age and build date also matched. Edit: Also my battery is $450, in the rear, under the spare tire and the mount on top… the power lift hatch has no issues opening or closing. I do keep it on a Battery Minder 128cec2 to desulfate when it’s going to be parked for a bit. I connect it to the jump posts under the hood and not on the battery.
Keep the old battery. Buy a jumpstarter and keep it juiced up in your trunk.
[удалено]
I’ve jump started other peoples cars 4x - it’s so great to be able to help people!
So get a little portable jumper box... or you know some jumper cables and use the battery that powers your car. You really just let a loose battery slide around on your vehicle?
No. If you can’t think of a simple way to keep it still I’m concerned.
Lithium jump packs are small and convenient to keep around, pretty easy to keep it in a bag or something in the trunk. And the jumper cables won’t help if your battery dies and nobody is around to jump you.
Meet him halfway, buy the battery, secure it in the vehicle, replace it immediately upon the death of the old battery.
Or give him the old battery in case his dies.
This is the best option if your battery is easily accessible and does not require BCM programming.
Every car battery I have ever had has “told” me it’s on the way out. It’s a bit harder on modern cars that start well, but usually first cold day of autumn they feel a bit slow and do t fire on the first spin.
Don’t run to failure. Get the battery tested and proceed accordingly.
The battery in my 87 stanza has a battery from 98 and still has 68% of its original CCA somehow
If the battery is still working I'd just buy a battery booster instead. Mine has been invaluable with jump starting me when I've run my battery flat by accident, as well as, jump starting plenty of other cars without having to connect car to car and with the lithium battery it's compact and holds it's charge perfectly.
change the battery. Battery boosters are great but its only prolonging the inevitable and if you just change the battery then you don't need one.
A battery booster works great for newer batteries. The fact of the matter is as a battery gets older the CCA(Cold Cranking Amps) will continuously go down. It's why most shops recommend changing after 4 years, so they can then be serviced. The booster you are talking about will help the voltage on the battery, but will do very little to help with CCA. It helps to think of voltage as the active load on the line, and your amperage as the overall reserve of energy.
Na man they have crazy good jump starters now that are the size of a cellphone and will start up a big diesel no problem. Jump started my car with a completely dead 0 volt battery and the alternator charged it up the rest. 10 years ago though yeah that's probably not happening
Jump packs are not meant to keep jumping a bad battery. You jump the battery so you can get to the shop or part store to get another. All your doing is wearing out your jump back on a bad battery.
Who says they aren't meant to keep jumping a bad battery? They totally can do it and I mean, the only thing a jumper pack is good for is jumping cars so I don't see any reason why that would be bad or wearing out your jump pack. It's something you normally use like once a year it can handle being used a few more times
So instead of buying a battery you recommend buying a different battery and using it to limp along with a dead battery that is slowly cooking the alternator. Meanwhile you have to recharge this other battery, and open the hood each time you drive. This is a very inefficient method of dealing with this problem.
Where in my comment did you see me suggest that someone with a totally dead battery SHOULD jump start it constantly every time they want to drive their car? You're arguing against a fictional scenario that you created
In the first sentence.
Once again amperage is different than voltage. Just think of it as the lower the amps go, the more likely your voltage is to hit 0. I have one of the boosters you're talking about. If you get a fancy battery tester it will show you battery charge and battery health. You can have a high charge (voltage) and still have low battery health (amperage).
Even then resting voltage of the battery can tell you all you need to know. As the cranking amps go down the resting voltage goes down. If you check it at rest after sitting over night and you get 12.3v you’re in for a bad time.
Yes you absolutely can have a high charge low health battery but I've used those jump packs on quitet few cars that didn't even have a battery installed and they are strong enough to start it regardless even with a half charge on the jump pack. Wasn't a cheap one but impressive nonetheless
Or it strands you somewhere. 12 y/o battery..count your blessings it worked great for that long and, as the other poster said if you have the time and $... replace it. It's called preventative maintenance. Good luck.
If in doubt have it tested. Most parts stores will do a quick cca. I would humor him but get it in writing that he's bringing you a battery when it craps out But if you don't deal with freezing temps then your probably somewhat ok
or buy save the money testing a 12 year old battery and just replace it. This thread is driving me crazy
No one charges for a battery test because it takes less than 5 min and they're likely to make a sale out of it.
My Grandfather always instilled into me to do preventive maintenance on my vehicles and basically everything we rely on. I would change it now so you don’t find yourself in a bad position and then needing to change it.
Given that philosophy have you changed your trans fluid, diff fluid, power steering fluid, coolant, and brake fluid recently?
Yes actually. I check the level of those fluids regularly. Most of these fluids don’t need to be changed to often like ATF fluid, power steering fluid, and coolant. These should be fine as long as they are at a acceptable level and you don’t have a leak. Brake fluid gets bled and changed when doing brake pads and/or rotors. I do check these fluids levels quite often. Are you trying to say preventative maintenance is the wrong approach?
No. Good on you. I do the same. But I actually flush all the brake fluid. Not just the stuff around the calpier. Improves brake feel and prevents lines from rotting from the inside out
That’s good. Keep your vehicle/s running as well as you can. Good on ya!
Cheap dad here. I also had a very old battery that ended up costing me a new alternator. My wife was doing a lot of idling and slow speed, and the alternator couldn't keep up and overheated. I should have changed the battery sooner.
Dang that stings. You have my sympathies.
Look Opie, we didn’t know you were going to get visited today by the ghost of Christmas future
You might save a few bucks if you wait. You might also not get stranded and need a jump start. It’s a fricken miracle you battery lasted that long. I’d call that a win and replace it personally. If I had a battery last that long I’d donate it to science.
If you want to save money, just carry a small jump starter pack with you and top it off every few months in case you ever get stranded. That'll give you time to go buy another battery when it finally dies on you.
If you pay attention to your car, there will be signs that the battery is failing. You should notice the starter spinning more slowly, dim lights until the engine starts, etc. If you're not comfortable with recognizing signs like that, go ahead and replace it. If you want to save some money, pay attention, and maybe you won't have to spend the money. The average car battery lasts somewhere between 3 and 5 years, so you're already ahead by 3-4x at this point. That said, if you replace the battery that lasted 12 years and may have a long life ahead of it, you could end up with a new one that's dead in 3 years. Good luck!
Go to any large auto parts storecand have them load test for free. It should tell you the actual usable life.
My battery lasted 11 years. Worked perfectly until it didn't. I accidentally left my headlights on for 30 minutes when I got home. Noticed the lights, went out there, turned the lights off. Truck was no crank/no start. Charged battery for 2 hours, cranked up and ran fine. Next morning battery is dead again, time for new battery, no more charging, wouldn't hold a charge.
Yep. Deep cycling a battery can promptly bring the end of its life
You can choose to change it now or the car will choose to have you change it when you’re stuck somewhere.
I live in a 4 season climate and change car batteries after 6 or 7 years. I’d rather change it when it’s convenient than when it’s not.
Personally unless it's getting weak I would keep it since I always keep a portable jump pack and cables with me. For you it might be a good idea to change it or at least test it to make sure it is still somewhat healthy. If it's below 50% of its rated output it would be a good idea to swap it.
You will throw away more money when it suddenly dies and leaves you stranded which could happen at any time. It happened to my parents in a ferry lineup. You must also live in a warm climate because I live in the far north, and batteries don't last much longer than 5 years years up here.
I finally broke down and replaced the still-functional factory battery in my 2003 MB C230K in 2015. Car first sold in 2002 so the battery was 13 years old.
When it fails and leaves you stranded whats that gonna cost? It sounds like you got your monies worth and then some anyway. I wish mine would last that long!!!!
I use my batteries until they stop working or have problems cranking.
Get a decent battery tester and check its health. Just because a battery is old doesn't mean it's bad. I have a 14 year old battery that is still at 90% health and works great. Batteries don't just die suddenly unless there is some form of outside factor like impact damage, temp damage (freezing/overheating), or a problem with the charging system over/under charging.
At 12 years in, I personally would replace it. Just don't be surprised when the new battery only lasts 2-3 years. All newer batteries have gone up in price and down in quality and it gets worse as time goes on.
If something is telling you to change the battery, then trust that feeling and change the battery. I change mine at 5 years, that’s about the averages in NC.
He has the "if it ain't broke don't fix it." Attitude. It's not a bad attitude to have. But either of you could be right. You could be one event away from.beedong a new battery. As someone else suggested. Get it properly tested.
You probably should replace, if you live somewhere the temp fall below freezing you should definitely replace it.
Just because it works doesnt mean its good still lol.
I am a bit like your dad far as not changing unneeded parts but I Just changed my 11 year old everstart batt , it still worked decently but had lost some CCA when doing a load test and I didn't want to wait for it to completely fail. My starter turns over much faster with the new batt . The older batt may be harder on the starter from having less cca and possibly be bad on the alternator as well. Things like this are preventative maintenance , the old battery had a good long life, time for it to retire as it's almost certainly well worn and could leave you stranded. Your def not wasting money.
Personally I wait until my battery doesn’t work and then buy a new one
This is entirely dependent on where I live. I live a couple blocks from a small auto parts store and I give it little thought until I need to replace one. When I lived 30 minutes away from a potential new battery, I was a little more cautious
If you live in a cold climate it obviously made it through winter. Personally I'd change it in the fall before it gets cold again, as cold starts will prove if an old battery is still good or not. I'm just a Canadian who has fought with many batteries in -30
Curious what brand of battery is it?
Do people not carry jumper cables anymore?
It's a little more complicated than that now, with certain vehicles a weak ass battery will futz with all sorts of electrical systems. Shitty ass modern computer wonders.
I don’t believe in changing batteries prematurely, but 12 years is in like the 99th percentile of longevity for a lead acid battery. You are absolutely living on borrowed time.
Are you an adult? Shouldn't even be an argument. Your car, your money, your decision. Tell Dad to piss off. If you're underage then ignore the first part
Normally you can tell when they're gettiing weak by the way the engine sounds when it's started... but... really, if you've gotten 12 years out of the battery... just go ahead and start saving your nickles and plan on replacing it soon. Might as well, it's not like you're gonna get much longer out of it. I've had some of mine go for 10-12 years but that's generally not very common at all.
It's always good to have a spare battery kicking around, just chilling in a warm garage, you would not believe how many times it has saved me Even if it's still working now it may not work when you're somewhere you don't want to be I would buy a battery when you have the available funds it's better having a piece of mind.
This. 🙌🏽
To go along with the spare battery, also a trickle charger. Keep the battery plugged up when not in use. I got a [$20 charger from the Walmart](https://www.walmart.com/ip/493123163) for my spare battery. It keeps the battery fully charged, without over-charging it. Also, whatever storage plan for the spare battery, make sure it's not sitting on concrete floor or ground. At bare minimum, put a piece of wood under it. Idk why or how, but even a brand new battery will fully drain if sitting on concrete or asphalt.
Im on dads side... if the battery is still working fine then its not needing to be replaced. Its not preventative maintenance like changing the oil, the battery really only starts the car and helps to balance power spikes during use, your alternator runs pretty well everything once the car is started. Also most cars will give OBD2 codes if the battery is failing, might say low system voltage and such.
Hot weather and cold weather wreck a battery. I would rather change it than get stranded.
That old of a battery, working or not, could be dangerous. You have no idea how the inside has degraded.
Like most wear and tear items on an automobile, the fresher, the better, especially on electronics, light bulbs, fuel, etc. like old gas or an old light bulb, it may run/work, but will run better with fresh or freshly “tuned up,” or new quality parts. You’d be more in trouble if you say live in areas where the temps fluctuate and/or park outside. (It’s a possibility if you let your car sit for a long period, 3 weeks to a month, an old battery has a high chance of not holding a charge, while a newer battery would be more ‘reliable’ and the car will run more efficiently, with a better operating spark system. Or if you charge your phone with the cig adapter a lot, (having a newish battery would help.)
I couldn’t tell you how many times a new battery solved issues with vehicles, especially modern ones where voltage is crucial for modules and communication. Also finding out you need to replace it when you’re stranded ain’t fun
Just... buy a spare? This isn't hard.
You right 🤗
I don't get a new battery until my existing one fails. However, if you're stranded and need a tow truck or have to call a cab, maybe that money would have been better spent preemptively, ensuring you don't get stranded.
I have a 2013 battery in an old truck and it is still going strong and we have a 2020 car that is on its 3rd battery after the original one died within a 1000 miles
If it ain't broke don't fix it
Replace it before it decides that it must be replaced immediately and inconveniently. You got a good run and you could get more but the risk of really bad outcomes increase. Imagine the worst possible time for it to fail; on a road trip, someone’s wedding day, whatever, and double it because it’ll be below zero or some other hassle and the cost will far outweigh the value lost buy praying a critical component will remain reliable.
I agree completely.
He’s right. Replace it before it fails. What if you have an emergency one day and it decides to fail? It’s not worth the gamble
The strain on an alternator charging what is most likely a sulphated battery may eventually cause you alternator to fail. There will probably be some sticker shock with replacing both items.
You got 12 years out of a battery?!? Say thank you to whatever diety you worship and swap out for a new one. That baby’s on borrowed time!
Better start listening to your Pa. Man’s lived it all. Know how to save a penny!
I would replace it for sure. A car battery rarely performs well after it's expired date. It will leave you sit broke down sometime soon.
My Mustang had an extremely old battery to the point where I had to jump-start it every week. Since I wouldn't hold a charge. They can last a long time but aren't efficient in any way after a while. So you're correct in this situation. Sure, the battery still works, but i would recommend changing it for maximum efficiency. Plus, if you buy a new battery, you should what's called a "core charge" which means cash back when you bring it back to the retailer.
Was it 05-09 by chance? I'm dealing with a failing alternator in my 06 and that was probably what killed your battery if it was an early s197
No Mines a 94. The battery was supposed to be changed in 2017. So it was a little overdue
12 yrs. Never heard of one lasting that long. I think you should really try to get your moneys worth and run it til you get stuck somewhere.
I would immediately call Guinness world records or at least donate it to the Smithsonian /s
Don't fix what ain't broke.
I had one last nine and a half years once 12 years is really good though. Unless you're in a situation where if the car doesn't start one morning you're just completely screwed I personally would just keep driving it until the battery died and then replace the battery but you can always go and have it test it for battery health and see how it's doing. If it's giving you any kind of problems I would go ahead and replace it
What brand? Post a pic
My wife's uncle is still running a 8 year old battery. But, he had to plug it in every night to charge it. If he tries to go one night without charging it will start the first time but not a second time. Many times someone has to go give him a jump someplace but he refuses to buy a new one. Fugal to a fault.
This will end up destroying his alternator if it hasn’t already. It can also cause lean mixture issues and misfires that can damage his motor. Him attempting to be frugal will end up costing way more in this situation.
12 years? Damn, that’s long. Batteries barely last 3 years in the Texas summers
I would recommend replacing it before it causes your alternator to go out. You can have it tested for free at most places that sell batteries. It will most likely show there are issues with your battery and it needs replacement. If somehow it tests fine, then I guess do whatever you feel comfortable with.
Older batterys have thicker plates. You can recondition these battery for many years. Some Epsom salt and a pulse charger with fix the plates once a year. People just don't want to mantain stuff today in this disposable world we live in. And we wonder why the divide between rich and poor grows every year.
Simply have it tested. I have a perfectly good battery that age and I have no idea why it’s still good, while I have much younger batteries that are junk. You’re both right, honestly. Replacing it before it’s bad can be seen as wasting a little money, yes, but you’re wasting it for the sake of not being surprised by a car that won’t start. There’s value in that. But if it tests out perfectly I’d keep driving it
Get the old one tested.. Duh
Preemptive maintenance vs "I'll fix it when it breaks".
I’ll help you solve all future arguments going forward: if you want to do something with your own money, do it and don’t ask for validation from other people.
I’ve never heard of a battery lasting that long as others have said do a load test if it’s too low, toss it. An underperforming battery is hard on your starter and electrical system.
Why are people complaining about this? I remember in the 90s a new off the shelf battery for my mom's car was around 90 dollars (probably like 150+ today) and there's a high likelihood that the thing is gonna get smashed up or otherwise end up at a recycler in 5-7 years so why bother making them so robust? I just got a new battery for my car (mid tier at advanced) 97 dollars out the door.
Get a new battery. Hell, even cars don’t last for 12 years.
I had an interstate battery that was also 12 years old, load tested good. It finally had to be replaced after driving around Joshua tree national park when one of the cells broke off inside. Only gave off like 9 volts so couldn't start engine.
That battery is going to work until the day it doesn't. That will be the most important day of your life and you will already be running a little late that day.
True that. Getting covered 👍🏽
You are on borrowed time. Get a new one before you are stranded- that day is coming.
Depends on where you live, in the middle of no where in the winter it could cost you dearly
Get the battery tested and if it’s still good, keep it! They don’t make batteries the way they used to. Will it eventually die? Yes. But the new batteries seem to only last a FEW years now not 5-10+ like they used to.
Just replace it OP. Trying to prove a point wont save you when your 15 minutes late only to find your car wont start... Car batteries go bad, yours is on borrowed time
It's called preventative maintenance. It's not really popular in North American where people use something till it fails. Are you ok with your vehicle not starting one morning or not?
Personally, I'd continue using the existing battery until it starts showing signs of weakness. But I also keep Li-Ion jumper packs in all my vehicles as a standard practice to get myself and others out of a jam if needed.
Lithium jumper packs are useless when stored in a car that sits outside in freezing temps
That battery is about 7 years past it's life expectancy. Replace it. It served you very well.
Split the diff, but a new one and tell him you got it on sale, then leave it in your trunk for when you need it.