Car battery replacement interval advice

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jebmke
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by jebmke »

^ thanks. I just looked at my records. My last battery on my RAV4 was installed in July, 2014. I suspect I am living on borrowed time.
Don't trust me, look it up. https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions-and-publications
lazydavid
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by lazydavid »

vfinx wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 9:56 am Could you provide your source for that 99.3%. I’ve heard very high numbers like this mentioned a lot, but it’s usually from battery industry advocacy groups (lobbyists I presume). I’m not making any counterclaim, it just sounds too good to be true.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_r ... _batteries
So the exact 99.3% value I got from here: https://www.recyclingtoday.com/article/ ... recycling/
Which yes was commissioned by battery advocacy groups but performed by an independent statistical firm.

However, the EPA also published a study in 2016 that agrees with these findings: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files ... et_508.pdf
Environmental Protection Agency wrote:In 2014, the rate of lead-acid battery recycling was about 99 percent (2.81 million tons). The rate of corrugated box recycling was over 89 percent (27.3 million tons), and over 61 percent (21.1 million tons) of yard trimmings were composted
ncbill
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by ncbill »

lazydavid wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 11:33 pm
RobLyons wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 2:43 pm It seems quite wasteful and costly to change your battery on a regular interval. If you have AAA they will come out and change out the battery if you ever get stuck, usually within the hour.
As another poster mentioned, the "opportunity cost" of replacing a battery early is around $5/year. In order to avoid being so heinously wasteful, you suggest that said person save the $5/year and instead spend $40-74/year on AAA, and then get stranded and wait for a rescue. No thank you, I'll happily save $35-69/year and my time.
There are plenty of reasons to need AAA or a similar service apart from a dead battery.

Now that battery load testers are under $30 I just bought one to use on my many vehicles, rather than just replace the batteries on an arbitrary schedule.

I am fortunate that in my climate a dying battery has always been able to be jumped so the vehicle can be driven to an auto parts store, dealer, or independent mechanic for a replacement.
Big Dog
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by Big Dog »

if you live in the SW, then 3 years make sense as heat is really hard on batteries. In SoCal, I go thru batteries every 3-4 years, but Phoenix could be 2. Long time members of AAA, so don't mind waiting for a jump; their battery service is usually <30 minutes where we live CA.

That said, just visited my D in NorCal (Bay Area) and her battery finally needed a jump; it was the original battery on a 2015. The independent shop said it could go longer, but just told them to replace with winter coming up.
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indexfundfan
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by indexfundfan »

jebmke wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 10:10 am
indexfundfan wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 10:43 am
talzara wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 1:48 pm
indexfundfan wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:47 pm I'm thinking of getting a battery tester that reports the internal resistance as well as the CCA to test my car batteries regularly. I would then replace a battery only if it is reported to be "bad" by the tester. Do you think this is a viable strategy?
Battery testers usually recommend replacing the battery when it reaches 70% of the rated CCA. There's little risk to driving on a good battery, even if it's old. If you really want to be conservative, you can replace at 80% of the rated CCA.
Thank you. That's good to know. I did buy a battery tester for around $30 and the measured CCA is 91% of rated.
What tester did you buy? Seems to be a lot of low end testers that are essentially voltmeters as far as I can tell. Many in the $15-20 range but no indication that they give CCA percentage.
This is the one I bought

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08YNT9DHC

It measures the CCA and battery internal resistance. I think these are the two most important parameters.

It also captures the voltage waveform as the car engine is cranked (for checking battery voltage drop during cranking).

The other thing it checks is whether your car alternator is supplying the correct voltage to charge the battery.
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tesuzuki2002
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by tesuzuki2002 »

mpnret wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:24 pm Just hit 7 years on my Sears Die Hard AGM battery. Outside car. Cold winters. I plan on replacing it before this winter with an Interstate battery from Costco.
AGMs are great!!! Carry a jump pack and replace when you have to use the jump pack.
sandan
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by sandan »

I got rid of my aftermarket car alarm/fob. Instead of the regular 3 year failures in a hot climate, I'm at 5 years and still fine.
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Harry Livermore
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by Harry Livermore »

tibbitts wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 5:30 pm
NESF wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 3:07 pm You're squabbling over $25+/-.
Not squabbling over $25 might eliminate about half the threads on the forum.
Hahahahaha, just saw this. Touche!
Cheers
Second Round
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by Second Round »

Jeepergeo wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 9:50 am Consider getting one of those jump starters....they are small and work great. Costco has them. Keep one in the trunk of each vehicle....just in case you misjudge the battery replacement window. They are very easy to use.

https://www.costco.com/michelin-high-ca ... 63903.html
Just an personal anecdote - I got such a thing at Costco ... "S-Type" brand for $50 and recently tried to jump start a Honda Accord while out of town. It did not work. Specifically, the engine turned over and caught, but immediately died. As only about 10% of the capacity of the battery bank was used with each attempt (per the display), I suspect the circuitry was the problem, not the capacity. That is, it cut off the electrical power delivery before the engine was fully ready to run on its own.

The instruction manual states that when this happens, you probably have another problem with the car, like alternator or something, i.e., it's not the fault of the battery bank.

To test that claim, I got out some jumper cables and used my running Honda Fit as a donor power source. The Accord started easily and remained running. Night and day difference. When I got home, the S-Type jumper battery bank went back to Costco.

Sometimes the old ways are better.
lazydavid
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by lazydavid »

Replaced my 5.5 year old AGM today. Perhaps a bit early, but it took a little longer than usual to start this morning, and it was cold but not brutally so (about 36F). Battery tester that indexfundfan mentioned a few posts up said it was good overall but charge was low. Charged at 14V for 90 minutes, but still only showed 11.7V at rest, 9V during a start, and state of charge was still only 33%. So maybe it would have made it through the winter, maybe not. Whatever, I'm not going to obsess about potentially wasting $30.

I do think it may have made it a bit longer if I was still commuting every day.
dbr
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by dbr »

Second Round wrote: Sat Nov 13, 2021 7:00 pm
Jeepergeo wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 9:50 am Consider getting one of those jump starters....they are small and work great. Costco has them. Keep one in the trunk of each vehicle....just in case you misjudge the battery replacement window. They are very easy to use.

https://www.costco.com/michelin-high-ca ... 63903.html
Just an personal anecdote - I got such a thing at Costco ... "S-Type" brand for $50 and recently tried to jump start a Honda Accord while out of town. It did not work. Specifically, the engine turned over and caught, but immediately died. As only about 10% of the capacity of the battery bank was used with each attempt (per the display), I suspect the circuitry was the problem, not the capacity. That is, it cut off the electrical power delivery before the engine was fully ready to run on its own.

The instruction manual states that when this happens, you probably have another problem with the car, like alternator or something, i.e., it's not the fault of the battery bank.

To test that claim, I got out some jumper cables and used my running Honda Fit as a donor power source. The Accord started easily and remained running. Night and day difference. When I got home, the S-Type jumper battery bank went back to Costco.

Sometimes the old ways are better.
My experience is that those small LI battery pack are not adequate if the battery is run down too far. A jump still works and so does something like this (what the AAA truck carries): https://cloreautomotive.com/product/jnc770r/
wander
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by wander »

Second Round wrote: Sat Nov 13, 2021 7:00 pm
Jeepergeo wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 9:50 am Consider getting one of those jump starters....they are small and work great. Costco has them. Keep one in the trunk of each vehicle....just in case you misjudge the battery replacement window. They are very easy to use.

https://www.costco.com/michelin-high-ca ... 63903.html
Just an personal anecdote - I got such a thing at Costco ... "S-Type" brand for $50 and recently tried to jump start a Honda Accord while out of town. It did not work. Specifically, the engine turned over and caught, but immediately died. As only about 10% of the capacity of the battery bank was used with each attempt (per the display), I suspect the circuitry was the problem, not the capacity. That is, it cut off the electrical power delivery before the engine was fully ready to run on its own.

The instruction manual states that when this happens, you probably have another problem with the car, like alternator or something, i.e., it's not the fault of the battery bank.

To test that claim, I got out some jumper cables and used my running Honda Fit as a donor power source. The Accord started easily and remained running. Night and day difference. When I got home, the S-Type jumper battery bank went back to Costco.

Sometimes the old ways are better.
When you buy something, you want to account for calculation error in the advertised number. For example, the jumpstarter listed above (sold at Costco) is rated 500CCA. It may only give you that 500 CCA in a test lab at perfect condition; however, in reality, you may never get 500CCA from that device. If your car needs 500CCA then you should go for something that can produce 1000 CCA.
FWIW, my car needs 700 CCA (peak) so I picked a jumpstarter that could jump up to 2000 CCA. I have never encountered any problem with jumping any car.
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snackdog
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by snackdog »

If you want assurance your battery will work when you need it and you don't wish to mess with testing it, jump starts in the middle of nowhere, etc. replace it every three years.
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sport
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by sport »

wander wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 10:28 am When you buy something, you want to account for calculation error in the advertised number. For example, the jumpstarter listed above (sold at Costco) is rated 500CCA. It may only give you that 500 CCA in a test lab at perfect condition; however, in reality, you may never get 500CCA. If your car needs 500CCA then you should go for something that can produce 1000 CCA.
FWIW, my car needs 700 CCA (peak) so I picked a jumpstarter that could jump up to 2000 CCA. I have never encountered any problem with jumping any car.
CCA stands for "cold cranking amps". This is a rating for performance at zero degrees F. At higher temperatures, performance will be much better.
sport
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by sport »

snackdog wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 10:36 am If you want assurance your battery will work when you need it and you don't wish to mess with testing it, jump starts in the middle of nowhere, etc. replace it every three years.
You have the right idea. However, the replacement interval should depend on climate, mileage, and the quality of the battery.
Hot weather shortens battery life. High mileage shortens battery life, and a battery with good performance ratings will last longer than a cheap one with low ratings. So, a high mileage driver in Arizona should not have the same schedule as a low mileage driver in Wisconsin.
dbr
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by dbr »

It may be the most damaging condition for batteries is infrequent short drives with no longer distance driving. A daily commute of ten mile each way is probably good. Six shopping trips a week at two miles is probably not good.

I agree experience would suggest just replacing at 3 year intervals is a good idea.
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Doom&Gloom
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by Doom&Gloom »

sport wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 10:42 am
snackdog wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 10:36 am If you want assurance your battery will work when you need it and you don't wish to mess with testing it, jump starts in the middle of nowhere, etc. replace it every three years.
You have the right idea. However, the replacement interval should depend on climate, mileage, and the quality of the battery.
Hot weather shortens battery life. High mileage shortens battery life, and a battery with good performance ratings will last longer than a cheap one with low ratings. So, a high mileage driver in Arizona should not have the same schedule as a low mileage driver in Wisconsin.
I have reached the point in my life where car batteries are something I do not wish to inconvenience me. After the third time that the starter begins to labor while cranking, out with the old and in with the new. In my experience once a battery reaches that point, it is not long for the world regardless of how it tests.

I replaced the battery in my car this week. I would have to check my records, but it has been 3 or 4 years. It is not worth inconveniencing myself trying to coax it through the winter with a couple of jumps and charges.
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SanityCheck
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by SanityCheck »

Got 19 years out of a Panasonic battery (made in Japan) in a Mazda Miata !!
Californiastate
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by Californiastate »

My auto start/stop in my '19 Ford is my canary for charge status. The vehicle has all the electronic gizmos that constantly discharge the battery. It seems I can't walk past it in the garage without it giving the R2D2 hello. The auto start/stop won't activate during certain situations including low battery charge status. The good thing is that the menu provides the incident information. I didn't drive it for 8 days and the ASS didn't activate for 80 miles of highway driving with stops.
You aren't supposed to charge it from the battery posts either. You need to connect the ground to the frame in order for the circuit to include a certain battery management module. A battery swap requires reseting the system to acknowledge a new battery. It's not your father's Oldmobile.
sport
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by sport »

Californiastate wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 11:30 am You aren't supposed to charge it from the battery posts either. You need to connect the ground to the frame...
This is the standard correct procedure for all cars. When you make the second connection, there is a little spark. You want that spark to be away from the battery. Lead acid batteries have an explosive mixture of hydrogen and oxygen in the "head space". If that gas is ignited, the battery will explode violently. In another life, I worked on developing devices to prevent such explosions. We exploded a lot of batteries while testing. Always always always wear eye protection when doing anything with a auto battery.
bpt
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by bpt »

SteadyOne wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:17 pm Having been stuck at random places at random times with the dead battery I decided to replace it regular intervals so to avoid those situations what would be your advice ? Every three years?
My car battery died after 2 years with a defective fuel cell. The battery was under warranty for 3 years and was replaced at no cost to me. I do live in an area where temperatures remain in 90's during the summer. Important fact I learnt- once the battery is replaced within the warranty time, the new battery warranty does not renew eg now my battery has a 1 yr warranty left although brand spanking new.
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by tibbitts »

bpt wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 2:23 pm
SteadyOne wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:17 pm Having been stuck at random places at random times with the dead battery I decided to replace it regular intervals so to avoid those situations what would be your advice ? Every three years?
My car battery died after 2 years with a defective fuel cell. The battery was under warranty for 3 years and was replaced at no cost to me. I do live in an area where temperatures remain in 90's during the summer. Important fact I learnt- once the battery is replaced within the warranty time, the new battery warranty does not renew eg now my battery has a 1 yr warranty left although brand spanking new.
Fuel cell? Interesting term for an automotive battery. In any case at Walmart this policy changed a few years ago; previously the warranty did reset, and I obtained a replacement battery under the old policy, with the understanding the warranty would no longer reset. I'm not sure about all the other retailers.
sport
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by sport »

tibbitts wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 6:42 pm
bpt wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 2:23 pm
SteadyOne wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:17 pm Having been stuck at random places at random times with the dead battery I decided to replace it regular intervals so to avoid those situations what would be your advice ? Every three years?
My car battery died after 2 years with a defective fuel cell. The battery was under warranty for 3 years and was replaced at no cost to me. I do live in an area where temperatures remain in 90's during the summer. Important fact I learnt- once the battery is replaced within the warranty time, the new battery warranty does not renew eg now my battery has a 1 yr warranty left although brand spanking new.
Fuel cell? Interesting term for an automotive battery. In any case at Walmart this policy changed a few years ago; previously the warranty did reset, and I obtained a replacement battery under the old policy, with the understanding the warranty would no longer reset. I'm not sure about all the other retailers.
Lead-acid batteries have cells, but not fuel cells. A 12-volt lead-acid battery has 6 cells.
tibbitts
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by tibbitts »

sport wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 7:09 pm
tibbitts wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 6:42 pm
bpt wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 2:23 pm
SteadyOne wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:17 pm Having been stuck at random places at random times with the dead battery I decided to replace it regular intervals so to avoid those situations what would be your advice ? Every three years?
My car battery died after 2 years with a defective fuel cell. The battery was under warranty for 3 years and was replaced at no cost to me. I do live in an area where temperatures remain in 90's during the summer. Important fact I learnt- once the battery is replaced within the warranty time, the new battery warranty does not renew eg now my battery has a 1 yr warranty left although brand spanking new.
Fuel cell? Interesting term for an automotive battery. In any case at Walmart this policy changed a few years ago; previously the warranty did reset, and I obtained a replacement battery under the old policy, with the understanding the warranty would no longer reset. I'm not sure about all the other retailers.
Lead-acid batteries have cells, but not fuel cells. A 12-volt lead-acid battery has 6 cells.
Yes, it was the "fuel" part that was unusual. I used to test the individual cells with a volt meter; ever since I experienced a battery exploding I've thought that was crazy and would never do it now.
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bottlecap
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by bottlecap »

I tend to get about 3 years out of a battery.

The latest one went 3 years 11 months. It was an interstate. It gave me a sign last month when it went dead suddenly. I thought I left a light on. But in retrospect, it just went dead. Then it did it again yesterday and I replaced the battery today.

So, if it gives you a sign after 3 years, replace it. If you live in a hotter clime, you might want to be more proactive.

JT
bpt
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by bpt »

tibbitts wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 6:42 pm
bpt wrote: Sun Nov 14, 2021 2:23 pm
SteadyOne wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:17 pm Having been stuck at random places at random times with the dead battery I decided to replace it regular intervals so to avoid those situations what would be your advice ? Every three years?
My car battery died after 2 years with a defective fuel cell. The battery was under warranty for 3 years and was replaced at no cost to me. I do live in an area where temperatures remain in 90's during the summer. Important fact I learnt- once the battery is replaced within the warranty time, the new battery warranty does not renew eg now my battery has a 1 yr warranty left although brand spanking new.
Fuel cell? Interesting term for an automotive battery. In any case at Walmart this policy changed a few years ago; previously the warranty did reset, and I obtained a replacement battery under the old policy, with the understanding the warranty would no longer reset. I'm not sure about all the other retailers.
Oops 🙊 good catch. I meant lead battery cell. Thinking too much about electric cars lately.
Reamus294
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by Reamus294 »

This thread doesn’t really need another reply, but the jump packs also require replacement too and regular charging. I had a well reviewed one that only last 2 years before 5”the lithium battery swelled enough to break the case. The thought of that catching fire in my car puts a damper on feeling prepared.

I could see replacing my battery (without actually needing it) every 5 years. I’ve had the best luck with interstate batteries.
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by dcnut »

I had my Highlander battery replaced today after 5 years of service. I always replace at 5 years, and always get a standard Interstate wet-cell 12V battery. We are very low-mileage drivers. In the winter, our driving drops off so much that we bought a trickle charger a year ago.
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by jmw »

Just as a PSA, it is getting more difficult to get the car battery installed by the store if you can't do it yourself (eg. due to weight). There are stores where there aren't enough people to staff the counter and guard the register so you can't get them to install the battery unless staffing is at pre-pandemic levels. So just because the store says free install doesn't mean it will happen in a timely manner these days.
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by H-Town »

SteadyOne wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:17 pm Having been stuck at random places at random times with the dead battery I decided to replace it regular intervals so to avoid those situations what would be your advice ? Every three years?
It's free to test your battery. So you can test it every other year. Replace it when necessary. If not, move on.

Carry a jumper cable in the trunk. You never know. Maybe you can help out someone got stranded.

Invest in AAA membership. Maybe it's not battery. Maybe it's a flat tire. Maybe it's something else other than battery.
Time is the ultimate currency.
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by Afty »

Thanks to this thread, I bought a $30 car battery tester from Amazon. It works well, and I no longer have to guess about the health of our car batteries, especially since one of our cars is rarely driven. Thanks to the above posters who recommended this!
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by sandan »

Afty wrote: Sun Nov 21, 2021 12:55 pm Thanks to this thread, I bought a $30 car battery tester from Amazon. It works well, and I no longer have to guess about the health of our car batteries, especially since one of our cars is rarely driven. Thanks to the above posters who recommended this!
Ditto. I bought one last week as well. Higher battery prices and remote work has made this a no brainer. It seems like people working from home should be doing battery checks even if their battery is new.

No point in throwing out a perfectly fine battery.
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by hudson »

In Feb., my fully charged truck battery (rated at CCA 710) load tested 700 CCA.
Today the same fully charged (53 month old) battery load tested 10.9 volts and 600 CCA.
What does that tell me?
Last edited by hudson on Mon Nov 22, 2021 4:11 am, edited 4 times in total.
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crinkles2
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by crinkles2 »

I buy a new battery after the 40 month warranty on the label of my favourite brand is out. Works out to about $4 per month.

I went through service receipts and the mechanics battery test printout showed a steady decline in the CCA and RC, and voltage.

Just did the change from OEM in our 17 Camry.
Random Poster
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by Random Poster »

I replace the battery every 4 years.
Most experiences are better imagined.
killjoy2012
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by killjoy2012 »

As you can see in this thread, there is no single answer for everyone.

My 2008 GM car still has the original GM AC Delco battery. Yes, I'm on borrowed time.
Generally speaking, for a daily driver that gets 12-20k miles per year, I'd estimate 4 years is more normal.
I have seen batteries needing to be replaced in 2 years.

Could be the quality of battery. The weather. The miles. All of the above.
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by sandan »

hudson wrote: Sun Nov 21, 2021 2:10 pm In Feb., my fully charged truck battery (rated at CCA 710) load tested 700 CCA.
Today the same fully charged (53 month old) battery load tested 10.9 volts and 600 CCA.
What does that tell me?
that your meter is bad, your battery is about to die, or it may not really be fully charged?
hudson
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by hudson »

sandan wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:08 pm
hudson wrote: Sun Nov 21, 2021 2:10 pm In Feb., my fully charged truck battery (rated at CCA 710) load tested 700 CCA.
Today the same fully charged (53 month old) battery load tested 10.9 volts and 600 CCA.
What does that tell me?
that your meter is bad, your battery is about to die, or it may not really be fully charged?
Thanks sandan!
I charged it for maybe 7 hours; the charger indicated "charged." Overnight temps were in the 30s.
The battery is pushing 5 years of age. The battery is starting the truck...no weaknesses evident.
The indicator on the load tester was in the green...a notch above weak.
I'm not going to drive it until it fails...at least I don't plan to.
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by sandan »

hudson wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 4:48 am
sandan wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:08 pm
hudson wrote: Sun Nov 21, 2021 2:10 pm In Feb., my fully charged truck battery (rated at CCA 710) load tested 700 CCA.
Today the same fully charged (53 month old) battery load tested 10.9 volts and 600 CCA.
What does that tell me?
that your meter is bad, your battery is about to die, or it may not really be fully charged?
Thanks sandan!
I charged it for maybe 7 hours; the charger indicated "charged." Overnight temps were in the 30s.
The battery is pushing 5 years of age. The battery is starting the truck...no weaknesses evident.
The indicator on the load tester was in the green...a notch above weak.
I'm not going to drive it until it fails...at least I don't plan to.
10 volts is really low for a fully charged battery. Ive read that it should always be mid 12 if everything in the car is turned off.
dbr
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Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2007 8:50 am

Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by dbr »

sandan wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 10:08 am
10 volts is really low for a fully charged battery. Ive read that it should always be mid 12 if everything in the car is turned off.
Right. That battery needs to be replaced.

I think the standard numbers are 100% charged at 12.7 volts, 50% charged at 12.1 volts and 0% charged at 10.0 volts. Unless conditions are extreme and assuming the engine is properly tuned and has the right oil probably 11.7 volts 25% charged will start the car.

I have trouble keeping batteries above 12 volts without making sure to drive the cars at speed (50-60 MPH) for 15 minutes or so now and then. The other option is to attach a battery minder.
Cautionary Tale
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by Cautionary Tale »

tibbitts wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 5:30 pm
NESF wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 3:07 pm You're squabbling over $25+/-.
Not squabbling over $25 might eliminate about half the threads on the forum.
Post of the year. By the way, I got 8 years out of my last battery here in Chicago.
hudson
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Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by hudson »

sandan wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 10:08 am
hudson wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 4:48 am
sandan wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 10:08 pm
hudson wrote: Sun Nov 21, 2021 2:10 pm In Feb., my fully charged truck battery (rated at CCA 710) load tested 700 CCA.
Today the same fully charged (53 month old) battery load tested 10.9 volts and 600 CCA.
What does that tell me?
that your meter is bad, your battery is about to die, or it may not really be fully charged?
Thanks sandan!
I charged it for maybe 7 hours; the charger indicated "charged." Overnight temps were in the 30s.
The battery is pushing 5 years of age. The battery is starting the truck...no weaknesses evident.
The indicator on the load tester was in the green...a notch above weak.
I'm not going to drive it until it fails...at least I don't plan to.
10 volts is really low for a fully charged battery. Ive read that it should always be mid 12 if everything in the car is turned off.
Thanks sandan!

The load tester was in the green...and it was 40 degrees or lower when I tested it. The results were under load. I think that the reading was 12 or more volts before I put it under load.

On this picture of the load tester, the result was 10.9 volts...in the green...on the left of the 600. https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/phot ... 1084165096
hudson
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Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:15 am

Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by hudson »

dbr wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 10:18 am
sandan wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 10:08 am
10 volts is really low for a fully charged battery. Ive read that it should always be mid 12 if everything in the car is turned off.
Right. That battery needs to be replaced.

I think the standard numbers are 100% charged at 12.7 volts, 50% charged at 12.1 volts and 0% charged at 10.0 volts. Unless conditions are extreme and assuming the engine is properly tuned and has the right oil probably 11.7 volts 25% charged will start the car.

I have trouble keeping batteries above 12 volts without making sure to drive the cars at speed (50-60 MPH) for 15 minutes or so now and then. The other option is to attach a battery minder.
Thanks DBR!
The results that I gave were under load with a load tester. Would that make any difference?
sport
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Location: Cleveland, OH

Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by sport »

hudson wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 10:38 am the results that I gave were under load with a load tester. Would that make any difference?
Yes, definitely. The explanation is that the battery has a certain resistance (ohms). So, when you draw a large current, there is a voltage drop within the battery.
hudson
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Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:15 am

Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by hudson »

Thanks again sport!
So if the 5 year old battery is rated at 710 CCA and the load test at 40 degrees shows 600 CCA...in the green, then I'm OK for a while?
sport
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Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:26 pm
Location: Cleveland, OH

Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by sport »

hudson wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 11:03 am Thanks again sport!
So if the 5 year old battery is rated at 710 CCA and the load test at 40 degrees shows 600 CCA...in the green, then I'm OK for a while?
Well, CCA is a rating for 0 degrees F for 30 seconds with the voltage no less than 10.5 volts. I don't know how your load test was run. However, if that is a valid result, the battery is a lot weaker than it was when new. You might be OK for a while. Then again, if you had some really cold weather, you could have a problem. I would say it depends on where you live. In Florida, you could be OK for some time. In North Dakota, I would replace it today.
lazydavid
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Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2016 1:37 pm

Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by lazydavid »

sandan wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 10:08 am 10 volts is really low for a fully charged battery. Ive read that it should always be mid 12 if everything in the car is turned off.
That's correct. Car batteries are comprised of six ~2.12V cells, so ~12.7V total (typically 12.6 for a flooded cell, 12.8 for an AGM). A healthy, fully-charged battery should not be below 12.4V at rest, as that's when sulfation starts to occur. As discussed in the posts above mine, however, the voltage is expected to drop under load.
hudson
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Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:15 am

Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by hudson »

sport wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 11:21 am
hudson wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 11:03 am Thanks again sport!
So if the 5 year old battery is rated at 710 CCA and the load test at 40 degrees shows 600 CCA...in the green, then I'm OK for a while?
Well, CCA is a rating for 0 degrees F for 30 seconds with the voltage no less than 10.5 volts. I don't know how your load test was run. However, if that is a valid result, the battery is a lot weaker than it was when new. You might be OK for a while. Then again, if you had some really cold weather, you could have a problem. I would say it depends on where you live. In Florida, you could be OK for some time. In North Dakota, I would replace it today.
Thanks Sport! After fully charging the battery, YouTube and I used a $20 Harbor Freight load tester. It was 40 degrees outside. I'm closer to Florida than North Dakota. I do plan on buying a new battery soon. I'm just trying to learn how to evaluate the load test results.
hudson
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Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:15 am

Re: Car battery replacement interval advice

Post by hudson »

lazydavid wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 11:59 am
sandan wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 10:08 am 10 volts is really low for a fully charged battery. Ive read that it should always be mid 12 if everything in the car is turned off.
That's correct. Car batteries are comprised of six ~2.12V cells, so ~12.7V total (typically 12.6 for a flooded cell, 12.8 for an AGM). A healthy, fully-charged battery should not be below 12.4V at rest, as that's when sulfation starts to occur. As discussed in the posts above mine, however, the voltage is expected to drop under load.
My voltage results were from a load test. I did not pay attention to the battery voltage before the test.
I will check the voltage and report back. After donning safety glasses, I guess you just put a voltmeter across the terminals?

I just checked the voltage...at 48 degrees, it was 12.44 volts...using a multimeter.
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