Dealer changed oil and checked battery. Says it measures 350cca and should be around 550. Car is 3yrs old and has warranty but I assume battery is like tires. No warranty coverage? I thought Infiniti took care of their customers?
Losing 200cca in only 3 years is fairly extreme. Dunno where you live, but around here 350cca would mean you’re not starting your car in February unless you’re driving a lawn tractor. 
I never recommend getting batteries from the dealership. I have never had a dealership battery that lasted even as long as the crappy batteries that Batteries Plus sells.
Heads up: When you take your Infiniti in to get a replacement battery, have them put a power-saver in your OBD2 port. It will maintain enough power to preserve the ECU/BCM memory so that everything works properly when you’re done. Otherwise you’ll have to enter in your radio/nav codes again, and on some cars the electric windows need to be “retrained” after a power loss.
Glad we don’t have a Mercedes. Heard their batteries are pricey. We had a Mitsubishi yrs ago. It had a Panasonic battery. Sorta rare back than.
What’s the driving environment? Lots of short drives? Rarely used? That’s hard on batteries.
A battery is a “normal wear” item, not covered under most warranties.
If they haven’t already changed the battery, get a second opinion at a shop less expensive than the dealer, who will typically be ttwice the price. If they did change it, move on with life. A new battery isn’t one of life’s bigger bumps, whether you really needed one or not.
Batteries are covered under a separate warrantee from the battery manufacturer. The warrantee is pro-rated, meaning that the amount covered decreases over time. Some batteries have a free replacement period of two to three years, but after that, the residual value toward a replacement decreases very rapidly. Your dealer should help you with the details.
However, there is a lot of life left in this battery. I see no reason that it should not last for at least two more years. Because of that, the battery will not be replaced under warrantee. The warrantee would only come into effect if the battery was not able to hold enough of a charge to start the car.
It does appear the Infinity is taking care of you, they are informing you of the state of your vehicle. They should have pointed out that the battery still has a lot of life even though it has lost about 40% of its capacity.
It was 0F yesterday. Car started fine.
Then your battery is fine. Ignore dealership. Keep a jumper pack charged and available for emergencies.
If you want a second opinion, take it to an auto parts chain store like Advance or autozone and have them test it. They should give you a printout with information like the current CCA rating.
@jtsanders
Though I agree 100% with OP having the battery tested, I would suggest he go to a shop where the battery, charging system and any drain that could be occurring. In my experience, auto parts stores are in one business only, to sell auto parts and getting the “complete” story on the batteries I have had tested, seldom coincided with the results from a trusted independent.
Typical comparative responses. In jest of course but not far off.
“Independent” …your batter is down x% in capacity but appears to still be well within safe limits for the size of your car’s motor. You should be good to go.
“Parts store”…your battery is down x%. I doubt you can get another week of cold weather starting from your car. You were lucky you made it here to this store. Do I have a deal for you on a new battery.
@Cavell
A lot of the Mercedes vehicles use a group 49 battery, which is huge. So that’s one factor
The other is that a battery with the star on it will cost more than a group 49 from the parts store
For some reason, Costco doesn’t stock group 49 batteries. They probably determined they wouldn’t sell enough of them to justify keeping it on the shelf.
But the major parts stores all stock group 49
One place I would not buy a battery is napa. Their warranty isn’t very good. I also feel the batteries are overrated, considering the price you pay
I can’t comment on dealership replacement batteries, but I would say that OEM batteries shipped with new vehicles are at often at least as good as aftermarket ones. I am still using the original battery that shipped with my 2006 vehicle. (Mopar) I had it load tested last summer as I was worried about its age, and it actually exceeded its rated capacity. The battery lives in the trunk, so being isolated from engine heat may have helped its longevity. I have a friend with a 2008 Ford–he is on his original battery as well which shows no signs of stopping.
The battery was 378cca. My mistake.
I agree. And Imho, , it depends upon the model of the vehicle as well as the manufacturer. My last two trucks and truck based SUV came with batteries with CCA over 750 which is typical and the first lasted over ten years. It is not good advertising to have a new car, especially a truck, parked on the side of the road after failing to start after just a couple of years. I feel the cars that have problems are small compacts with relatively small batteries driven by owners who pile in after market electronics like subwoofers with lots of drain. I could very well be wrong but manufacturers really try to match batteries with the intended use of the vehicle and better batteries are the norm.
I have noticed that the batteries you get when you buy a new car usually last longer than even the best replacement batteries . . . of any brand
Sometimes, I think the auto manufacturing factories get first pick, as far as batteries go
An example . . . our fleet’s GM trucks sometimes get 5-7 years from the original batteries. Yet the AC Delco professional line replacement batteries, will be lucky to last 5 years. None make it to 7 years, not here, anyways
The batteries that came with the trucks have a silver label. I’m convinced they’re better than the “professional” batteries that you get aftermarket, even though they are both the same brand
When I was at the Benz dealer, it was the same thing. The original Benz batteries lasted longer than the replacement Benz batteries.
@dagosa, I took a starter to a parts store for a check. They said it was just fine. I later found the problem and their starter evaluation was instrumental in finding the issue. Also, the first thing I usually get tested in a no start situation is the battery and they are always 4 or 5 years old. I’m almost certain it is the battery, but I have it tested since I brought it in anyway. There is always the possibility it isn’t the battery. As it turns out, every time Advance tells me I need a new battery, that fixes the problem.
“I have noticed that the batteries you get when you buy a new car usually last longer than even the best replacement batteries . . . of any brand”
I was going to replace the original battery in my '06 Matrix before this winter set in, but after reading comments similar to db4690’s I’m gonna let it ride.
It still cranks vigorously in 30F weather and I treat it to an overnight charge every 3 months since it typically gets only 2-3 30 minute drives per week.
@circuitsmith
Good luck
The fact that you charge it every few months is undoubtedly one of the reasons your original battery seems to still be doing fine
My brother and his wife are really rough on batteries. They often leave the dome light on, because they forget to properly shut the door. Their car does not have the feature that shuts off the accessories after a time. And they listen to the radio for long periods, with the engine off.
Not surprisingly, their batteries don’t last all that long
@jtsanders
I can’t say why we have different experiences with parts stores or batteries for that matter. I can never remember having to buy a new battery in less then seven to eight years. Our mileage was about 15k per year on each car and is down to 10k since we retired. The only things I can think of is, we tend to buy lighter colored cars which tend to be cooler, we live in northern NE and our cars practically never see the sunlight at home. They always sit in the shade of a car port and we hardly ever do stop and go driving as we live a ways away from everything.
I think cool weather has a lot to do with it. For some reason, regardless of the condition I know the battery is in, often with plenty of life, they keep offering a “free test” when they find out how old the battery is, even when my friend an electrical engineer has gone over my charging system and battery, and I know it’s fine…they still give me a song and dance about it being on it’s last legs. It has almost become a game on my part, just to hear their routine when I stop in for other items indifferent parts stores and mention how old my car is and it’s original battery. They immediately pull out the old tester and offer to test it followed by the usual line.
It was -25 below zero one day, it had been sitting for a week, and the truck started like it was summer. I I drove into town to get some items at a parts store. They gave me the same routine and insisted it would not start in cold weather. I asked the guy…“do you know how cold it was this morning ? .” That was two years ago when it was eight years old. I sold it this last fall with it’s ten year old battey…pretty usual.
I’m a parts replacement guy so I like to replace stuff preemptively. If a battery gets to be four or more years old, I’ll just replace it even though it may make it longer. Its no fun to be out in the cold or heat with a dead battery at who knows what time. If you look at the cost per year of a battery, you only save $30-40 by replacing a little early. The battery failures I’ve had though usually show up by it not taking or holding a charge so can’t say I’ve really had to have them checked.
“I’m a parts replacement guy…if a battery gets to be four or more years old, I’ll just replace it…”
Well, that 's fine and agree if I have the money or i am really hard on batteries or I buy cheap batteries or I don’t trust my testing equipment. One can tell if a battery needs replacement if you are observant and test it. It isn’t like an oil change where you do it regularly. Otherwise, I should just buy a new car every four years too. Batteries typically last from 4 to well over ten years depending upon use and the quality of the battery. Just replacing a battery evry four years means I would be replacing it twice in a span of time it may never need replacing. For the size I have, that could be three hundred dollars. Heck, if I do that with all my accessories and parts, I might as well just "roll " over and let parts stores have their way…
i find it much cheaper to carry a booster battery. I have had good replcement batteries go in shorter time so a booster is always a good thing, old or new battery. You never know when an emergency might require you to put a severe load on any battery, new or old. Tires every six years regardless of wear, I get. Batteries though? They can be maintained and checked and a quality one can go much longer with no more fear of break down then a new one. Batteries are recycled and the quality of a recycled battery I imagine, can vary more then a new manufactured one. IMho, that may be why OEM batteries last longer. A car maker might make have something to say about it.