So, I have a ten year old car battery that has just died. I think this must be a record for longevity. Is there a research company that I should contact before I take this to recycle? I have the sales receipt!
I really don’t think any company would be that interested in the battery. One of the variables in battery life is the conditions under which the battery is used. If the battery didn’t go through a lot of charge/discharge cycles and was operated in a moderate climate, this would contribute to the battery’s longevity. I would advance the battery to the nearest recycle facility and if you pass “Go”, collect the core charge.
Almost daily use, five years in Arizona (which kills batteries), five years northwest. Trips to Maine and Alaska
Take the battery to the recycle yard. I just googled “oldest vehicle battery life” and there were lots of batteries that lasted from 18-20 years. My grandfather’s tractor battery lasted somewhere in the 20 year range before it finally died. As @Triedaq stated “One of the variables in battery life is the conditions under which the battery is used.” I couldn’t have stated it any better than that.
Naw nobody is interested in it least of all the company. They just lost sales of a couple new batteries on that one. I had a Riviera with half a million miles on it and original engine etc. and Buick wasn’t interested except to take it to the dump.
The only old junk batteries that are worth anything are antique motorcycle and possibly some antique car batteries. Everything else is just a core charge value at best.