i use dealer for syn oil changes for $20 on my 2yr old car
i asked service writer and he said they do not use syn blend
they only use syn oil on new cars
he said they left my cabin air filter in place as it looked ok
i do not know if there would have been an issue if they changed it
since i did not authorize them to change stuff they might find?
maybe i did when i initialed the oil change “form”?
Oh I guess I disagree. Proactive or preventive maintenance or repair is for people that want to make sure their vehicles are ready for travel at any time. If you have places you need to go or are out of town a lot, the last thing you want is a surprise repair.
I’ll just relate the one story on our three year old car. It was late Sunday morning and we needed to drive 200 miles to a funeral. Stopped for gas first and the battery was dead. Sure got a jump for $50 (reimbursed) and we hadn’t left town yet. Not only in a time bind to get going but needed to get a battery. Luckily NAPA had one so we were only delayed an hour. No Acura dealerships open on Sunday for a battery adjustment. So since them bought battery testers and use at least twice a year. Both my 3 year old batteries have lost about 50 CCA since October so I suspect I will be simply replacing them by next October.
Yeah I know where the hood latch is but I don’t want to be in the middle of Indiana with a dead battery.
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Maybe you did authorize it. Did you read the fine print before you signed the oil change form?
You have absolutely no idea if that’s the way it will be from here on out
For all you know, there’s no parasitic draw, and the charging system works perfectly
For all you know, the replacement battery will last 5 years or more
I see no reason . . . at this time, and with the information presented . . . to be looking at all those things you mentioned
Not my experience at all. I have had the last two start the vehicle several times in a day and then just fail. Frankly, I am not really impressed with your ideas in your post.
You may want to reconsider where you’re finding the batteries if they fail in the three year period from the purchase date. I guess off brand batteries may have the 36 month lifespan that you’re getting.
Pick up a DMM and see if it’s your car contributing to the short life, faulty charging system can certainly be a factor as well as a habit of running the battery dead on a regular basis. Lead acid batteries kept at a full charge, without overcharging either, will last much longer than the 36 months you’re accustomed to. Assuming they’re decent quality to start with of course.
It’s not a very complicated process to check all those things, you can ask a friend with a meter to help. Takes all of three minutes probably, once they get the hood open.
But don’t do it yourself if you’re unclear how to go about it as some cars can be bricked just from disconnecting the battery and need dealer intervention.
Not sure who you are directing your post to. The thread is about a battery in a new car not one purchased later.
You directed a post to db4690 who just happens to a very qualified mechanic.
Directing it to anyone with recurring battery failure in 3 years and considering it normal. Why not take the time to see what’s wrong with the car, or the way it’s being driven, or where they’re finding the batteries? It’s going to be one of those things.
I think you’re getting WAY ahead of yourself
We’re talking about the factory battery having to be replaced, in a vehicle that’s probably 3 years old . . . I’m thinking this 2016 Altima was sold in 2015
You seem to be imagining all sorts of possible problems
Plenty of 3 year old batteries fail, with no underlying problems
No big deal, unless you want to make it one
You can spend all sorts of time, testing everything, and you’ll in all likelihood find everything working just fine
If you want to talk about “recurring battery failure in 3 years” . . . you need to talk about that in a different discussion. Start a new one. It’s easy. We’ll even tell you how to do it, if you want help. That said, what you’re doing here doesn’t make any sense for this particular situation. No offense intended
It all depends on the definition of plenty. Is that a number, or is that intended to relate to percentages?
2000 3 year old OEM batteries failing is plenty in one sense, but out of how many? 25% of all vehicles is more than plenty while if it’s more akin to the percentage of winning the lottery I’d be satisfied with it. I suspect it’s somewhere between that.
Whatever the number is, I just would not be as ready as everyone else to chalk it up to a normal lifespan, unless it’s been subjected to extreme conditions. Every time the standard lead acid batteries are run down into deep discharge, it will permanently degrade the capacity. Run at 15.5V and it will suffer shorter life. Unsecured and bouncing around with shock loads could be a factor, etc etc
Why the resistance to simply checking out the car and instead assuming it’s all normal? Even if it’s just once and not a majority of them only lasting 3 years, it’s really not that big a deal to check out.
I am going to have to disagree with you, based on personal experience.
+1
I vividly recall driving my '86 Taurus–with no symptoms whatsoever that the battery was at anything less than its full power–and then–30 minutes later–having a battery that was unable to even turn the starter. The car was 3 years old at that point.
With a failing battery the engine can gradually crank slower and slower with each start, and finally not crank at all one day. You might not notice that effect if it occurred over the course of 18 months. You’d likely notice right away however after the new battery was installed that it cranked more robustly. Same goes for starter motors.
A 3 year old battery can be absolutely perfect one day. In fact, you could perform any and all tests known to man, and it’ll pass with flying colors
And it could STILL fall flat on its face the next day, with absolutely no warning.
And that might be the case, even though you’ve got absolutely no parasitic draw, the belt, tensioner and idler are in perfect shape, and the charging system is working perfectly
Stuff happens
it’s called car ownership
I live in an area where the heat pretty much dictates that a battery won’t live a long and healthy life
So I try to proactively replace every 5 years
That said, I also know that after 3 years or so, the battery might leave me high and dry, without warning. So if that does happen, I won’t freak out and think the sky is falling.
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Go to AutoZone and buy another “cheaper” battery. Lesson learnt.
Why would they need to buy a new battery ? They just got one.
You are correct. I thought thought the OP stayed that they replaced the battery with the more expensive dealership battery. But they just replaced a car battery with only 45k on the odometer. I would be upset also. But his son did agree to it and pay for it. I don’t think he has grounds to complain. The battery is considered used.
Mileage has nothing to do with battery life . Some will last a long time and one I had only made 2 years.
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Does actual battery longevity depend upon the current of the alternator?
I’ve never heard of that, but it sort of makes sense that high current alternators might coincide with shorter life batteries. For one thing, if the car needs a high current alternator, it is probably using a lot of current in daily driving. Batteries which are drained and recharged at higher rates on a daily basis probably don’t last as long as a battery only mildly used. Certainly my experience with rechargeable NiCads and metal hydrides.
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