Lengthening life of battery

Maintenance/Repairs
41

Parking garage, next to the/a building to keep the sun off in the hot afternoon, under or close to shade trees, carport…

42

I think that’s an important point, to change the oil by its appearance on the dipstick, more important than just what the maintenance schedule says. On my older vehicles I change the oil when it starts looking overly dark, not at a certain mileage or time. My records indicate however that happens usually around 5,000 miles on both vehicles.

43

Never worked at a place that had anything but an open parking lot, Besides,the sun is not all that hot nor do we have as many sunny days in Buffalo.

44

It is something to complain about since dropping the charge Voltage from 14.4 down to 14.0 would make the battery last a lot longer. For 25 cents the alternator could have a temperature sensor in it to compensate the Voltage it puts out.

45

My vehicles are 25 years old and have battery temperature sensors, charging voltage during the summer is 13.2 to 13.5 volts. Chrysler has been using adaptive charging since 1985. The cost is more than 25 cents for the sensor, wiring and computer control.

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46

So how long do your batteries last?

47

My batteries last 5 to 10 years, I haven’t purchased many batteries, most were free, used batteries.
A lower charging rate helps during long trips.

Last week after returning from a store, a 5.5 mile trip, parked in the shade I raise the hood to allow the engine to cool. An hour later, after reading this thread I measure the battery temperature: 128 F.
People will drive around for hours on a hot Sunday afternoon, then park in a garage with no ventilation and close the garage door. How hot do you think the battery will get?

48

I posted this question and am surprised such a simple question would have so many different answers.

Maybe because it’s easiest for me, I’m going with not doing any extra charging, relying on the alternator to charge the battery during the many short trips I take almost daily.

Thanks to all for your input.

49

That seems like a good common-sense idea. The scientists & engineers who designed the battery & alternator likely know more than almost anyone else the best method to charge the battery. About the only things a car owner could do beyond to increase the battery life

  • park in a cool/breezy area and open the hood and let the battery cool down as quickly as possible after each trip

  • charge the battery at a slow rate with a shop battery charger if it ever accidentally becomes really discharged

  • replace the starter motor if it starts drawing more current than it should

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