Out of my personal vehicles, 8 years is the maximum I’ve gotten. It’s still going strong, actually. It’s an Autolite aftermarket battery. That car is driven several times a week. I test every time I do tire rotations, which is every 6 months.
As far as those AC Delco batteries go . . . I’ve noticed the factory AC Delco batteries with the gray label are far superior to any of the replacement AC Delco batteries. I’ve seen them last 7 or 8 years, which is not bad for the heat of Southern California
As far as I know, those gray label AC Delco batteries were never for sale to anybody except the factories. I’ve never encountered any store, franchise, etc. that had them
I’ve seen those gray label AC Delco batteries last longer than most other factory batteries
@MikeInNHFor ypu people who live in the south…but not for us who live in the north. 7-10 is the norm here, 3-5 in the southern states. I’ve had batteries last 12+ years.
Yeah, I guess Seattle is pretty far south from the Canadian border.
I have seen batteries last 10 years too. But the fact is that after about 8 years the chances of sudden and complete battery failure increase greatly. The goal is not to see how long a battery will last, the goal is to never find out how long it will last. If one of my customers goes out to her car in the morning and the battery has failed, I haven’t done my job or she hasn’t listened to me.
If your battery is 7 years old or older, I recommend replacement based solely on age.
The only battery I have had suddenly fail was 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse. It started and drove normally from work to a market near my house (15 miles in the dark). When I left the market 5 minutes later nothing. No lights inside or out. I checked cables and they were tight so I walked home. Walked back the next day and went to a nearby independent repair shop. The owner walked back to the car with me and used a starter pack. Car started fine and we drove to his shop. Battery was DOA. He had a 800cca HD battery in stock. He removed dead battery, Checked and cleaned cables, installed new battery, and thoroughly tested charging system. $70! He is my now local trusted mechanic. I am big on spending my money at local small businesses when possible. The next morning I started the car and turned on the radio. The display was flashing “CODE”. It was mid December, of course it was “code”. Oh! security code. I had stashed the code tag in my owner’s manual and about a minute later had stereo working fine.
In our fleet vehicles, I write the radio code in the owner’s manual, in big bold black numbers
I also enter it into the shop’s computer system . . . the one for checking past repair history . . . so that even if the vehicle operator loses the owner’s manual, the code is still available for free
I have seen batteries last 10 years too. But the fact is that after about 8 years the chances of sudden and complete battery failure increase greatly.
I agree with that…the problem I have is when you said he got twice the life out of his 9yo battery…that puts it at 4-5 years is what you expect a battery to last…which is not what I’ve observed. I’ve NEVER seen a battery here in the North East fail in less then 6 years. 7+ is the norm.
Are all/modern car alternators different with charging levels? Unless my multimeter is not accurate, I’m not sure what to make of things.
I put in new battery and checked charging rate. With just the car running and accessories off, it was at 14.77 V, turn on CD player, hook up a smartphone to charge from car, turn on AC halfway, turn on headlights, all reduced charging rate down to 14.5 V.
And the parasitic drain started at 180 mA on making the serial ammeter connection, but when sleep mode kicked in, it went to 12 or 15 mA (I forget exactly).
I read online that charging rate should be between 14.2 to 14.4 V, and that higher than 14.4 V indicates potential problem. Is that just general advice but some alternators output higher or mine might be overcharging?
Are all/modern car alternators different with charging levels? Unless my multimeter is not accurate, I'm not sure what to make of things.
I think so. The rate is determined by a series of 4 Diodes. Each diode has a voltage difference of .7 volts. Multiply that by 4 and then add it to 12 and you get 14.8volts. So your reading of 14.77 volts is spot on. Volts should be between 14.2 and 14.8
I had a chance to work with an engineer that use to work at Gould Battery.
We use to sit and talk about battery’s for hours.
He stated that once a starting battery reaches the three year mark, the battery starts going down hill just from the chemical reaction within the battery.
But there are also contributing factors that shortens a battery’s life.
Heat is the biggest one. Vibration is second. A failed charging system is third. And cold is last.
I remember reading in a mid-1950s Popular Science or Popular Mechanics magazine about the newly introduced Checker. This model that came along in 1956 stayed in production until Checker quit making vehicles in 1982. At any rate, the battery was located in the trunk so that its life wouldn’t be shortened by the heat of the engine.
My dad had a 1939 Chevrolet that he purchased new. The battery was located under the passenger side floor. There was an access panel under the floor mat to service the battery. The original battery lasted 7 years. Unfortunately, when it failed in 1946, there wasn’t a battery to be had in our area. For a while my dad was able to start the car with the hand crank. At any rate, my dad called his brother who lives 200 miles away. His brother was able to get us a battery and shipped it up to us. That replacement battery was manufactured in a plant one mile from our house.
I must live in the right area for maximum battery life. Our summers are moderate, our winters are cold, but our cars sit in an insulated garage where the temperature seldom drops below +25F.
We notice reduced battery capability when on a winter trip where we have to park outside the hotel and have to start the car at 7 am the next morning.
I have a battery tester and when the margin gets too slim we change batteries before they fail, about 7-8 years usually.
Kirkland batteries from Costco have the best bang for the buck!
“Kirkland batteries from Costco have the best bang for the buck!”
I agree that they have the best bang for the buck
They’re perhaps not the very best batteries, but they’re decent quality, and the price is good
The battery selection is also pretty good, but leaves a little to be desired
For instance, no AGM batteries, and no group 49 batteries. Group 49 is typically used on many European cars. I know they used to have this battery in the past, but no longer. They probably didn’t move enough of them, to justify taking up shelf space
My 59 VW had the battery under the back seat as does my 95 Olds Aurora. I think in both cases though there just was not room in the engine compartment for it and its a lot easier to get at it under the seat than in the trunk. Kinda wasted space anyway. You do have to have the kind with the vent to the outside though-not sold at places like Walmart.
