Should I replace the battery?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,282
Likes: 552
From: Pittsburgh PA
St. Jude Donor '10-'11-'12-'13-'14
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,116
Likes: 5
From: Livonia MI
My approach to batteries, is I just want one less thing to worry about. 4 years on a battery, and I replace it. It's usually still pretty strong then, but that's the way I way like it. My daily car see's late night use in winter, in the boonies, and don't want to worry about a $100 battery. Forget about the 7 year pro rating on your battery, as means nothing. 3 year free replacement on Autozone and Advance Golds, is about best your gonna do. Buddy of mine owns a respected repair shop, and stocks the Interstate line. You wouldn't believe the amount of car's coming in with warn out batteries. Has stocks of new Interstates, coming in twice a week.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 21,502
Likes: 462
From: Southern Utah
If you don't use the car such that a dead battery would be a huge inconvenience, then wait till it fails. If you could end up 300 miles from home, in the rain, at 4:00 in the morning, in a bad neighborhood, without a cellphone, when you have the flu.....(I exaggerate) then a pre-emptive replacement might be a good idea.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,013
Likes: 1
From: New Orleans Louisiana
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Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2012
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From: Best Island in the U.S.
St. Jude Donor '12 thru '17
Don't take this personally as it's not meant that way, but that statement is pure and utter BS. If your battery runs down in a few days, or even weeks, then you have a problem that needs fixed, not a tender that fixes the symptom and masks the real problem.
Mine has sat for up to 2 months with no tender and the battery was still fully charged and ready to go.
Mine has sat for up to 2 months with no tender and the battery was still fully charged and ready to go.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 18,098
Likes: 1,597
Don't take this personally as it's not meant that way, but that statement is pure and utter BS. If your battery runs down in a few days, or even weeks, then you have a problem that needs fixed, not a tender that fixes the symptom and masks the real problem.
Mine has sat for up to 2 months with no tender and the battery was still fully charged and ready to go.
Mine has sat for up to 2 months with no tender and the battery was still fully charged and ready to go.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,892
Likes: 1,200
From: Ft. Myers FL
My 2006 will be 7 years old on Jan. 19. I put an Optima Red Top in my car after it was 3 1/2" years old. Plus, I keep it on a tender all the time except long trips. I've had batteries go when I had my C5 so I'm a little paranoid about it. However, I think the Optima should get me thru another year before replacing it. It's money well spent.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,116
Likes: 5
From: Livonia MI
Believe what you want about batteries, but for me, it's four years, then gone. Batteriers sometimes last longer than that, but sometimes not. Came back from airport parking in the winter before, and everything was fine. 1/2 hour later went out for some chores, and click, shorted out. Enough of a lesson right there, you'd think, but wasn't. Still learned more, as some batteries seem like they'll go forever. They don't.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 10,374
Likes: 128
From: Coventry RI
St. Jude Donor '13 thru '25
Believe what you want about batteries, but for me, it's four years, then gone. Batteriers sometimes last longer than that, but sometimes not. Came back from airport parking in the winter before, and everything was fine. 1/2 hour later went out for some chores, and click, shorted out. Enough of a lesson right there, you'd think, but wasn't. Still learned more, as some batteries seem like they'll go forever. They don't.
It sure seems like years ago batteries gave you some indication that they were on the way out. Dim lights, slow to turn over things like that. Now it's perfect one day and dead the next. When the battery on my 08 was acting up when I first bought the car (used) I charged it over night and all seemed fine. The next day dead as a doornail. Charged it again and headed over to Advanced Auto and they did a battery check under a load and said the battery was fine. Thanked the guy shut the hood and nothing at all. Went back inside and out he comes again and does another battery test under a load and the battery was junk. The guy couldn't believe it so he did it a 3rd time and junk. The story goes on about how I also got locked out of the car at Advanced also, but thats for another day.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 21,502
Likes: 462
From: Southern Utah
Don't take this personally as it's not meant that way, but that statement is pure and utter BS. If your battery runs down in a few days, or even weeks, then you have a problem that needs fixed, not a tender that fixes the symptom and masks the real problem.
Mine has sat for up to 2 months with no tender and the battery was still fully charged and ready to go.
Mine has sat for up to 2 months with no tender and the battery was still fully charged and ready to go.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 21,502
Likes: 462
From: Southern Utah
Pro
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 683
Likes: 140
From: Cookeville TN
Batteries on the shelf don't have anything connected to them, thats another reason that they stay topped off (so to speak). Once put in a car you have any number of reasons a battery will run down......my truck battery just ran down after a week of sitting still and I found that the trailer brake controller was my problem.........no trailer was connected, stuff just happens in the fall & winter months.