03CARISMA

I have a question about battery life. Let me apologize ahead of time if there are extensive discussions on this topic--I did a search and found lots of threads on dead batteries, but nothing really answering my question. My question is, how long can I expect an original battery to live? Am I on borrowed time? Any help you can give me is appreciated.

We took delivery of our Grand Sport in October of 2012, and we now have 12,000 miles on it. Always put battery tender on if it is going to sit for an extended time.

Thanks.

wayback

Well my OEM battery lasted a whole 2 weeks. Dealer let it sit in showroom for 6 months with a dead battery.

There is no set experation date on a battery. Too many variables affect battery life.

ruxvette

I agree. You have 5 years on the battery. $125-150 for a new one and piece of mind.
It will fail when you least expect it.

TorchRedFred

My advice is to replace the battery to be safe. I have a 2012 and my battery died last winter while connected to a battery tender. Typical battery life is between 3-7 years depending on a few different factors.

Like Wayback said, many dealerships inadvertently reduce the life expectancy of new batteries by letting the car sit too long and letting the battery lose charge. They then attach a charger to it to get the car started but many times damage was already done. Just one of the factors that makes it difficult to accurately predict battery life.

EVRose

There's no way to tell when it will give up. Could be tomorrow, could be a year from tomorrow.

Vette_DD

I bought my new 012 Coupe in the fall of 2012. I put 15,000 miles on it in 4.5 years, driving it about 3 or 4 times a week. Never had a battery charger on it.

Battery was still good when I traded it in, AFAIK.

J.Moore

Yep this^. So much with the vehicle determines battery life. Longest battery life I ever saw was on an 02 Cavalier we owned. My daughter bought a new AutoZone battery, I installed it in 2006. She sold the car to my son who drove it till 2016. I replaced the battery in 2015 again, car was a DD. That's 9 years on an AZ battery.

Car was never on a tender as it was a DD.

CMY SIX

first car you've ever owned?

Turbo6TA

For what it's worth ...

The OEM battery in my 2011 GS lasted 3 years and 5 months before it would not hold a charge (had 12,000 miles on it)

No battery tender

They don't last long in south Florida weather

.

J.Moore

For what it's worth ,, classic song. You just made me think of it.

SixAddict

I replace mine every two years, they don't last long in AZ heat. Cheap price to pay for piece of mind.

03CARISMA

Nope, usually trade them off by now.

449er

I guess if you want total piece of mind, go out and buy a new one but I would wait until you start getting issues, it may last 3 more years

car2fast4you

I never had any issues with my OEM battery. But, after 8 years (and 28,000 miles), I decided that it was time for a new one. I had my C6 at the dealer to have a couple of other minor issues looked at; and I had them put in new battery. I didn't want to risk the car not starting when cold months came along.

pickleseimer

A while back a friend loaned me his Solar BA7 battery and charging system tester. Liked it so much I bought one for myself. I maintain 11 vehicles in my family and put it on a car just about anytime I have a hood (or trunk) raised, takes less than a minute to run a test. Helps me avoid unwarranted replacement and hasn't let me down yet. Oldest batteries in the vehicles are 5 years old in the C6, and 6 years old in my wife's Civic, both still testing good.

OkieBikerDude

I would say yes, you are on borrowed time. At 2,000 miles a year you wouldn't have made it two years without a battery "tender" IMHO. I average about 4 years per battery in daily drivers so I replace my Corvette battery every 4 years even though they are on a maintainer and would probably test just fine. I've seen batteries test good and one week later bite the dust. OBD

AORoads

Are you on borrowed time---I would say, yes, on any conventional (meaning old-tech, and cars with stock batts are old-tech, not incl. AGM, Odyssey, Optima, etc.) battery that is over two years old. But, to an extent you've mitigated that, or extended the life of your batt. by putting a maintainer on it occasionally. Still, you live in a very hot climate (not AZ desert heat, but close enough), so that's a negative. Then, you say you usually trade a car by this time of ownership.

My suggestion would be if you don't want to be stranded or walk out one morning and the car doesn't start, get a new batt. If you don't really care if it happens, take relatively close-to-home runs, and are going to trade the car fairly soon (like, less than a year), don't get one. Replacing a batt. before it goes completely out is done for peace of mind, inconvenience, other costs of then getting it replaced (tow, hotel, rental car), etc. But not because the batt. might not last a week, a month or years longer.

I'd think most of us have done it both ways: replaced a batt. before it went dead and left us somewhere, and waited until we got stranded. I replaced mine at about 5.5 years, and it was starting fine at the time.

1bdvet

Go to Wal-Mart, and buy new one, for piece of mind.

Tonylmiller

I would say it is time to replace it, unless you want to get stuck somewhere.

jrose7004

You're totally living on borrowed time and that battery will fail at the worst possible time.