When to replace battery?
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 24,135
Likes: 1,349
From: Spring Texas
When to replace battery?
Coming up on 5 years ownership next month however I am still on the original battery. About 23,000 miles and is driven every day. How long are you guys going before battery needs replacement? Preemptive replacement or wait until it won't start the car?
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 12,351
Likes: 14,186
From: Central Illinois
When you say driven every day, is it 2 miles from your house or 20 miles? Makes a difference if the system has time to get the battery back up to snuff. Batteries fail faster in the hot temps like Texas. They lose cranking power in the cold, but it also slows the process of degradation.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 12,889
Likes: 10,295
From: Garden Valley CA
I usually don't replace my batteries preemptively but I can usually can tell when a battery is starting to go south. I also have both an old fashioned load tester and an internal resistance tester. My 2020 battery isn't showing any signs of going bad but I haven't tested it. I've had as many new batteries go bad without warning as I've had old batteries go without warning.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 12,351
Likes: 14,186
From: Central Illinois
I was getting the white crust on the negative post on my Cadillac XT5 battery pretty soon after cleaning. Vehicle started right up, but when I put my Optimate 6 on it, it showed I may have a cell dying. I went ahead and replaced the battery (original 2019) and have had zero white crust since. It's my DD and our road trip vehicle.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 943
Likes: 167
In the south, I make it a habit to change the battery every three years. On top of that, I keep a fully charged NOCO Boost X GBX75 (2500A, 12V Ultrasafe) in the car just in case the battery ever does go dead.
5-years old, wow, you won, change it.
5-years old, wow, you won, change it.
Livin the Life
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 1,688
Likes: 1,801
From: Simi Valley, CA
2024 C8 of the Year Winner - Modified
I went almost 4 1/2 years. Bought an AC Delco 36 month battery and had planned to install it….then I bought a Z06 instead. Sold the battery to a forum member at a nice discount who happened to have a friend who’s battery in their C8 took a dump.
So winners all around!
So winners all around!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,076
Likes: 573
From: Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada
I tend to wait until the battery tells me its on its way out. As others have said batteries tend to last for 5 years on average...but my factory C7 battery is now 6 years old and still going strong. I drive it daily other than the 3 winter months where it's on a battery tender.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 11,825
Likes: 2,480
From: Ft Lauderdale
Tech Contributor
just remember that a majority of batteries that are old ,meaning over five years, they just suddenly spontaneously stop working all at once. They don’t give you any signs. I’ve had two batteries do that to me before I got smart and replace them at three years down here in the heat.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 19,997
Likes: 6,805
From: Bonneville Salt Flats
Batteries are all over the place, even those that look alike, same brand, etc. I'll not bother with the stories of extremes... Hence, you just cannot tell with any sort of reliability. 
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 4,001
Likes: 2,620
From: Gettysburg PA
2020 C8 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
I replaced my 2020 Z51 battery at 4 1/2 years, and 17k miles before I had an issue. Part of the reason to do it then, was GM was having a 25% off sale on accessories and batteries at the time, so I ordered one, had it shipped to my local dealer and I picked it up and installed it. Returned the core at the same time. I also found a use for my GM points, so it nearly paid for the battery. It was their 48 month AC Delco Gold ......... since then, I've early traded the car in for a '26 Eray last month. Had I known I was going to swap cars, I would have kept the original battery for the trade.....