Travelor

I have a 2012 GS and keep the battery on a maintainer when it sits in the garage - sometimes for a couple of months. The car starts every time and there is no indication of a weak battery. But I do not want to get stranded with a bad battery. Dealer says I should change now as it is 5 years old.

My question concerns when I should replace the battery.

Would load testing of the battery help determine it's weakness/life?

TorchRedFred

Replacing a car battery every five years is a good rule of thumb. I start worrying about my battery once it hits the 5 year mark, but a battery could also last a lot longer with some luck and if it was maintained properly. When it comes to car batteries, I find the more I use the car, the longer life the battery will have. So i tend to have better luck with the batteries in my daily drivers. As far as my 2012 GS, the battery died a few months back and I replaced it with a Die-Hard. Ironically, it was at about the 5 year mark.

ruxvette

While I am not a battery expert past experience tells me a that test of your battery will tell you the condition of the battery right now. Not tomorrow...and I have had batteries die that quickly.
If your battery has always been on a tender and never fully discharged it will be good for a lot longer. Or not.
Five years? For a $125 (+-) investment the peace of mind is priceless.
Just me.

enventr

I live in Florida and for peace of mind I change it every 3-4 years(car is always on a tender)

cmonkey713

Four to five years is a good policy. I always like determine when the battery is replaced instead of the battery determining when it needs to be replaced.

RicK T

with the others. Five years is a nice peace of mind rule.

Mine died (shorted) while on the maintainer, at 7 years. Wasn't a problem since it was in the garage but I rolled the dice and found out the probable limit.

Not So Fast

As witnessed personally if you live in a HOT weather area they say batteries start their downfall at 30 months on average, I agree having lived here for 15 years now.
Heat is the enemy to them, also fast charging as told to me by Optima, slow is better.
I'm coming up on 3 yrs in the Vette so its in the hear future for a new one
NSF

jaki30

Bought wife new 1979 Impala Wagon. Battery lasted 10 years.
Bought new Mercury Sable in 1986. 3 batteries in the first 12 months.
Sealed lead acid batteries have a high infant mortality rate. The lead precipitates off the plates and as it does it falls to the bottom and shorts the individual plates.
Replacing a 5 y/o battery is a justifiable maintenance procedure. It just turns into a crapshoot whether the replacement is as good as or better than the one you replace.

Bruze

Hey Bobby, how goes it? It's a "sweltering" 80° here.

I learned that too, as a kid, that for the best battery life you should avoid fast charging -- except in an emergency (obviously).

jmeirhofer

I change mine as soon as the warranty is up. Everything I have ever owned. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats...... Not worth the hassle of having to find one quickly to get back on the road.

g's13 GS

if you have $125 that you want to spend now... get a new one... if not, wait until it dies.

ruxvette

And hope you're in the parking lot of an Autozone...

windyC6

Heck...while I hope I get 5 years out of a batt, if I could predict the life of any batt after its 5th birthday i'd be spending a lot more time down the street at the gambling boat....

eddie44

Be glad you're not in AZ. Average battery life is two years. I buy AutoZone and just exchange it every two yrs under warranty.

jmeirhofer

CostCo for me but I like your idea.

windyC6

Are you suggesting that Auto Zone will just keep replacing your battery every two years rather it needs it or not ??....no testing or anything ?......Inquiring minds want to know...

Karl H

Mine was 7.5 years old and it died at the shop getting a alignment done. A new ac delco was 130.00

NY09C6

I change mine every 5-6 years.

ruxvette

Windy, I'm witchu. I need to find an AutoZone like that.

Bruze

The thread topic is underwear.