How long is the longest any of you have had a battery last? I just had to put a new battery in my car, a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix. Bought the car in early March of 2004. So almost 14 years on the original battery! They came from the factory with an AGM type. Pricey to replace, but hope the new one lasts as long.

 

Can't honestly say I've ever had to change a battery but on the other hand I've never kept a car for 13 years! Coming up for 7 years on my current car and battery still good.

 

I did a bunch of batteries is this year. Odd year for how many (13 I think and most were heavy farm and like equipement application stuff) but the range was 6 years for a cheap walmart battery to a ~ 17 for a commercial grade one in the old dozer.

Most were in the 9 - 12 year range which was actually way longer than I thought most had been in service since I put a lot of them in myself years ago.

I can live with those numbers even if the average price was pushing $140 - $165 a battery for Napa Interstate Commercial Group 31, and 65 sizes.

Interestingly even my last Napa Interstate Lawn and Garden batteries are going on 3 - 4 years old now which for years if I got a year out of one it was considered normal.

 

Can't honestly say I've ever had to change a battery but on the other hand I've never kept a car for 13 years! Coming up for 7 years on my current car and battery still good.

Can't let my Dad's truck go, just have to keep it going, usually it just makes a trip to the Garbage Dump, this year I towed a U haul Concrete Trailer blew the Trans but ford never built the Trans to withstand the torque of the Motor 460cu" brute strength. Anyway, I put a Battery in it around 13 years ago, it was a Bosch battery from Pep-boy's, just changed it out last week.

kv

 

How long is the longest any of you have had a battery last? I just had to put a new battery in my car, a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix. Bought the car in early March of 2004. So almost 13 years on the original battery! They came from the factory with an AGM type. Pricey to replace, but hope the new one lasts as long.

I would say you got your money's worth. I had a Subaru factory battery that needed to be replaced after 2 years. Luckily they did it under warranty.

 

The last few batteries I’ve bought were all at a discount due to the old one still having time on the warranty. I think they used to be 5 years but have moved down to 3 years. This was becoming so routine that I began to think it’s a way to get you back in to buy from the same place by making sure your battery doesn’t outlive the warranty. They only lose a few bucks but make the sale instead of some other store.

 

I've never owned a single vehicle long enough to track the battery life but I would be happy with 5-6yrs. I've heard that's typically what they're good for. I'm surprised to hear some can last that long. How many miles are on the car?

 

I replaced my car battery last year. It had lasted 12 years.

 

Back in the 1970's a Sears Diehard would out last its 5 year warranty by a year or two. Now, the sellers are advertising a 5 year warranty, but the refund value chart goes to zero at 30 months.

I haven't had a battery last for 5 years in the last 30 years, not even a lawn mower battery. Probably a combination of computer aided excess quality removal and Florida heat. The last time I peeked into a car battery, the lead plates looked like pages of paper. No wonder they rarely last 4 years!

Is there something I can look for besides these flimsy car batteries at the auto parts stores?

 

Generally speaking a 72 month battery last me 6 years. Currently 7 degrees as we muddle through this cold snap and if a battery is close to fail, this is when it will fail. Even with the good higher end batteries I typically make the warranty and it will fail. My emergency generator runs every Sunday and I want to say that it is on its second 5 year battery and has been starting but is maintained with a float charger. Likewise the motorcycle in the garage is on a float charger. . I have yet to see numbers like many have posted. Where tcmtech is I would expect batteries to last a week.

Ron

 

Is there something I can look for besides these flimsy car batteries at the auto parts stores?

I don’t think so. Almost every battery you see is made by Johnson Controls and Interstate.

 

Where tcmtech is I would expect batteries to last a week.

We sort of do which is why the ages of the batteries I changed out this year surprised me.

I do have to attribute the better aging to the fact that pretty much all the machines and vehicles are regular use ones that have decent charging system on them.

As we pick up older equipment everything gets a full charging system overhaul and if needed major electrical system updates which helps a huge amount in the long run.

The old low current DC generator and their buzz box regulators get replaced with high output one wire alternators and the related charging and starting system wiring gets updated too just so that things start and recharge faster when used which takes a load of long term wear and tear of of the batteries themselves.

Especially in the winter time where I expect every diesel engine to start down to at least 10 F and every gasser down to -10 F or lower without being plugged in if I need them to.

 

I got a new car battery a few weeks ago.

As the temperature dropped, I noticed that the "turning over" sounded a little weaker - noticeably so and I put it in my mind to go get it checked and get an oil change and lube and that routine. Even grabbed a $119 New Battery coupon.

So, I am at the place where I always go, talking to the guy I always talk to and I mention the battery. Basically, I say, I don't know when I got it, but to me, they last 3 years, and I probably got it here - so unless it is something else - I need a new battery.

My approach to car repair has changed over the years and I never had or developed the skills that many of you possess, although I have performed some semi-impressive feats of car resuscitation in my time. Now, I am more likely to say "fix it and I'll give you money" once I quickly decide that I can't or don't want to try. That was my mind set.

He comes to find me after a while and says that it was the battery and I bought it 2 years and 8 months ago. He looks up the pro-rated guarantee and says it will be something like $42 - I don't complain.

When it's all finished, he goes through the paperwork with me and says there was no charge for the battery replacement.

So, it worked out for me, but I am amazed at some of the lifespans that you folks are reporting! For me, anything over 3+ years and I feel at risk - notwithstanding the Die-Hard as @#12 said WHEN Die-Hard meant something.

 

Now, I am more likely to say "fix it and I'll give you money" once I quickly decide that I can't or don't want to try. That was my mind set.

My days for driving the trucks up on ramps and doing the lube, oil and filter thing in the driveway are done as well as brakes and everything else. Matter of fact my wife just mailed a check to AAA. At 68 I am done with all of it. Fix it and I give you money, God I love America. During my younger days my fingers didn't freeze and busted knuckles healed what seems like a heck of a lot faster. Batteries? I buy a 60 or 72 month battery and they generally last that 60 to 72 months. Trying to remember when I put a new battery in the emergency generator as I think it is going on about 4 or 5 years.

Ron

 

Probably a combination of computer aided excess quality removal and Florida heat.

My understanding is that heat is a big enemy of long battery life.
Some cars (as I recall, one was a Chrysler product) actually had a box surrounding the battery with a a vent to the area in front of the radiator to help protect the battery from the high engine heat.

 

My understanding is that heat is a big enemy of long battery life.

Vibration is a big killer, too. That's why you'll find the glass mat batteries on sport vehicles that are expected to experience a lot of shock. Snowmobiles, jet skis, that sort of thing.

 

Vibration is a big killer, too. That's why you'll find the glass mat batteries

Yeah, I have one of those in my Lawn Mower. With an average working time of 90 seconds per year, two batteries lasted 6 years. I'm done throwing $50 bills at that lawn mower just because it has an electric starter. I can jerk the rope for $800 per hour.

It isn't steady work, but it pays well.

 

Yeah, I have one of those in my Lawn Mower. With an average working time of 90 seconds per year, two batteries lasted 6 years. I'm done throwing $50 bills at that lawn mower just because it has an electric starter. I can jerk the rope for $800 per hour.

It isn't steady work, but it pays well.

Seriously, would it be worthwhile to make the battery operation portable? Sort of like me manually connecting wires under the dash on a 1966 Rambler (that had no right to burn petroleum products) because I lost the only key? BTW: Eventually, I found an old guy who had a little trailer outside ofa Sears store (of all places) and, giving him the ignition lock, he made me a key in an hour (after he stopped laughing).

 

Seriously, would it be worthwhile to make the battery operation portable? Sort of like me manually connecting wires under the dash on a 1966 Rambler (that had no right to burn petroleum products) because I lost the only key? BTW: Eventually, I found an old guy who had a little trailer outside ofa Sears store (of all places) and, giving him the ignition lock, he made me a key in an hour (after he stopped laughing).

I've seen a number of portable gen-sets that use 14 - 18 volt cordless tool battery packs for running their starters and they work very well despite the small battery size.

Odds are #12 could refit his lawn mower to use 1 - 2 cordless tool battery packs as its -as needed- battery system being most any decent cordless stool battery can easily put out 30 -40+ amps for a more than long enough to start an engine and even a large 16 - 20 HP riding lawn mower doesn't take more than 60 - 80 amps to get it spun up in most cases.

I've pondered the concept myself many times while jump/boost starting a dead lawn mower.

 

Odds are #12 could refit his lawn mower to use 1 - 2 cordless tool battery packs

It's just not that important. The most it ever takes is 3 jerks on the rope in cold weather. It's basically a good engine with an unnecessary starter motor attached.