How long should my car battery last?
(2010-12-09 03:10:06) 1. Says: We have a 2009 Ford Flex that we bought in September of 2008. My husband works from home, so he doesn't drive much...only take it out for lunch or to run to the post office, store, etc. It only has 12,000 miles on it. Today he took it to the dealership to have the tires rotated and oil changed, as we are planning a trip back home to Pittsburgh (a six hour drive) for the holidays. They told him the testing shows that we need a new battery. I think this is ridiculous...the battery is only 2 years old. Do you think this is legit or are they just trying to make money off us? We know nothing about cars.2. Says: Well, as a general rule a new car warranty should cover the battery for the period of the bumper to bumper warranty, on a new vehicle this should range for most makes from 36 to 60 months. A new vehicle battery should last between 48 to 60 months will proper use, as most manufacturers would state the amount of miles per year to maintain the charging system to be 750 to 1000 miles per year. It is possible the battery will not hold a charge due to a bad or dead cell. Vehicles used to come with an open or servicable battery, that is not the case today. There are a number of reasons your battery has died but most likely to an incomplete charging cycle, the battery charge being dropped down and recharged, or a malfunctioning charging system, probably the former in this situation. Ask to see the charging system and batter tests and if you do not trust the dealer take it to another for confirmation. In my opinion this diagnosis could be valid, I would recommend to replace the battery and to get a trickle charger to keep the vehicle on while stored due to the limited driving your husband does. Always remember that the vehicle is yours and if you do not get a reasonable explanation from the service advisor; first ask to speak with the technician and if still not satisfied take it to another dealership. Good luck.3. Says: There are only two possibilities,1. The battery has gone bad because of lack of regular usage. In regular usage your battery should easily last for 3 or more years.
2. The charge in your battery has been badly drained. You need to remove it (the battery) from vehicle and plug it to a professional vehicle battery charger (installed at various car repair shops) till a few hours. This way your battery will not become new but will do good duty for another 6 months/ 1 year.4. Says: normal battery [on a new car] lasts 4 to 6 yrs
a cheap replacement 2/3 yrs
If you are having no trouble just go to a auto zone or advance auto parts store,,they test for free
If you battery is bad id fight with the dealer for a free replacement,,,if no luck go to a parts store,,,free installation at most..buy the best you can afford5. Says: It's recommended that you change a battery after 2years. Car battery do get old easier than conventional battery. It doesn't hold charge in as well if the battery is old. Especially since winter time is here, your car batter will be drained overnight from the cold. Up to you if you want to play it safe. It is only 100 dollar to replace...better safe than sorry. Beside that's really cheap to do.6. Says: OEM car batteries last well, lets say 5 years or more. If the car starts on cold mornings or is not a 'lazy cranker' then I would say the battery is OK. Change it when it begins to fail. Get it tested elsewhere.7. Says: If the battery has never been run down then it is probably good to go. As a little extra peace of mind, I would take the battery out, and take it to the auto parts store and have them put an overnight trickle charge on it.8. Says: Itcould be legit, but take it to another place for testing. Sometimes one of the cells goes bad for some reason or another. Normally you should get at least 5 years out of a battery, but some last 7 to 8 years.9. Says: Cells in the battery may have died from a lack of not being used, which is common.Normaly a good battery should last 4 to 5 years.10. Says: Does the car start without any trouble? You don't need a battery. They are trying to sell you a battery you may not need.
Ask them to PROVE you need a new battery. Is the case cracked, leaking electrolyte? Is it badly corroded such that cleaning the exterior surfaces with baking soda is out of the question? Is there a dead cell? Starting trouble will show up with that.
I only replace my battery if my car won't start. Batteries are good for 3-5 years. I've put two batteries in my Suzuki SUV in the 6 years I've owned it. I've put 3 batteries in my PU in the 15 years I've owned it.
I had a dead battery in my PU once. I left my lights on after driving in the rain - didn't remember to turn them off. As expected, the truck would not start. Pulled the battery and took it to Auto Zone for testing. They said the battery was bad. I didn't tell them what i did. I didn't accept their diagnosis. Bought a $20 battery charger, recharged the battery and continued to use it for about another 2 years.
More info: The difference between a 2 year battery and a 7 year battery is the PRICE. With a 7 year battery, you are paying for the replacement battery in advance. They are exactly the same battery if from the same manufacturer, just different labeling to make you THINK it's a better battery. Tag: How long should my car battery last?