# How long does your car battery usually last?



## hypochondriac (Aug 4, 2019)

I ask this because yesterday my wife had a flat battery in her car. To save time and worry she got a new one. The battery only lasted 3 years. She didnt do anything recently to cause it such as leave her lights on. Or use the radio without turning on the ignition. We were advised that she should do some longer trips now and then to lengthen the life of the battery. she usually does just 5 to 10 minute trips. we live close to shops and beach.
so how long should the average car battery last?


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## JustBonee (Aug 4, 2019)

Yikes! I hope more than 3 years,   because that's how old mine is.  And I only take short trips too.   The one before it lasted many years, maybe 8 ?? ..can't remember.


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## hypochondriac (Aug 4, 2019)

Bonnie said:


> the one before it lasted many years, maybe 8 ?? .


Im hoping this new one lasts that long


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## Gary O' (Aug 4, 2019)

Yeah, 5 minute trips ain't all that good.
Newer vehicles constantly drain bats when not running

The newest vehicle I have is a '99 Wrangler
No bells
No whistles
Can't remember when it needed a new bat


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## Camper6 (Aug 4, 2019)

The charging system determines the status of the battery.
The alternator charges the battery and should be outputting about 13 to 14 volts when the car is running.
It's easy to check with a voltmeter. Just put the leads on the positive and negative poles of the battery  . This is often neglected when buying a new battery.  In a warm climate the battery should last better than the warranty years. Where I live in a cold climate there is more stress on starting a cold engine so I have a charger that plugs into an outlet and it brings it up to full charge and automatically shuts off. A battery is rated by cold cranking amps.bThe higher the better. Short trips should be sufficient. Once the battery is charged the alternator system regulator cuts out. Overcharging can kill a battery .


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## Camper6 (Aug 4, 2019)

Gary O' said:


> Yeah, 5 minute trips ain't all that good.
> Newer vehicles constantly drain bats when not running
> 
> The newest vehicle I have is a '99 Wrangler
> ...


The only thing I can think of that would use battery while not running is a clock and that would be minimal.


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## hypochondriac (Aug 4, 2019)

Camper6 said:


> It's easy to check with a voltmeter.


You experts make me ashamed of my lack of mechanical skills and knowledge. Oh and lack of tools too.


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## hypochondriac (Aug 4, 2019)

we get 2 year warranties here.


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## hypochondriac (Aug 4, 2019)

the car is a 2005 Toyota Yaris by the way


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## Camper6 (Aug 4, 2019)

hypochondriac said:


> You experts make me ashamed of my lack of mechanical skills and knowledge. Oh and lack of tools too.


Trust me. Voltmeters are cheap and easy to use. Every household should have one. You can check your household batteries with them before throwing them out.


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## Uptosnuff (Aug 4, 2019)

I just replaced my car battery. It was nine years old and was the original.  I don't know if this makes any difference but I drive about 40 highway miles every day. I have a Ford explorer with about 135000 miles.


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## Gary O' (Aug 4, 2019)

Camper6 said:


> The only thing I can think of that would use battery while not running is a clock and that would be minimal


Some newer vehicles have accessories that draw all the time.
Not much, but some
Car alarm being one


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## martyguy (Aug 4, 2019)

I replace my battery every five years.  It;s cheap insurance against a dead battery.  I buy the battery at an auto parts store.  They come out and install it for just the cost of the battery, about 100 dollars.


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## hypochondriac (Aug 4, 2019)

martyguy said:


> I replace my battery every five years.  It;s cheap insurance against a dead battery.  I buy the battery at an auto parts store.  They come out and install it for just the cost of the battery, about 100 dollars.


ours cost 182 aussie dollars


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## win231 (Aug 4, 2019)

When I kept cars longer than 4 years, I'd replace the battery at that time.  Better than being stuck.


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## Camper6 (Aug 5, 2019)

Gary O' said:


> Some newer vehicles have accessories that draw all the time.
> Not much, but some
> Car alarm being one



It's called parasitic drain and it can be checked to see what is draining the battery.  Sometimes it's something weird like a trunk light that doesn't shut off. I'm not familiar with the newer vehicles but I do know they need a high quality battery.

Do you get a rebate if you bring the old battery back when buying a new one?


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## JimW (Aug 5, 2019)

hypochondriac said:


> I ask this because yesterday my wife had a flat battery in her car. To save time and worry she got a new one. The battery only lasted 3 years. She didnt do anything recently to cause it such as leave her lights on. Or use the radio without turning on the ignition. We were advised that she should do some longer trips now and then to lengthen the life of the battery. she usually does just 5 to 10 minute trips. we live close to shops and beach.
> so how long should the average car battery last?



It really depends on how many years the battery is rated for. Most all new cars and lease vehicles will come with a 3 year battery in them. The 3 year battery is about the cheapest one sold, and it fits perfectly into the usuall 3 year term of a new vehicle lease. I believe 3 years is the lowest rating on a battery and they go up in years and price from there. The battery and car manufacturers have the battery life down to a science, most every battery I've had to replace was within months of how many years the battery was rated for. Anyone who gets more than a year over the rated time on a car battery should consider themselves lucky, it rarely happens these days. The biggest killer of a battery is temperature extremes, so if you live in very hot or cold climate this will cause a battery to drain quicker.


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## Don M. (Aug 5, 2019)

I've pretty much lost all desire to get a new car/truck....both our vehicles are in good shape....1997 and 2006...knock wood.   I'm on the 2nd battery in the 2006 and the 3rd in the 1997.  The original batteries only lasted about 3 years, and I went with Autozone Duralast batteries when I replaced them.  I've got 10 years on the 2006 Chevy battery, and about the same results on the 1997 Dakota.  We don't drive a lot, anymore, and if the car/truck sits for more than a few days, I hook up a charger for a few hours, to keep them at full charge.  That, plus keeping them in the garage, out of weather extremes, helps the batteries last a long time.


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## Gary O' (Aug 5, 2019)

Camper6 said:


> Do you get a rebate if you bring the old battery back when buying a new one?


Seems that's been available, but never took advantage
Maybe it was too long 'tween changes, or couldn't locate the receipt
Prolly because I didn't go to the same place due to a sale at a different place 
Seems I get charged for core disposal
Can't remember...too long ago


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## JimW (Aug 5, 2019)

Gary O' said:


> Seems that's been available, but never took advantage
> Maybe it was too long 'tween changes, or couldn't locate the receipt
> Prolly because I didn't go to the same place due to a sale at a different place
> Seems I get charged for core disposal
> Can't remember...too long ago



This article explains what a "core charge" is.



> by Matthew Wright
> 
> Updated May 23, 2019
> 
> ...


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## 911 (Aug 5, 2019)

I just replaced the battery in my sister’s 2011 Mercedes. Car only has 14,000 miles on it, but the temp in her garage was over 110 degrees for 2 weeks. I think the heat may have killed one of the cells. It wouldn’t take a charge and barely took a jump. Before it died, the battery showed no signs of going bad.


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## Camper6 (Aug 5, 2019)

Don M. said:


> I've pretty much lost all desire to get a new car/truck....both our vehicles are in good shape....1997 and 2006...knock wood.   I'm on the 2nd battery in the 2006 and the 3rd in the 1997.  The original batteries only lasted about 3 years, and I went with Autozone Duralast batteries when I replaced them.  I've got 10 years on the 2006 Chevy battery, and about the same results on the 1997 Dakota.  We don't drive a lot, anymore, and if the car/truck sits for more than a few days, I hook up a charger for a few hours, to keep them at full charge.  That, plus keeping them in the garage, out of weather extremes, helps the batteries last a long time.


When I travelled in the good old days (of the 6 volt batteries) in weather extremes down to -30 F in Minnesota. In order to make sure the car started the next day, I would remove the battery and bring it into the motel to keep it warm.  It never failed.

Many cars in the parking garage would not start in those extreme temperatures.

Batteries in a temperate zone should last years beyond the warranty.  Even a battery that is on it's last legs can have enough juice to start a car.


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## Camper6 (Aug 5, 2019)

911 said:


> I just replaced the battery in my sister’s 2011 Mercedes. Car only has 14,000 miles on it, but the temp in her garage was over 110 degrees for 2 weeks. I think the heat may have killed one of the cells. It wouldn’t take a charge and barely took a jump. Before it died, the battery showed no signs of going bad.


I highly recommend you get the alternator output checked.  That should not happen at 14000 miles.  It may be overcharging which is really bad for a battery.


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## Camper6 (Aug 5, 2019)

Don M. said:


> I've pretty much lost all desire to get a new car/truck....both our vehicles are in good shape....1997 and 2006...knock wood.   I'm on the 2nd battery in the 2006 and the 3rd in the 1997.  The original batteries only lasted about 3 years, and I went with Autozone Duralast batteries when I replaced them.  I've got 10 years on the 2006 Chevy battery, and about the same results on the 1997 Dakota.  We don't drive a lot, anymore, and if the car/truck sits for more than a few days, I hook up a charger for a few hours, to keep them at full charge.  That, plus keeping them in the garage, out of weather extremes, helps the batteries last a long time.


Yep that charger is a godsend for keeping batteries up to snuff.


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## JimW (Aug 5, 2019)

Camper6 said:


> I highly recommend you get the alternator output checked.  That should not happen at 14000 miles.  It may be overcharging which is really bad for a battery.



Mileage really has nothing to do with battery life unless it relates to time. Time and extreme conditions are what does a battery in.


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## fmdog44 (Aug 5, 2019)

Batteries show their life time, just read it. They no long _start _to fail rather now they just fail all at once so keep tabs on when you bought them. The more you pay the longer their life.


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## hypochondriac (Aug 5, 2019)

Camper6 said:


> In order to make sure the car started the next day, I would remove the battery and bring it into the motel to keep it warm. It never failed.


Just the idea of taking a battery into a motel room with you


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## treeguy64 (Aug 5, 2019)

Camper6 said:


> When I travelled in the good old days (of the 6 volt batteries) in weather extremes down to -30 F in Minnesota. In order to make sure the car started the next day, I would remove the battery and bring it into the motel to keep it warm.  It never failed.
> 
> Many cars in the parking garage would not start in those extreme temperatures.
> 
> Batteries in a temperate zone should last years beyond the warranty.  Even a battery that is on it's last legs can have enough juice to start a car.


I used to bring my bike into my motel room, when I did winter camping, until I got to my site, usually a state park, and then on the way back home. I got some strange looks, but I never failed to fire that puppy up. I did use a lot of newspaper, to keep things clean, in the room. At the parks, I'd keep my bike in a restroom. I was usually the only camper, onsite. Rangers only hassled me, once, at Dinosaur Valley. Looking back, I can't believe that I rode on snow and ice, and I'm still around.


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## 911 (Aug 5, 2019)

I


Camper6 said:


> I highly recommend you get the alternator output checked.  That should not happen at 14000 miles.  It may be overcharging which is really bad for a battery.



I checked the charging system before replacing the battery . Both the alternator and starter were within the specs according to the Chilton manual.


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## Ruthanne (Aug 5, 2019)

All I know is that here they used to put the life of the battery right on top of it.  Mine have lasted varying times.  I had bad ones once, too, that only lasted a year.  Someone told me they must have not been good batteries and that's why they didn't last long.  The one I have now has been going for about 3 or 4 years, knock on wood!  It cost me enough for it, too.  I  think you have to pay more for a good one.  Don't know much about short trips not making it last because that is all I do and have done for years.


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## Camper6 (Aug 5, 2019)

hypochondriac said:


> Just the idea of taking a battery into a motel room with you


Yep. I put it in the bathroom under the sink. Those were the good old days at -30 F with a wind chill of -40 when you were young and nothing fazed you.


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## Camper6 (Aug 5, 2019)

911 said:


> I
> 
> 
> I checked the charging system before replacing the battery . Both the alternator and starter were within the specs according to the Chilton manual.


I used to like the meter on the old cars. The needle would tell you the state of the charging system. Now you just get a red light.


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## Don M. (Aug 6, 2019)

Camper6 said:


> I used to like the meter on the old cars. The needle would tell you the state of the charging system. Now you just get a red light.



I agree....my old Dodge pickup has a "meter" which always shows about 14 volts when running.  Every couple of months I check the Chevy with a voltmeter to see that the alternator is putting out 14 volts.  
When buying a new battery, the most important "specifications" are the CCA...cold cranking amps, and the length of warranty.  "Economy" batteries, which run about $100, generally have a 2 yr. warranty, and perhaps 650CCA.  The good batteries will have a 5 yr. warranty, and put out 850CCA, or more, and cost perhaps $150.  Given that the premium batteries last 2 or 3 times as long, they are the cheaper items, over the long term, if a person expects to keep their vehicle for more than 2 or 3 years.


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## Buckeye (Aug 6, 2019)

My car (2014) has a volt meter built into the electronics that display on the dashboard.  I can select that, or tire pressure, or oil life, or miles to empty, or speed limit, or etc.  That said, once cold weather gets here I'll be buying a new battery.  AFAIK it still has the original battery, and at 5 years or more, it's time


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## Camper6 (Aug 6, 2019)

Buckeye said:


> My car (2014) has a volt meter built into the electronics that display on the dashboard.  I can select that, or tire pressure, or oil life, or miles to empty, or speed limit, or etc.  That said, once cold weather gets here I'll be buying a new battery.  AFAIK it still has the original battery, and at 5 years or more, it's time


Yes. Winter time needs a good battery or you will be grinding it out with the old one.


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## Trade (Aug 8, 2019)

I went through 3 in exactly 10 years with my Honda Accord and am now on number 4. So that's an average of 40 months each. It's one of the few things I don't like about this vehicle. The 4 cylinder Hondas come with this diminutive little battery about 1/2 the size of the one that comes with the 6 cylinder model. I wanted to have the bigger battery put in, but of course it won't fit because the brackets that hold it are not the same and the Honda dealer does not carry the parts to change out the brackets so they have to be special ordered and they are ridiculosly overpriced anyway. What a PITA. So I keep getting my batteries from the Honda dealer because they come with a 100 month limited warranty. But even that's a weasel deal because when your first battery dies you get a decent discount from the warranty, but that replacement battery does not get a new 100 months. It only gets what's left of the original warranty. So when it goes out at 40 months you are at 80 months and your discount is only a pittance which isn't worth using. Plus if you do, all you get is a limited warrenty with 20 months left. When I say limited, that means full replacement for the first 36 months, and after that you just get a pro-rated discount. (the batteries last an average of 40 months, see how that works?). Anyway I paid full price for the one that I have now this past February, so I have a new 100 month warrenty on that.

I shopped around a little bit by phone and I found that I could get a significantly cheaper replacement at this place, I forget the name, but it was something like "Bubba's Discount Battery Warehouse" but it was only rated at 450 cold cranking ampsonly came with an 18 month full replacement warrenty, which would presumably only be good at Bubba's, if he was still in business by then. So went went with Honda's over priced battery which is rated at 500 cold cranking amps and has the 36 month full replacement deal that would be good at any Honda place anywhere.


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## Camper6 (Aug 10, 2019)

Trade said:


> I went through 3 in exactly 10 years with my Honda Accord and am now on number 4. So that's an average of 40 months each. It's one of the few things I don't like about this vehicle. The 4 cylinder Hondas come with this diminutive little battery about 1/2 the size of the one that comes with the 6 cylinder model. I wanted to have the bigger battery put in, but of course it won't fit because the brackets that hold it are not the same and the Honda dealer does not carry the parts to change out the brackets so they have to be special ordered and they are ridiculosly overpriced anyway. What a PITA. So I keep getting my batteries from the Honda dealer because they come with a 100 month limited warranty. But even that's a weasel deal because when your first battery dies you get a decent discount from the warranty, but that replacement battery does not get a new 100 months. It only gets what's left of the original warranty. So when it goes out at 40 months you are at 80 months and your discount is only a pittance which isn't worth using. Plus if you do, all you get is a limited warrenty with 20 months left. When I say limited, that means full replacement for the first 36 months, and after that you just get a pro-rated discount. (the batteries last an average of 40 months, see how that works?). Anyway I paid full price for the one that I have now this past February, so I have a new 100 month warrenty on that.
> 
> I shopped around a little bit by phone and I found that I could get a significantly cheaper replacement at this place, I forget the name, but it was something like "Bubba's Discount Battery Warehouse" but it was only rated at 450 cold cranking ampsonly came with an 18 month full replacement warrenty, which would presumably only be good at Bubba's, if he was still in business by then. So went went with Honda's over priced battery which is rated at 500 cold cranking amps and has the 36 month full replacement deal that would be good at any Honda place anywhere.


You made a good move.  The extra money will pay for itself over the years in satisfaction.


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