Car battery life

[Bipolarcy]

I was watching a Youtube video of a guy in Arizona who had dead batteries on two of his vehicles. (I know, scintillating stuff). One battery, a premium Walmart battery with a warranty, was only a year and a half old. Turns out the warranty was no good, because he had already used it when he got the current battery that died. The other battery, just a regular Walmart battery that cost half what the other one did, was only 2 1/2 years old. He said he has to change batteries every 2-3 years because of the brutal heat in Arizona.

I've never heard of extreme heat being a destroyer of batteries. I've always heard that extreme cold was the big battery destroyer. Plus, I have never in the 50-plus years I've owned cars had to replace one battery in a car. I've had to replace alternators, but never batteries. The only thing I've ever had to replace batteries in has been riding lawn mowers. Anyone else have the same bad luck with batteries as this guy?

 

[gypsyroad]

Heat is much harder on them. When I lived in Arizona 3 years was top of the mark. Costco warranty was very useful there.

It wasn't bad luck, that's just how it is in the heat. They also go from fine to junk in a blink. No warning, your battery is completely finished.

 

[CyCrazy]

Batteries can get shot in heat or cold.

 

[gypsyroad]

Hold on... you've never replaced a battery? Do you lease all of your cars?

 

[MeanDean]

Heat is a killer of batteries, yes. Cold will reduce their output so they crank slower, but overall won't cause them to have a shorter life-span.

I've replaced probably 25 vehicle batteries going back to the mid 1970s. They generally last about 5-6 years in normal use. In fact, I just replaced one in my Mustang that I had previously replaced in 2016; so I got 8 years out of that one.

 

[nfrine]

EV owners should know the impact extremes of temperature have on battery performance.

 

[jay moe]

He needs to stop buying batteries from Walmart.

 

[gypsyroad]

He needs to stop buying batteries from Walmart.

Walmart batteries are fine. There are very few companies that actually make auto batteries. It's the same battery you'll get elsewhere.

 

[MeanDean]

Walmart batteries are fine. There are very few companies that actually make auto batteries. It's the same battery you'll get elsewhere.

Yup, the one I just replaced was 8 years old. Came from Wally

 

[Texbudman]

If you get four summers out of a battery in Texas consider yourself fortunate. And as an earlier poster said they go without warning. You used to be able to tell if a battery was going bad as it would start to crank slower. Not so much anymore.

 

[Acylum]

Constant short trips are hard on batteries also.

 

[Bipolarcy]

Hold on... you've never replaced a battery? Do you lease all of your cars?

No. I just usually buy used cars and I guess I get rid of them before the battery goes bad. My current vehicle, I bought brand new, only the second brand new vehicle I've ever owned, but it's going on 4 years old and I make lots of short trips in it. No battery problem yet, knock on wood.

 

[cyfanbr]

I’ve probably replaced three or so in the last ten years. Usually buy cars lightly used/low mileage and live in the Midwest. Feels like on average they last 4-6 years.

 

[wxman1]

Had one that fused or something and started leaking the acid a little. Couldn’t figure out what the hell that smell was until I noticed the small drip. Had another one recently that just completely went all of a sudden. Was able to get a trickle charge in it to get it to Autozone in an attempt to replace it. Of course the local engineers rooted something over top of the battery so they wouldn’t do it. Off to the dealer it went.

 

[Nolaeer]

i typically get 5-6 years. at 6 years, i replace automatically. id rather not try to squeeze an extra year or 2 out of a battery and have my car not start at a really bad time.

 

[JM4CY]

@CoachHines3 mom drains my battery

 

[Gonzo]

I've bought/owned several cars and have had to replace batteries in all of them. I can't imagine owning cars and never having to replace a battery in any of them, but we rarely keep cars for less than 5 years. Now with cars transitioning to push starters and auto start/stopping it's even more brutal on the batteries, the AGMs are great but still.

 

[CYdTracked]

On average I think I usually get around 5 years life out of a battery give or take a year either way sometimes. They always seem to give out when it's cold as heck too which makes it not fun to change when your hands are cold.

 

[Entropy]

I sold auto parts to work my way through college and 2 types of days brought in big battery sales: extreme heat and extreme cold.

 

[1SEIACLONE]

5 years seems about average in Iowa, batteries are one of those things in life that you do not skimp on if you plan on keeping the vehicle for 8 to 10 years.