Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Car battery

I have a car that I bought new just over years ago. It has the original battery and it seems to work just fine. But I’m thinking that it should be near end of life. I’ll keep the car 2-3 more years.
Any reason not to just go out and replace the battery now, rather than squeeze the last few month out of it?

Most any of the auto parts stores will run a free load test on your battery, and it only takes a couple of minutes. If you have it done every 6 weeks or so, you'll have an idea of when it's time to replace it.

Otherwise, make sure you've got enough distilled water in it, that that you keep the terminals & cable clamps free of corrosion.

FC

I would use it until you have a notable slow start. When I replace a battery I buy the biggest that will fit in the space.

I had a ford PU that I bought new. I had it for 12yrs and one morning I turned the key on and the Battery exploded. the battery was completely destroyed ,I had a hard time getting all the acid cleaned up, so now when the battery is at the end of its life I buy a new one, I don't try to keep using it until it dies or explodes. ( this was a matiance free battery)

Bet I've owned 50 cars

Never had a battery blow up, I've ran them dead, blast boosted them with 200 amps, cooked the cables off them, forgot about chargers and left them till they've boiled over. Ran some for 8,9,10 years.



Now way in hell I'd go buy a new $130 car battery just because it's approaching 2-3 yrs old.

What a worry wart, jeeze almighty

i'd change the valve cover gaskets too.

How do you get to be 60-70 years old, driving for 60 yrs and are still be perplexed by the basic science of a car battery?

Toasters, now that's a complicated contraption, who can figure out such devices.

x2.

Have jumper cables will travel

Actually it’s 4+ years old.

Get it tested they can gage cold crank amps and compare it to the new specs
I just got a AAA battery, 6 years warranty, 3 full replacement. Brand new, not been on shelf for 6 months like some parts stores. It tested 810 amps on a rated 600 battery. Tech said that is normal on their batteries
Remember heat will kill a battery quicker than cold, given the present weather

It seems they “die” in the summer heat and it shows up on the first actual cold day!

I think the batteries in my pickup are going on 8 years old?


And they've been from +110F to -40F in the last year.


The old pickup starts right up.



That said some of the newer vehicles seem to need more juice at start up for the all the electronic chit. I've replaced the battery in my wife's car twice in the last 5-6 years. It won't even spin over when the battery 'dies'. Get some horsechit message on the screen....


Needless to say I've kept the 'bad' batteries and use them in old chit that can work on 12 volts or whatever they show on the tester.

I replaced the batteries in my work truck last spring in a panic on a day when I needed every last bit of sunlight to finish a job.

Cost me a few hours and I should have done it a few days prior when I noticed it being slow to start and I had the time to spare.

I'll try my best not to let that happen again.

Same here, mine have always given me a heads-up that they were done about a day maybe two prior to totally being gone.
I pay attention and replace when it tells me to...

I’ve seen cars that would crank, but not fire. Sure enough, ‘‘twas the damned battery.

FC

Some won’t even turn over even if battery isn’t drained. Wanna say my ‘08 dodge 3500 is like that. Too much lectric stuff now days

Dead car/truck battery at 11 pm at a Dennys off the Interstate is a pain in the ass. I replace them at three years whether they need it or not. Cheap insurance.

Also if they completely die they sometimes take those electronic "brains" along with them at times requiring reprogramming or replacing.


Living in CO if it gives you peace of mind then replace it, cheap insurance you won't be stranded during a winter storm.

Not necessarily just newer vehicles. I have a 2001 Dodge truck I bought 6 months ago. Got in it to go and it would not turn over one day. Cleaned the terminals and tried it and it was completely dead. About that time a pal came over and I asked him to jump me off. His battery spun the starter normally but the truck would not crank....and it always started easily. Every other vehicle I remember jumping would start if you could spin the engine. I thought something had gotten fried in the truck's computer, the fuel pump, coil, ....all kinds of stuff came to mind. I talked to a mechanic friend who said a new battery would most likely start it because of what Sam said about not enough juice.....sure enough it fired right up.

I'm still not sure I understand it. My friend was in a car with a smaller battery maybe not enough amps for the electrical system in my truck or something. But the morale of the story is that jumping off is not always as straight forward as you think

2003 Dodge diesel - it is still running the original two batteries. No sign whatsoever of slowing down.