when will they start making batteries last longer?

Status
Not open for further replies.
If it has caps you can pry off , keep the battery watered . Check when you change oil .

Check for corrosion at the same time and clean as needed .

Check tension on the belt . If it does not have a spring tension-er . Check the condition of the belt & pulleys .

Check the alternator charge voltage .

There are YouTube videos showing the acid being dumped out & the flushed with clean water .

Then add the " correct " solution of alum ( I think ) or Epsom salt .

Best of luck to you all , :)
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
OP what is your group size? Have you measured parasitic draw when the truck is "off"? Have you verified the battery charges 100% with your driving profile?

As stated, heat is a huge killer, but there are lots of wild cards.
I've seen old Jag XJs with a blower on the battery box.
 
Putting batteries in the trunk or inside the car will keep them cooler than the engine bay. Gould/GNB/Motorcraft (at the time) use to make a silver alloyed negative grid for hot climate auto start battery.
 
Over 4 years and 102K on the factory battery in my Cruze - still in there. Many people on the Cruze boards complain about killing batteries regularly - I'm just curious how they do it.

Had a Deka in my '85 GMC that was used when I put it in. It spent at least 4 years in there and was fine when I took it out. Put a pretty new but still used Everstart in it, that was at least 5 years ago and it's still performing great.

Whayasay about battery life?
 
I still have both OE batteries in my cars. One from 2008 the other from 2009. Both sealed but not AGM I don't think.
 
I've had great luck with Walmart everstart MAXX batteries; Living in Texas & with Walmarts great price, I replace EVERY 3 years like clockwork.
Batteries are just like tires; they 'decline' once they're 'worn', and driving around with bald tires thinking you're impervious to flats is just plain stupid. Batteries are the same - after about 3 years, they only have 80% capacity (at best assuming you never deep-discharged them) and start loosing another 2% a month or so. Waiting for them to fail is dumb.
Deep-discharging any NEW starting battery, about 6 times, pretty much KILLS it; doing it ~ 3 times steals at least 20% permanently. Abuse ANY brand of battery ( leaving lights on, hard starts, bad alternator, etc) - it's not gonna last.

I've gotten 6 years out of MAXX batteries on vehicles I drive- that I know never had abuse.
But I do replace every 3 years on wife's and kiddo's vehicles because I never want them stranded somewhere.
 
Originally Posted By: mechjames
http://www.odysseybattery.com/
They already do make batteries that last longer. I have 8 years on my group 65 Odyssey PC1750, and it still maxes out my load tester every time past 1000cca. I'm expecting 15-20 year lifespan.
I have an Odyssey PC 625 for a mower battery. Bought in 2002 and it doesn't even need a boost in the spring after sitting all winter. Bought one for the car but was more interested in the smallest that would still do the job. PC 925 worked great but parasitic drain over a month would run it down. No worries though as a recharge brought it back to like new. The last PC 925 I bought was a two year old dead as can be battery. Took a week on the charger to bring it back but it too works like new now.
 
Interstate that was in my car lasted almost 8 years before it gave out. Got a bosch made by jci with a 3 year warranty free replacement. Keep the terminals clean and put it on a trickle charger once or twice a month and you'll see great results.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
Between hurricanes, heat and short battery life I would move.


I'm sure someone in Houston will chime in and comment about your state income taxes and property taxes being way more expensive than an occasional new battery.
 
Move to The Peoples Republik of Kalifornia ?

Expensive taxes & real estate . And earthquakes . Take a chance that part will fall off into the ocean .

And loony tunes politicians .

Best wishes , :)
 
Last edited:
Oldest working car/truck battery I've ever owned was an Interstate battery purchased back in 2003 , sold the GMC Vandura it was in in 2009 and the battery was still working good.
Normal for me is 3-4 years . It's always been that way for as long as I can remember.
 
I think batteries have never been better quality. Gels and AGM's are a god send for the way they retain their charge compared to an old wet cell. In cooler moderate climates 10 years is becoming the norm for a quality brand.

The really question is when will they make a battery last more than 3 years in a climate like Texas. That's a tall order.
 
Originally Posted By: BigD1
Rutgers University use to have directions on how to dope a battery with epsom salts. I got another 18 months out of one battery, so yes it works.


Here you go
 
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Originally Posted By: BigD1
Rutgers University use to have directions on how to dope a battery with epsom salts. I got another 18 months out of one battery, so yes it works.


Here you go
LOL that article is pure Hoky!!!!!

Look at the second paragraph......

Quote:
When you go out to start your riding lawn mower or motorcycle in the spring you quickly find out that these types of batteries don’t hold a charge well when left unattended for several months. You also find that even after you jump start your mower or motorcycle that the battery just isn’t the same as it once was if it even charges at all. The reason for this is because the lead in the battery is exposed to uncharged raw acid when the battery slowly discharges over time. The lead in the battery simply rusts, thus blocking the flow of electricity and ability to charge properly. Luckily there is an affordable, readily available household compound that will reverse this.


Just what is uncharged raw acid??? I'm still laughing at my old boss who thought you could drain the acid out of a charged battery and add it to an uncharged battery to make it work with the "charged acid".......
 
batteries will last longer when you move up north. Heat kills batteries
smile.gif
 
True indeed slacktide. One thing of note is that in the south you should look for a battery with the highest reserve capacity possible. High CCAs are really only needed up north where colder temps are a factor. Another thought us getting the biggest battery that will fit with the correct polarity. An example is my car where the group 35 is specd but a group 24F will fit as well with the correct polarity. The reserve capacity of a group 35 is at most 100 minutes. The reserve capacity of a group 24 is 130 minutes. Quite a difference if you ask me. So you really want a battery that meets the OEM CCA but with the highest reserve capacity. Charging the battery once a month on a good smart charger, using the biggest battery that meets the OEM CCA with highest reserve capacity would likely increase your battery life a fair amount.
 
Originally Posted By: mechjames
http://www.odysseybattery.com/
They already do make batteries that last longer. I have 8 years on my group 65 Odyssey PC1750, and it still maxes out my load tester every time past 1000cca. I'm expecting 15-20 year lifespan.


Yas, if you can afford it, these are EXCELLENT! I got super lucky and got a free one in the 2002. Im pretty convinced they are worth the cost of admission. Ive listened to my radio while working on my car (With subwoofer thumping!) for over 3 hours. I would guess that I pulled between 15 and 20 AH from the 75AH battery. OCV was down to 12.5V. According to Odyssey, that OCV would be about 70-75% state of charge.
When I started the car, I measured over 90A going into the battery; my 130A alternator was wide open and it could've taken more.
Because of the high charge acceptance, it recharged very quickly.
Something I did do was put a Schottky diode in the alternator voltage sense wire. It drops .3V, raising the charge voltage that amount. The alternator thinks its putting out 14.2, but really I have 14.5 at the battery, as an example. I did this to make sure the Odyssey would be fully charged as much as possible.


Im going to buy one to put into the 03, but I want to wait until I have access to the engine computer to adjust the alternator charging voltage. Much easier to just command the voltage I want, rather than trying to trick it.
 
Go buy Interstate Batteries.

You won't find any Exide or Johnson Control batteries in the oil field trucks in West Texas.

Only Interstates.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

A
Voltage drop on battery when headlights are OFF, fine when they're on
Replies
19
Views
908
tiger862
B
Intermittent (?) dead battery
Replies
9
Views
1K
JeffKeryk
G
Video, Fuel Pump Hurt/Failing? Got some water in the tank. 😠 06 V6 Accord
Replies
10
Views
554
Gasbuggy
dbias
EGO trimmer adventure
Replies
3
Views
277
Cujet
Saikou
18.000 miles no oil change in a '96 Renault and I opened the valve cover
2 3
Replies
41
Views
2K
4WD
Back
Top