Replaced battery today after 12 years and 5 months

[kco]

I'm still on the original battery for my Nissan Frontier bought in November 2003. At the service last fall they told me the test indicated it should be replaced. I'd already sensed it was getting weak. I haven't replaced it yet but will soon since I occasionally explore in remote areas and don't want to be stranded. I try to remember to carry my booster pack.

The truck is a 4WD automatic and what surprised me is I can't start it without the starter. Even while going at 50 km/hr it won't turn over (unlike older automatics). That's the one thing I miss about not having a standard, you could always get it going without the starter.

 

[crazyal]

About 6 years ago I bought a 77 International Loadstar firetruck from a local town. I got it for the engine and transmission since I know the guy who does the work on their vehicles. I was able to drive it home after a jump start. I never looked at the battery since I really didn't care about it. When I got home just for fun I tried to start the truck and it turned over great. I let the truck sit for a few months before removing the cab and the battery still had a full charge. When I finally took a look at the battery I found out that it was two Interstate batteries. I called my friend up and asked him about them. He said they put them in the truck back in 94 when the fire department gave them the truck (they had a 1500 gallon water/ chloride tank in the back). They stopped using the truck in 01 and once a year he would do routine service to it until 05 when they decided that the 10k trailer was a cheaper way to control dust on the dirt roads and sold the truck.

I let my battery MINDer desulfate each battery for a week or so and have been using them ever since. I have one in my 580k and the other is in my 450 dozer. Even in the middle of winter they start the diesels just fine. Last summer when the original battery died in my Tundra I used one of them for a year before getting a replacement battery for the Toyota. The kind of use I put on them is the hardest since it could be months between uses. I don't think, karma wise, it makes up for the 1 million garden tractor batteries that lasted one season I've gone through but it's still nice when something exceeds your expectations.

 

[scrappy isb67]

huh, didn't think about that! thanks for the clarification.
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[PhysAssist]

We've had reasonably good luck with our batteries with few exceptions:

Our 2001 Ford Superduty F-350 7.3L diesel 4WD that we use around the property for plowing, hauling gravel, firewood, etc, had 2 massive deep cycle OEM Ford batteries when we bought it used in '03, they lasted until last year, when we got replacements from Wally World, now it starts like a champ again. The electrical load on those has always been very high intermittently, as we use it for plowing snow with an electrically-winched plow, and it sits for weeks to months without being starting.

Our daily driver, a 2007 Honda Fit, needed a new battery about 3 years ago, after we were away for about 2 weeks during February and it sat without being started. The problem was that Honda put too underpowered a battery in it from the start (pun intended), so it would be lighter and more fuel-efficient, not caring about the difficult starting and cold weather performance...

Worse yet, no battery company had any replacements referenced for the model, given it was only 3 years on the market. Luckily, the Fit Fanatics web forums had many references from those who had chosen to upgrade, and with only a little kludging to get a better fit, a Wally World special with higher CCA and Amperage was slid into place.

Thomas

 

[bigdeano]

On a separate note...

Anyone old enough to remember when lifetime warranties were in vogue?

Collected a few time on a battery I bought in 1973...

Still have a few Midas lifetime muffler warranties too...

I bought a lifetime guaranteed battery for my '73 Chevy pickup in the 70's from Schucks auto. I still have the truck, I called O'reillys (they bought Schuck's). They said they still honor the lifetime guarantee. The battery in it now is 14 years old and still works fine. It's been replaced free a few times. That was a good investment.

 

[94BULLITT]

I have a customers 2000 Mustang with the original battery in right now. The car has been sitting for 3 years. The battery was dead when he brought it in. I charged it up. It will start the car but it does not turn over real good. It needs replaced.

I have a battery that is at least 10 years old in a old truck.