When do you replace a battery?

[RickB]

Wife's car sat unused for 36 hrs in the coldest weather we have had so far this season and she said it cranked slowly, but started. I checked and it was the original battery in a 2006 Ford Escape. It got a new battery the next day based on battery age and my disinterest in chasing a no-start at her workplace or hearing about it. Any other batteries I own have to die before being replaced.

 

[BobRip]

You've got to keep jumper cables in your car...and know how to use 'em.

Right on. You can also stand by your vehicle and hold the cables up. They make a good dead battery flag. Somebody in a pickup will stop and help.

 

[Johnp33]

When I am servicing a vehicle I measure the voltage, and if it is low I put it on a regulated charger, clean the terminals, add die-electric grease, then test the alternator output, and charging voltage. It must have at least 13.8 to fully charge a battery. I will advise them to come back in a couple of days and I will check it again, charging voltage, output and after sitting for an hour the battery voltage. A battery's life is shortened every time it is killed, very few will last long if killed a dozen times, below 6 volts.

 

[RoyJackson]

Right on. You can also stand by your vehicle and hold the cables up. They make a good dead battery flag. Somebody in a pickup will stop and help.

Yeah...I've always carried them...but the one time they weren't in the truck, I left my lights on (this was before most vehicles had the warning chimes or buzzers).
Plenty of folks offered to give me a jump...if I had cables.

 

[brokenknee]

You've got to keep jumper cables in your car...and know how to use 'em.

Right on. You can also stand by your vehicle and hold the cables up. They make a good dead battery flag. Somebody in a pickup will stop and help.

I agree, someone will usually be willing to help. I always do since I have been there.

Battery in my truck is oem purchased new back in 2002. I most likely jinxed myself by saying that.

That said, my work vehicle is less than a year old and had to have both batteries replace already.

 

[hrcarver]

When I'd rather have the time than money. I've dragged out stuff I rarely use to a over a year of jumping off, something I need regularly gets a battery the second time I jump it off.

 

[5030]

I run 'em until they puke and get another......

 

[pat32rf]

And when I buy or make booster cables they are both heavy enough and long enough. One of our local auto stores recently advertised "heavy duty #6 aluminium booster cables" for sale....I seldom buy anytyhing from them.....

 

[JDgreen227]

While on the subject of jump starting, when I go shopping, I always park WAY, WAY out of the packs of cars at stores, this serves several purposes:

Nobody can bang their doors against my vehicle.

There are no shopping carts nearby to roll into my vehicle.

I burn up some calories walking the extra distance.

Last, but not least, with nobody parked near you, it is much easier to get access to your battery with another vehicle should you need a jumpstart.

And the few times I had a reservation about the battery in my vehicle last year, I carried a fully charged, good size jumpstart unit in my truck.

 

[bigbull338]

we change the batteries on tractors when we are tired of charging them or jumping them off.we have a battey that weve been jumping off an charging for the last 2yrs.we really need to change the battery,but we rarely use the tractor right now.we change the trucks an suv batteries when they get weak or wont crank.