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Life of a Battery ???

9K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  Cherokee 
#1 ·
:think: My 2008 Jeep Compass, Northern Edition 2WD is coming up to the 150,000 km mark.. We bought it brand new off the show room floor June / 08 ...Winter of 08 / 09 was the 1st and last season I had plugged the car in as that particular year was the last time during the usual January Deep Freeze period we were locked into a 10 day deep freeze I believe ?? Anyway having not felt the need to plug the car in since then, Yes a couple times during a 2 day maybe deep freeze if you call minus 15C' with windchill the car gave it's gut wrenching sound like pulling itself inside out from deep within..btw that's standing outside leaning in to turn the key and reaching over to set the temp controls, LOL....... My question is the life of the Original Car Battery, lately the car has been turning over kinda slow initially but catches right away...We don't have any long trips planned say down to the Maritimes till spring and the snow is gone , just maybe to Toronto and back a couple times..I'm thinking if I have to start boosting out of the ordinary it's time to replace the battery :dunno: Thoughts, Thanks..........
 
#2 · (Edited)
Up to 5 years if you're lucky. They slowly degrade but it depends on how you use it. Short drives are hard on everything including the battery if it does not get back to a full charge. Winter starts in the cold improve if the oil was just changed before the colder winter (flows better) good synthetic oil of the same grade also helps since it does not thicken and cranks easier.

Having sail all that batteries aren't totally maintenance free. Sometimes you may have to top them up with a charger and cleaning the battery cables and posts are a must. The later makes the biggest difference with clean contacts. One reason why a new battery seems so much better than the old. The posts are clean and the end lugs are usually cleaned before putting them on which give you more cranking amps.

A block heater does not need more than 3hrs plugin time, 2 is usually quite sufficient and if its not regulated (few are) over night can cause damage by overheating the fluid and such. I would never leave it plugged in 100%. The have timer for that to come one a few hours before you plan to go out.
 
#3 ·
:canada: @ Tripplec , Thanks for the Comeback...I'd say 90% of the actual miles showing are all Highway Miles as we live a 35 minute drive in Rural East Ottawa, so for any serious shopping or appointments...But the Battery is kept in top shape as we are fortunate enough to have a good mechanic that keeps on top of the little things without being asked....I consider a Battery part of the running repair side of up keep, just as long as the car doesn't have any serious issues we'll be fine........Thanks
 
#4 ·
As the battery gets older corrosion can get worst and it needs to be don't yearly. Have him check, its pretty easy. If you're parked outside then putting a name brand synthetic EG Mobile, Quaker State, Penzoil, Castrol in will make the winter operations better. Stay away from the other oils though.

Those two make the major impact in cranking and ability to start if you want to optimize your odds for the winter. Its not unusal for the cranking to be slower when really cold. Its the nature of the beast so don't expect summer time cranking below -15C. Enjoy he winter.
 
#6 ·
I agree, 5 years is considered pretty good life for a battery and I imagine in very cold climates, without a block heater, that is probably shortened a bit. I test batteries everyday and one of the problems I see living down south lol is when the weather goes from 80 one day to 50 the next, that change takes a toll on batteries. Fresh oil before a cold winter does help with the cold starts as does making sure the alternator is still functioning properly and the belt has the correct tension. Those factors can also shorten the life of a battery as well as it being drained to "dead" too many times.

Factory batteries are maintenance free but most aftermarket ones are not unless you go with a high end AGM battery, those do not require any maintenance but can be difficult to charge with some chargers.

lucy2423, load testing a battery does help determine the condition of the battery as it removes the surface charge and then tests. A battery will test "good" and give you the voltage. It may still test good, 100% charged, good with normal wear, good but not completely charged or bad and most auto parts stores will test/charge your battery at no cost to you other than your time.

- Cherokee
 
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