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-   -   Car battery life - How long did your battery last? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/38613-car-battery-life-how-long-did-your-battery-last-58.html)

The Ritz Vdi battery died after 4 years and was replaced with another Exide.The Figo TDCi was replaced at 4.5 years with an Amaron after it started showing signs of dying.

Gurus! Please advice if the below parameters are signs of a dying battery;
Make Amazon, 74AH,age 2.5 yrs(can't be sure, from scribbling on the warranty card)
Voltage after 1km drive to checking location was12.52V- vehicle was not used in the last 2 days.
Voltage at first crank about 11.4V.
Voltage with engine running 14.2V.
Voltage after 2 consecutive cranks with headlights on about 10.6-10.7V.

This was a ' due diligence' check before a planned road trip. The car has always started with the 1st crank.

The battery shop 'expert' says these readings are below par, and advised a battery change. ( Obviously?)
I frankly think these numbers are good, and the battery is performing adequately, in the circumstances. However, seeds of doubt have been sown, and road trip,toddlers and iffy battery can't be good.
Please advice if I should run some additional tests or buy a new battery?? Apologies if this is not the relevant thread.

It is time to change the battery. To confirm, check the colour of the lead plates in all the cells. If they are whitish, ( good plates should be grayish, the colour of lead) then you can confirm, it is time to change the battery.

Have been quite lucky on this front. In last two decades of car ownership, split between four different vehicles, I've never had to replace the OEM battery in any of my cars!

Maruti Van - 4yrs of ownership - Did not have to replace battery
Hyundai Santro - 4yrs of ownership - Did not have to replace battery
Hyundai Getz - 5yrs of ownership - Did not have to replace battery
Honda City - 6yrs of ownership - Did not have to replace battery

That's great service from your car batteries. Methinks one of the reasons is due to your geographic location. According to your profile you are based in Guwahati, Assam that has moderate temperatures compared to most cities/towns in India.

BMW 90Ah AGM Vartha brand battery in my 525d lasted for 6 years, replaced it with Amaron AAM-PR-600109087. Coding the battery was easy, took help of a friend and we did it in 5 minutes. BMW was asking 45K for the battery where as Amaron was just 15K.

The price difference is explained since your OEM Varta battery was AGM while the Amaron has liquid electrolyte. Also, the AGM battery reabsorbs gasses generated whilst charging while the Amaron will exhaust them through the vent caps into the interior of the trunk.

Do be careful with the electrolyte levels in the Amaron. Ask your battery technicians not to overfill as many are prone to do. You don't want acid fumes bubbling over and ruining the connectors/clamps.

Was there any tell tale sign of the battery dying which prompted you to run these tests? Below are some indicative measures which should indicate battery health

At rest with engine off - 12.6
While cranking - 10.9
Engine running - 13.7 - 14.7
Should not dip below 12.6 on full load

From your readings, I don't think the battery is dying. The 'expert' may of course have his own reasons for suggesting a replacement!

Leave it on overnight charge (at least 12 hours) if you are still skeptical. If you are driving to a remote area, you may consider how the cost of replacement weighs up against the possible risk of a battery dying, regardless of the odds. Do keep in mind that a vehicle is a machine and a machine can fail, not always with prior warning. It may not be financially prudent to go for premature replacements solely on the basis of perceived risks.

Many models are being sold at Discounts, double check at Dealership in case you are concerned due to points raised by R2D2.

Thank you eko and hothatchaway. I understand ekos point, and have worked with lead long ago but I guess spotting the degree of Colour change is highly subjective, atleast to untrained eyes, so I may check that as a last resort. Hothatchaway- Thanks a ton, exactly the info and assurance I was looking for! Will charge overnight, take another set of readings and then decide. I had no telltale signs, but the car was unused for a full month in my absence, and I thought it prudent to check.

Hello,

The OEM battery in my 2014 Rapid (1.6 TDi) lasted 3.5 years and 55100 kms.

The battery did not give away completely and had some juice left in it, but the cranks were bit long. Got the regular service done last month in the A.S.S and the SA was also of the same opinion. He suggested to get the battery replaced outside as it will be costly with Skoda (~ 7800) and no exchange. I would have prolonged the decision to change the battery but for the below reasons.

1. A long (~ 2000 kms) road trip with the family was planned in pooja holidays, mostly travelling the forested and ghat sections with limited road side support. Did not want to get stranded mid way with elderly parents and 1 year old kid.
2. The SA is genuine and if he wanted to fleece me, he would have asked me to change the battery with them. Instead, he advised to get it changed outside and that too only after I mentioned about the trip. Else, he said the existing battery might cover few 1000 kms more.
3. The battery report did show some health issues with the battery (according to SA).

Batterybhai quoted approx 5.5k for Amaron and 5.8k for Exide, both after exchange of old battery.

I went to a local dealer who supplied battery for my home inverter and got the Amaron car battery for 5.2k after exchange of old battery

My WagonR battery was changed last year after 4 and half years of ownership. Thankfully it happened at home so there was no issue.

My brother's Ritz VXi Petrol didn't crank up yesterday and problem was a dead battery. Thankfully, in Gurgaon, we were able to get a battery home delivered within 3 hours. I'm highly impressed by the service of the said company. But what impressed me more was the time this battery had lasted. This was an Exide OEM battery that came with car and lasted exactly 7 and half years, lasting over 70000kms.

I've been using Amaron Pro on my Civic for 7-8 years now. The battery usually last around 3 years. Is that normal?

Between 3-5 years is normal with a +/- 1 year timeframe.

But ever wondered why warranty replacements are for batteries aged <36 months and pro-rata warranty begins thereafter? That's mainly coz hot climates such as ours reduce battery life. My brother who lives in Abu Dhabi tells me in the UAE they replace batteries every 18-24 months. I was not surprised given the searing heat.

Of course one may continue using the battery till it dies on you one day but then I believe proactive replacements are needed especially in case of those cars with automatic trannys.

A battery fitted in a car with low running (like mine) but regular maintenance doesn't last beyond 4 years compared to a car that experiences with regular use. This is mainly due to sulphation of plates. Hence I keep the battery in shape using a 'smart' charger like this one: Bosch C7 12/24V battery charger

I replace the battery every 3-4 years regardless. Based on previous experience I hate being stranded. :D So, 5-6K on a battery every 3-4 years is an expense I can justify.

Replaced my stock motorcraft battery of Figo with the same brand as I got it at a good price of 3200 + tax with exchange. Original battery lasted around 5.5 yrs and still had some juice left. But since I had some planned long drives coming up and certainly I didn`t wanted to take any chances and replaced it during my routine service at Ford ASC.