Pre-emptivley changing a car battery - folly?

[sato]

I have a 9 year old Ka with the grand total of 20,000 miles on it.
Unsuprisingly given the mileage it gets left unused for weeks at a time, and then often only for short journies.

Given that it is still on it's original battery, is it worth sticking a new one in now to avoid it failing at an inopurtune moment?
I know you can buy battery testers, but I guess this will tell me the current charge - not the life left in it?

[jhfozzy]

You can get battery testers that tell you the state of charge and also the health.

If you don't want to fork out for a tester, take the battery into a local auto electrical garage and they should test it for you [we do it for free].

[chuntington101]

jhfozzy said:

You can get battery testers that tell you the state of charge and also the health.

If you don't want to fork out for a tester, take the battery into a local auto electrical garage and they should test it for you [we do it for free].

As above. get it tested and see what they say. some cars spears shops also offer battery testing, although not sure how good they are (i used to work at one some moons ago)!

[sunbeam alpine]

Is it your only car? If not, you can always jump start it from another. We have this problem - several classics which don't get a lot of use - especially if the weather is bad. Seem to always be looking for jump leads.

[LuS1fer]

No. Even when it begins to fail, it will give you notice with slow churning but the car should still start if it's in good health. At that point, pop to halfords and 10 minutes later it will have a new battery fitted.

[MattYorke]

I wouldn't bother changing a battery unless I had evidence the current one was failing.
I've left a battery for a year before now (disconnected, I should add), reconnected it in without charging it up and it still had plenty of power to start the motor.
If you've got a "good-un", and it holds charge OK, I'd be inclined to leave it be.

[thinfourth2]

Just buy one it will fail at 5pm on a sunday in december when it is raining

Its a KA its not going to cost a fortune to replace

[grumbledoak]

Leave it 'til you get symptoms. The battery testers aren't that reliable; I've had a battery given the all clear for years but she was still stalling at junctions. One new battery and all was well.

[NHK244V]

Any decent garage will be able to drop test it, if it passes leave it if it dont replace it.

[HellDiver]

Going by any factory fit Ford or Vauxhall battery I've seen, you're already 4 years in to borrowed time.

[Dogwatch]

NHK244V said:

Any decent garage will be able to drop test it,

Do they charge for this?

[LuS1fer]

If you can reach a plug, a battery conditioner is a good investment, though they do solar ones too.

[steveo3002]

it wouldnt be a bad move to swap it before winter , cant have much life left in it

depends if you will be stranded if/when it fails

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

HellDiver said:

Going by any factory fit Ford or Vauxhall battery I've seen, you're already 4 years in to borrowed time.

You know what, my Dad bought a Fiesta in 1999 which was sold last September with 157,000 miles on it with the original battery still installed and showing no signs of failing!

Good value that.

[jhfozzy]

Dogwatch said:

NHK244V said:

Any decent garage will be able to drop test it,

Do they charge for this?

Ours doesn't only takes about 30 seconds to drop test it once it's off the car.

[Marlin45]

jhfozzy said:

Ours doesn't only takes about 30 seconds to drop test it once it's off the car.

What do they do about the spillage?

[jhfozzy]

Marlin45 said:

jhfozzy said:

Ours doesn't only takes about 30 seconds to drop test it once it's off the car.

What do they do about the spillage?

ETA: In all seriousness, we had a battery go pop the other day. Whilst being drop tested, they give off explosive gas. As the guy removed the drop tester it sparked and ignited the gas. We found bits of the battery the other side of the workshop. Luckily the guy was wearing the correct PPE or he would have had a nice acid face scrub.

Edited by jhfozzy on Wednesday 17th August 12:57

[NHK244V]

Ray Luxury-Yacht said:

You know what, my Dad bought a Fiesta in 1999 which was sold last September with 157,000 miles on it with the original battery still installed and showing no signs of failing!

Good value that.

My luicid still has the same battery it got imported with, 12 years ago batterys like to be used in short sharp goes, no long periods of slow discharge and fast recharges, when it comes to batterys it's a case of use it or loose it IME.