How often do you change car battery?
Discussion
Pit Pony said:
When it fails.
This. I would expect 8-10 years easy froma conventional battery, in most instances. Stop start technology might be different but I've not had any direct dealings with that.
My petrol x-reg 3 series had a non-origanal and incorrect sized battery, which lasted me 5-6 years till lockdown and a lot of sitting around.
Mrs' diesal 08 plate Fiesta had a battery change a few years ago, almost certainly the original. So 12 years.
My wife’s Fabia failed to start last year at almost nine years old - battery dead. Replaced it with a Halfords Yuasa battery. Then I read the handbook, which says change every 5 years.
We had never topped the charge up on the old battery, so I reckon 8 years was good going. I had thought of buying a trickle charger, but on this experience, I don’t think it’s worth it. Our cars are kept outside.
We had never topped the charge up on the old battery, so I reckon 8 years was good going. I had thought of buying a trickle charger, but on this experience, I don’t think it’s worth it. Our cars are kept outside.
Edited by Pica-Pica on Tuesday 7th March 23:21
Normally when it fails but I did replace one before it failed as it was getting a bit slower to turn the engine over, winter was coming and it was 12 or 13 years old by then. I normally buy Varta blue or silver batteries and would expect to get ~10 years out of one.
As someone else said - on a car with stop start I'd expect less.
As someone else said - on a car with stop start I'd expect less.
There are devices that can measure the remaining Ah capacity (the advice is to replace at <65%), or you could 'stress-test' it at home by leaving 'loads' switched on for increasing amounts of time (ie when it arguably doesn't matter if you overdo it because you have the ability to recharge or jump start it at leisure)
Depends on the car. I tend to find that a car in use daily will have a long battery life of 8-10+ years. Cars that are driven infrequently suffer from more problems especially if the battery has been allowed to discharge.
A Shed with just the clock drawing current will often start after many many months compared to a modern car that is alarmed, telematics, GPS and ECU that doesn't sleep for a while, with lots of lights coming on when you open the door.
Also I never buy Lion batteries from ECP - crud. I always use Tayna batteries. For example - £180 AGM battery for a MINI from ECP with all their myriad of codes, £80-90 delivered from Tayna.
A Shed with just the clock drawing current will often start after many many months compared to a modern car that is alarmed, telematics, GPS and ECU that doesn't sleep for a while, with lots of lights coming on when you open the door.
Also I never buy Lion batteries from ECP - crud. I always use Tayna batteries. For example - £180 AGM battery for a MINI from ECP with all their myriad of codes, £80-90 delivered from Tayna.
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