A cold night and car batteries.

[LoboGunLeather]

Night before last the temp dropped down to -8F here. Come morning and time to head for the shop, my truck would not start. Battery installed about 5 years ago just doesn't have what it takes anymore.

I always mean to keep all those receipts and warranty papers. I really do. I put them carefully in the glove compartment with all those other important papers. Whether or not I can ever find them again is never certain.

Threw a quick charge on the battery, drove to the store where I bought it. They tested the battery and found bad cells, time for replacement. Went inside, punched up my phone number on their computer, located the prior purchase, and quickly computed my prorated warranty at $38.00 off the price of a new battery. Got the last one they had in stock for my truck. Ten minutes later it was installed and I was on my way. Slipped the young guy who cleaned the battery cables nicely and did the installation a few bucks for standing out in the cold and doing the dirty work instead of me having to.

Overall I am a pretty happy guy. Nice people who take care of their customers, we just don't find that every day anymore.

[Geno44]

Most batteries have a sticker high on one side that gives the month and year of manufacture. It is usually coded, the letter being the month-a=Jan, b=Feb etc and the number being the year. This is the soonest you could have purchased it. Batteries can sit on a shelf in a store for a year and the guarantee starts from the date of sale. When I'm shopping a new battery, I look for the date code to get the freshest one, just like eggs or milk.

[chuckster57]

You must own a gas rig. Us diesel truck owners have two batteries just did mine this last fall- $275.00

[boatme99]

That's why my vehicles get new batteries at 3 years, when living in cold climates.

When I was in Florida, I'd go 5 years on vehicle batteries.
Still 3 years on the boat batteries. Didn't want to be stuck somewhere on the Intracoastal with low cranking power for those Detroit's.

[NYlakesider]

Five years out of a battery in a cold place like you live is pretty good nowadays. I live in upstate NY (a cold place) and seen what happens to batteries.

My DD truck parks outside and I have to start it at tempts down to -25 at times and let me tell you even with a new fully charged battery it cranks slow. My wife’s SUV is inside the garage under the house and it never goes below 50 in there!

I have been known to hook up a battery tender, to keep the battery at highest charge on nights like that. There not a charger as they only MAINTAIN as the top charge rate is only about ½ - 1 amp. Some companies make outdoor rated tenders!

I started using tenders years ago on my stored boat battery, and now on my hibernating Vette (about 6 months at a time) it keeps the battery FULL and ready to go uses very little electricity and in most cases will prolong the life of your battery for a few years.

[Jack Flash]

Originally Posted by LoboGunLeather

... drove to the store where I bought it... we just don't find that every day anymore.

Why not give the store a free plug?

[THE PILGRIM]

Way in the dark ages, J C Penny came out with a new concept battery guaranteed for life.
I put one in my PU.
When I went back for battery no.3 in less than a year, they didn't have anymore of those new gee whiz batteries.
My warranty was still good. I got one of their best long duration warranty batteries.
That battery was still in that truck when I sold it.

[Taurus627]

Replaced mine 2 years back with one that is a step up from what the book recommends. Book says 600cca(cold cranking amps) I bought the 800cca battery. Truck gets parked inside a non heated garage and I plug a Deltran battery tender into it every night. So far, no issues!

[old bear]

Slipped the young guy who cleaned the battery cables nicely and did the installation a few bucks for standing out in the cold and doing the dirty work instead of me having to.

Overall I am a pretty happy guy. Nice people who take care of their customers, we just don't find that every day anymore.

Always remember to take care of the folks who take care of us. Believe me it pays off in the long run.

Happy New Years all.

[Airpark]

The new batteries just up and quit.

Not like the old ones that gave you a bit of warning. Had an O'Reilly battery with 84 month warranty that barely made it 24 months. Parked, at night, in front of business.

Luckily good friend in towing business and he came out and jumped car and followed me to O'Reilly. They changed it out and gave me what I thought was a very reasonable rebate on the old one.

[EugeneNine]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

You must own a gas rig. Us diesel truck owners have two batteries just did mine this last fall- $275.00

I bought the second battery tray from the diesel model of my truck and bolted it in so I have two batteries and can jump start !myself.

[erics]

5 years for a battery is relatively good for any location with a wide range of temps (high and low). I get a plastic shipping label envelope with a sticky back clear front and slap it on the new battery and put the purchase papers inside so always handy and less likely to get lost. Also cold times maybe consider those small electric wraps that keep batter warm when plugged in. Cold battery loses cranking capacity.

[CO_Kid]

I changed the battery in my 03 F-150 in August. The original battery. Lasted 11 years. 6 of those were in Colorado starting in negative temps (I work nights).

The battery in my wife's Explorer died the other day after 6 years.

[sipowicz]

The owner probably found out who you were and needs a new holster...."remember me, I helped you out with that battery discount...whadda ya got in brown leather for a....?

[Frank46]

I have a '07 sierra with the factory battery. Since I live in Louisiana it does not get really cold where I live. We have had an unseasonable fall so far in 2014 and temps have gone down as low as 30 degrees. I do not use the truck every day so sometimes when I first start it up the starter will crank just a little slower. Charge rate on the battery according to the guage on the dash shows nothing out of the ordinary. But shortly will be getting a new battery. 7 years is something out of the ordinary for me. Usually 4 years is the longest I ever got out of a battery. Frank

[coltle6920]

I'd gladly trade waking up to a dead battery for waking up in a house where the furnace crapped out in the middle of the night and when I woke up it was °38 colder inside.

[bearman49709]

Battery in my Explorer will 7 years old in three months, 125,000 miles on it and it lives outside.

[Bozz10mm]

Bought a used 2003 Expedition back in '06. I don't know how old the battery was then, but it's still going. Normally, I will keep a battery for 5 years and get a new one. Next week I will be heading to Advance Auto with the Expedition. I feel like I'm walking on thin ice with an 8 year old plus battery.

[Grayfox]

The new batteries just up and quit.
Not like the old ones that gave you a bit of warning.

Ain't that the truth! I've seen it way too many times. Vehicle starts just fine for a long time and all of a sudden its stone dead.
I spent 25 years as a mechanic for the city where I live. We always used the best quality batteries. Most with a 5 year or more waranty. It was our standard practice to check batteries on every routine service and if it was 4 years old, it got replaced. Didn't matter if it was still working fine or not.
That policy has saved us a bunch of road calls and headaches. I do the same with my own vehicles.