Should I perform a preemptive battery change?

It could go 5 more, my wife's Rav4 went 10 yrs on the original battery and let go suddenly one day. Think too about the cold winters here.

 

This is another good option as well but cost almost as much as a new battery though it can be carried from one vehicle to the other. We all have AAA but sometimes we just can't wait the 20-30 minutes for a jump start. I usually just replace my batteries after 5 years just to be safe. It's like waiting for my tires to blow up until replacing type of thing.

 

My buddy has something very similar to that. Was very surprised by its cranking ability. We charged it up and he put it on a full sized Expedition (that would only click) it spun that V-8 up like no ones business.

 

I have been using a Harbor Freight "float" charger and at times can hear a noticeable buzz from the transformer connected to the 120 AC, so don't know how well it cuts off after reaching full charge. I do notice the float charger will charge the battery to about 13.10 v. Yes, this is my daily driver and that makes being stranded even more difficult. The reason I say it was the billet grill is because the type I was using had virtually no air getting through.

 

I have one of those HF ones also. I made up a couple sets of quick connects and rotate it back and forth between my ATV and motorcycle.

 

Heat is the biggest killer of batteries. I read somewhere about a study done by Johnson Controls how batteries in warmer climates averages out to shorter lifespan than batteries in colder climate. If you live in a state that sees triple digits, perhaps a battery wrap will help. In my mustang, the battery itself has its own separate compartment to keep it away from engine heat.

 

Yes

 

I like that idea and moving to another location from under the hood, even better.

 

The battery in my '04 Dodge 2500 was 9 years old when I replaced it. The OEM battery was still starting just fine, but I figured it couldn't last much longer. We buy batteries for 74 golf carts at work, every 2 years. So...I have a good working relationship with the battery dealer. They carry (among other brands) Optima. He offered me a free one, so I just couldn't resist! Put the new Optima in, and 2 weeks later, it failed.....and I ended up sitting for 3 hours at our farm until my son could make it up there to jump start my truck.

Moral of the story, I should have just left well enough alone.

 

How about having the battery enclosed in an airtight box, with a vent and when temperatures reach an unhealthy level, the AC will kick on and keep the battery at an optimal temperature.

 

I have one in a tractor that is 11-1/2 years old. From what I have seen, if they're gonna fail, they'll fail in the first few days of use.

Best batteries I've found come from a place I DETEST doing business with.....Duralast from Auto Zone. I think they're the only thing they have in the building that's worth a shit.

BTW, good to hear from ya!

 

I think that would be complicated. Wrapping it or better yet, doing a battery relocation to the bed would probably suffice.

 

Another moral could be "you get what you pay for" , I think sometimes the hassle itself can be worth triple the cost for a replacement.

 

Most of the better car batteries out there comes out of Johnson Controls. Each brand just have their different specification requirements.

 

We're talking about batteries that last 7 to 9 years IN THEIR ORIGINAL LOCATION......Why add 10' of cable, put them in a place that'll probably be in the way of using the bed, and in general, causing more work than it would apparently save? Just sayin'.....I'm leaving mine where it is.

 

Yeah I agree, rethinking it the AC would be running constantly and it wouldn't feasible cost wise, when less costly methods as you describe are available.

 

I was just thinking about vehicles that are in extreme temperatures most of the time, but I agree that for most of us that doesn't apply. Still the wrap is cheap and won't get in the way.

 

That would be an extreme to do battery relocation but lots of folks do it for other reasons.

 

Replace. By that age the thing isn't working at 100% anyway and you've just slowly grown accustomed to the poor performance. ALWAYS carry a spare battery jumper like the one in this thread.

 

The last preemptive change I did was on a 11 year old generic auto-zone battery, I gave it to my neighbor to use in one of his vehicles.