When to replace original battery?

Sorry bro, my bad.

 

This doesn't jive with your original statement. For 2 reasons you are assuming a shade tree or homeowner would know how to properly use, diagnose, understand what they are looking at with the multimeter and load tester and 2 you said they could be just as good in the hands of someone who knows what their looking at which goes back to 1. Plus why buy one when you can run down and get them tested for free at most places. Hell a lot of shops do it as part of their oil change service.

You are right that the load tester would of found the batt. to be weak because it's testing CCAs. I could have done the same thing with a multimeter killing the ignition and cranking with the starter.

I get what you are saying though is there is more than one way to skin a cat and sometimes simple works just as well.

 

It's ok when people were saying they replaced theirs after 3 yrs or whatever I thought their batt. were older because they had a 2nd gen I am just use to my old girl being 13 yrs old now. My maths wasn't so good with the guys who had '15 I though for sure their batt. were older.

You got some good use out of yours though. And you are correct batt. tend to like moderate temps more so than what we get here in NC. The summer kills the batteries then they leave someone stranded in the winter so everyone thinks the winter is what kills them.

 

Went back and looked at my first post and realized I said "the best way to test general health of a battery is to use a load meter/load tester to see how it actually performs when under a load..."

I suppose what I really meant was the best/easiest/most accessible to the average homeowner or shade tree is the load tester and multi meter. Perhaps I did add to the confusion here in my sloppy language. I don't see anywhere that I said they are as good a computerized testers and didn't mean to imply as much.

I prefer to test things at home because I enjoy it, and I have a serious trust issue with people that control the test also selling me the replacement when the test fails. They have more reward from failed tests than passed ones. What can I say, I've got trust issues.

Anyway the home tests are pretty accessible, it's not rocket surgery. I've seen people do some pretty wild stuff with their trucks on this forum that are just shade trees. Most folks here seem to prefer to roll their own and DIY when possible so I guess I assume that from the start.

I can do a load test as you describe too, which basically just uses the starter as your load instead of the heating element in the toaster tester and the multi meter as the gauge (as I understand it anyway... keep in mind I'm an amateur). This is not stuff beyond home jobbers that are interested in knowing. But that's more fiddly than the load tester which is really simple to use.

Anyway I wasn't trying to start a pissing match with you, diss mechanics or high quality testing, or stir the pot. You're right what I was trying to do was simply say there are some pretty easy and inexpensive ways to do some battery testing right at home. Yes, there's some stuff those tests won't catch, but they'll catch most normal stuff that's bad or on its last leg on conventional lead acid batteries.

Best to everybody!

 

No worries being in the industry though and people reading stuff like that it tends to add to more confusion for customers and that can get even more annoying to try and explain or show. I understand the trust issue thing it's an uphill battle fought all the time due to scam artists and such. I do think it's good for people to understand and know a basics of how their car works and be more informed of this because it'll help them out.

 

Something I never thought about is the effect of vibration on battery life. Like you mentioned things like offroading or washboard/potholed roads take its toll of the cells of a battery and over time can cause shorts.

 

I've seen one rupture before from being banged around pretty nasty situation.

 

Everstart maxx from Walmart is what ive used going on 4 years now and still cranking my truck. Plus Walmart is EVERYWHERE! So i can exchange it ANYWHERE! Even at 2am lol

 

I ended up getting a Gel packed battery .. to absorb and protect cells.

 

That's why I ended up ordering a AGM, they are supposed to be something like 40X more vibration resistant. We will see. 5 year full replacement warranty so I wont have to think about it for a while at least.

 

My 15 was slow to crank in a matter of a few days. Replaced it with a Duracell platinum.

 

For the amount you probably spent on that battery it better cook you breakfast too!

 

Eh, truck is long since paid off, I can afford to spoil her.

 

It's Xmas! Santa hooked her up

 

Try maintaining your battery first,by keeping it clean.

 

I looked at the GB. Maybe was looking at the chart wrong but $300+ for a battery? I can get a 3 year at Sam's for about $100. Is the NS really that good?

 

Toyota wanted to sell me a new battery at my last oil change for about $135. They showed me this chart that was kind of interesting...

 

I bought a ctek smart charger, I top it off about every 4 months overnight. If my battery does die,at least I can charge it up enough to get me one way to the auto parts store from home.

 

Interesting graphic. On Long Island , we are in the green 4.4 to 4.6 year band. I can say that that time frame has been very true across quite a few car and battery brands I have had. Of course there are exceptions but for the most part after four years and following a hot summer you will probably have a dead battery come the first or second cold snap.

 

Just replaced the original starter and battery on my 12' last week.