When to replace the battery?

Just had my annual state inspection, and the only thing they could find was that my battery was showing it's age and was in the window for replacement.

When they tested it, they found:

Rated: 710 CCA
Measured: 496 CCA
Basically it's lost ~30% of it's CCAs.

This battery went into my truck in April, 2014, so it's almost 6 years old. The original battery lasted ~6 years too (May 2008 - April 2014). When the original battery died, it was putting out ~15% of it's rated CCAs, so I'm fairly certain this isn't going to die this week...lol

How much longer should I expect to get good service out of this battery, and when should I replace it?

 

Almost 6 years is pretty good out of a replacement battery. For peace of mind I’d replace it anytime so you won’t be stranded.

 

I get nervous when they are older than 5 years, i'd rather change them now than get stuck somewhere

 

6 years old.... I'd replace.

 

You got your money’s worth out of it. It’s time to replace that battery.

 

Yep just go ahead and get a new one.

edited to fix autocorrect lol

 

I don’t get why people hang on to batteries until they fail. When they do fail it’s always some in opportune time or place. Here’s what I do and it’s worked without problems for 40 years. For my car, truck and boat I buy either Costco or Walmart batteries. They are good batteries and nicely priced under $100 depending on the size of the battery. Every one has lasted at least 5 years. I buy a battery, use it for 5 years and replace it when it’s five years old, whether it’s good or not. It’s cheap to do that. For a $90 battery it works out to be $18 a year, or $1.50 a month. Can’t get much cheaper than that. When 5 years is up I get a new battery and don’t have to worry about it failing.
So yes in answer to your question get off your cheap ass and buy a new battery.

 

Wow! They test your battery during your annual state inspection? I’ve never heard that before.

 

I replace them when they die.

Jump it with this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G74CY3K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and drive to Autozone to watch their employee change it for me.

 

I don't trust high schoolers working on my truck

 

I usually replace at 5 years

 

I replace the battery in my wife’s car every 5 years automatically. I do my own about every 6 years. I have, however, seen some batteries in other things I own last far longer due to using battery tenders. Those vehicles don’t get used nearly as much though.

 

Mr. Frugal here I replace when it dies. I do carry jumper cables and have roadside assistance with my auto insurance. If you're concerned about being stranded though I'd do it now.

 

Did it at the Toyota dealer, since they give free state inspections "for life." On the down side, they're checking everything possible in order to sell goods and services. They wanted $171 for a new battery.

 

There's several ways a battery can fail and some are abrupt (like plates shorting) but mostly they slowly age until something makes you finally notice it won't start your engine anymore. It's usually when cold weather hits in the fall that you notice it's too weak.

What these charts are showing are couple of ways to look at it using reserve capacity and CCA or capacity vs years but there's other ways to measure it.





Since we're coming into summer I don't think replacement is critically urgent. But you know it's lost capacity so I'd personally put it on the budget plan this spring or summer. But who knows, it make another year. I like the idea of getting a jump box and testing, but I'm a nerdy engineer so I like data and experimenting.

 

City living may be different, I live in a rural, farm, community. Friends & neighbors all have jumper cables or jump boxes, I've just never thought about replacing a batt., while it was working perfectly. Wally-world does my oil changes every 5K mi. & checks all the usual stuff. They quit rotating my tires, on my "98" Dodge Ram, over a yr. ago cause tread depth was too low, & past 3 oil change tickets had "Replace Batt." written on them. I guess I'll replace it when it quits working. Also, I've had my current 2013 Taco, Reg. cab, 2.7, 4X4, auto for 2 yrs. now. It's always cranked slow, like the batt. was a little weak, but it's never failed. Do the starters, on the 2.7 eng's., just not whip the eng. over as fast as others, or may I have a batt. or starter getting weak?

 

I'd replace it this week. Seriously. When mine finally died, I was in a Wal Mart parking lot. I bought a new one and had it swapped out in about 20 minutes.
Luckily, we weren't way out in the country somewhere. My wife likes to find and explore old grave yards and we do a lot of back roading.
The next day, I put a decent tool kit in my truck too.

 

If your new truck and original battery spent much time on the dealership lot I'd replace it. The "drain until dead and then charge with a 50(+) amp power jump starter" that the dealerships do, are very hard on batteries. We bought my wife's '11 Chevy Equinox off the truck and I replaced the battery at 9 years just to be safe. This is in north west Il. for 6 years and 3 in north east IA.

 

Man, you guys are lucky to get 5 years. Most I ever got was 3 years life from any battery for my Tacoma. I’m on my 4th one right now

 

I've seen batteries last 10 years, and others 10 months. It can be hard to predict. In the past I've replaced mine when the truck seems to take longer to start or maybe even need to be jumped off once. In addition to my Tacoma I have a 2014 F150. I had planned to replace it in February even though it wasn't showing any signs of going bad.

But on Jan. 5 I was in South Carolina, right at dark, 8 hours from home 5 miles down a dirt road when my truck wouldn't start. NOTHING. Wouldn't even turn over with jumper cables from a friends truck. I stayed with the truck and started removing the old battery while my wife rode with our friends and found the only parts store still open on a Sunday night. By the time I got a new battery installed it was too late to try to drive home as originally planned. I not only paid $30-$40 more for a battery it cost me an extra night in a hotel room.

This one completely died with no warning signs. I had the right idea, but should have done it a month sooner, before the trip to South Carolina.