Monday 17 October 2011

How long does the average car battery last?

I own a car and have had it for 2 years. It has about 55,000 kilometers on it and I was wondering how long does an average battery last, and should a change mine soon before it dies.... also I bought my car with 8,000 kilometers on it and as far as i know it's the original battery??How long does the average car battery last?It really can vary quite a bit. It's not so much mileage (kilometerage?) as age and other factors that have an effect. A battery with a higher CCA (cold cranking amps) and Amp/Hour rating will usually last longer than one with lower specs, everything else being equal. And of course, other things aren't equal. Cold weather places a lot of stress on a battery (CCA is lower, the colder it gets), but from what I hear, very hot weather (like Arizona) is hard on them too. If you leave the lights on long enough to need a jump a few times will shorten the life of a battery. Under or overcharging because of a faulty Alternator or Voltage Regulator can kill a battery.



The best way to judge the health of a battery is with a load test. A certain amount of Amperage (based on it's CCA) is drawn from a battery for 15 seconds, and the voltage should not go below 9.6 on a battery with a full charge.



I live up north, and my 7 year old battery started my Van last winter one night, after sitting out in minus 25 degree F weather overnight, without the heater plugged in. That's cranking over a 350 Chevy V8, with a carburetor. But it's a pretty good battery. A Duralast Gold (Autozone), that's rated at 850 CCA.
How long does the average car battery last?
It depends on a lot of things.



Quality of the battery, if the battery has been maintained (some require you to top it up with purified water), if you have stereos and amplifiers drawing extra power from them and the quality of your altenator.



I imagine if you can 5 years out of it, it's probably time to replace it, more as peace of mind rather than requirement. You can probably get more, but I wouldn't risk it unless it was a heavy duty battery (such as one used for 4x4 vehicles and cars with competition level sound systems).
How long does the average car battery last?
I'd expect them to last at least 5. When I sold my old car, the battery was 7 years-old and it worked fine. I replaced the battery in my current car when it failed after 6 years.
Anywhere from 2 to 6 years. ... Trade Secret...You can easily tell when its going bad just pry of the cell covers and if you see ANY black scum , it means this cell is on the way out
3-5 years is the norm. Have it load tested somewhere and get an idea how it stands compared to its specs!



Good Luck!
two to three years but ive had them over 5 once in awhile