How Long Do You Trust An Older Battery, Even If It Tests Good?

[turnerbend]

Other posts have you covered on the jump starting issue.

Nine years on a car/truck battery is so long, I'd bet you're living on borrowed time. I've never had one last that long in any of my vehicles. I would take it into an auto parts store or dealership where most will do a load test for free. Dealership will probably try to sell you a new battery based on its age. Auto parts supply stores should be pretty straight shooters.

Had the truck in for service at Ford motor company about 6 weeks ago and
they did a battery load test and said the battery was find. I do carry a booster battery just in case.

 

[Hoople]

I bought a new F 150 crew in 2003 and still have the same battery (9 years) just waiting for it to die. No problems as of now.

Had the truck in for service at Ford motor company about 6 weeks ago and
they did a battery load test and said the battery was find.

I am amazed that is what they told you. It is near physically impossible for a 9 year old flooded wet cell battery to have the same amp/hr capacity as it did when it was new. If Ford (MotorCraft) could duplicate that occurrence at will, they could stop building cars, go only into the battery business and make more money than they do now. I have been alive for 1/2 a century and never has seen anything like that.

Buy a PowerBall ticket. You having a Good luck streak.

 

[Jack Klarich]

Rare , I have seen Die Hards hold voltage after 6 years but load testing and Hygrometer testing proved other wise

 

[glider]

I am amazed that is what they told you. It is near physically impossible for a 9 year old flooded wet cell battery to have the same amp/hr capacity as it did when it was new. If Ford (MotorCraft) could duplicate that occurrence at will, they could stop building cars, go only into the battery business and make more money than they do now. I have been alive for 1/2 a century and never has seen anything like that.

Buy a PowerBall ticket. You having a Good luck streak.

Hoop, I agree with you, they probably turned the key and the car started and that was the extent of the battery testing if they are like some other dealers.

 

[kemo]

I replaced the battery in the bike today with another Deka, the old one was 41/2 years old and it was starting to have a grunt in the mornings and hot cranking was getting weak. The new Deka has 400cca and the old one was only 365cca. The indy shop here in Ocala (Gibsons Kustoms) did me right when I bought the stator and rotor and regulator and they gave me the best price on the battery, almost the same as ebay starting price. I payed $126. 74 tax in for the battery and no trade in.
Ken

 

[BUBBIE]

The only GOOD Lived battery I ever had was the one in my 97 FXDS.

When I sold the bike to a friend, I allowed 50$ toward the New Battery I THOUGHT it needed soon (3 yrs old)...

5 years later I asked How the bike and the battery was holding up..

ORIGINAL gel battery was doing just fine...:newsmile03:

I asked Jokingly for my 50$ back and he said " :tounge"...

Now had I kept the bike , the battery would of shirley have gone bad.
I never go more than TWO years feeling comfortable out of a HD battery and IF I get 3 yrs. I soon REPLACE regardless

signed....BUBBIE

 

[R_W_B]

I had an Original AC Delco in my wife's Chevy Trailblazer last 7-1/2 yrs. That's the longest I ever had one last. However if you have a voltmeter you can trust, keeping an eye on that can make it less risky.

But once they get so old a plate can short out at anytime. It just takes a change of temp or the right time and it will lay down on you.

 

[pigrider]

I usually try to replace my batteries after about 4 years, bike and cages both. When I turn the core in at the HD dealer or the parts store for the cages I tell them how old the batery is and that it's given me no trouble but just changing out due to age and ask them if they would hold it on the side for someone that might need one to just get by till then can afford a new battery. The times I've done this I've gotten positive response from the sales people, now whether they've followed thru with it or not I couldn't say.

 

[kemo]

I wouldn't really depend on a volt meter to give a reliable estimate of battery state, that will just give you the surface charge, you need a load tester that you can discharge a battery and see how good it recovers. I have had batteries that will test good for volts but they wouldn't light a bulb.
Ken

 

[Wayne R]

4-5 years