How long will my battery last?

I have a 2000 with the original battery still (4 1/2 years). I drive my car all year long so it's not sitting at all. Just wondering if I should be pro-active and change it now so I can avoid getting stuck becaues this would be the time period it would go considering the age and heading into winter...

Reply to
Scott Streeter
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*shrug* I have a 97 with the original battery, and it starts up just fine!

I've never in my life had a car with a factory battery last more than 2 yrs. These things are AMAZING!

Reply to
Chief_Wiggum

It's not like it's going to fail suddenly without notice (at least my car batteries never have). Pay attention on cold mornings. If you notice it's starting to crank slower every week, then get a new one.

Reply to
Grant Edwards

I believe my first one crapped out after about five years. I changed the second one out at about that time as my daughter was taking the car to school and I didn't want this to be a problem. Third one is a Wesco and it's been fine; first two were Panasonics. Amazing life for a battery!

Ken

Reply to
KWS

I replaced the original battery in my '91 B a year ago. I bought the car new in Sept. '91. Hmmm....

12 years and 2 months on the original battery!!!!!! I too had considered a pro-active change, as recommended by Miata magazine, but never having had any problems with it, I left it in there. Glad I did.

I've heard there are still some '90s out there running around with the original battery. Mine was getting awfully slow turning over the starter that last winter before I changed it, and I had put a 500 mah trickle charger on it a few times overnite. I probably could have gotten another winter out of it with the charger, but did not want to bother with that again.

Mine was the Panasonic AGM battery. If yours is an AGM, I would say to leave it as long as it will turn your starter over. -Rod

Reply to
Rod

I've had batteries work on the ride to work and then just be dead to go home so it has happened suddenly. From what others have said here though I don't think I'm going to worry about it. Thanks all.

Reply to
Scott Streeter

Sudden failures are possible if something just plain mechanically breaks. In my experience "wearing out" is usually a pretty gradual process.

Reply to
Grant Edwards

Well I have had batties "suddenly die". Just becaues it's never happened to you doesn't mean it never happens.

Reply to
Scott Streeter

ME TOO! Larry HIll

Reply to
Larry Hill

No doubt. I've had batteries die suddenly as well, BUT they were usually traditional lead / acid batteries. If a cell (or 2) runs dry, or low, or the battery gets a good jar, the plates can break / arc. The Panasonic is an AGM battery, and I *believe* they are much more robust / predictable.

Using my jetskis as an example... I have an Odyssey AGM battery that I bough in 1996 when the ski was new... Still works GREAT to this day. In contrast, I cheaped out on my other ski, and I get about 2 seasons out of the lead acid batteries. *shrug*

Reply to
Chief_Wiggum

If it is manual, you can always push start it, unless the battery is completely toast. I haven't had to push start my Miata, but the '66 Chevy full sized pick up was push started for 3 years during college. (when a battery cost as much as 4 cases of beer!) (Actually, I learned to park on hills.)

Joe

Reply to
Joe

Of course it's a manual! :)

Reply to
Scott Streeter

No big deal to it:

1) Stop car as far as possible behind car in front in case they back up a little while driving away. The car behind you cannot hurt you.

2) Always turn steer straight when parking on a hill, to avoid long periods of sideways stress on critical steering components.

3) Do not use the manual brake since brakes may be very hot driving hilly area, potentially causing the manual brake to stick.

4) Put gear shift in 5th to have the highest drag on the engine.

5) Lock the doors so that kids cannot get in and knock it out of gear.

6) After the car has stood for an elongated period parked on a hill, grasp the side and shake it back and forward as hard as you can. This stirs the oil, which has collected in a corner of the crank case, reducing start-up wear.

It is surprising how many people here in Florida do not know how to park on a hill.

Leon

Reply to
Leon van Dommelen

I grew up in Connecticut where car batteries would usually go end of life during the winter. This happens because the stress on the battery in cold weather is twofold: 1. the chemistry doesn't work near as well when you reduce the temperature and 2. because oil is thicker it takes more amps for the starter to turn the engine over. These factors conspire to create that "whur, whurrrr, wwwhhhhhrrrrrrr response that someone pointed out is indicative of a battery leaving the autotorium (...note the "auto".....). When this happens, you should seriously consider changing out the battery before it leaves you stranded, or not do so at your risk.

Then we moved to the Sonora Desert.

In Phoenix, the battery end of life notification rules change drastically. I believe what happens is that conductive crud from the battery plates fills up that space between the floor of the battery and the bottom of the plates. Eventually, you get some cell discharge via this path (as opposed to supplying the juice where it's needed in your car via the output terminals). This is what happens in Connecticut as well, but with one significant difference. In hot climates, the effects of poor chemical reaction with temperature and stiff engines aren't there. As a result: one moment you are driving with what appears to be an absolutely OK battery, you stop the car to observe the scenery, get back in the car and try to start it and, " ". That's right....nothing. No wwwwwhhhhhrrrrrrrrr, maybe a "click, click" as the solenoid attempts to initiate activity where none is to be found. Life one moment; death the next.

Ken

Reply to
KWS

I have a 1990, which I bought more than six years ago. I have never changed the battery, which shows no sign of wear whatsoever. The battery is a Mazda one, and I even wonder whether it could be the original equipment. I intend to go on using this battery until a problem develops. I would think you should do likewise. Perhaps because the batteries are in the trunk, and are operating at a lower temperature than those in the engine compartment, they last longer.

Reply to
Kenneth S.

Reply to
chuckk

I believe first gear is a safer bet when parked on hills... It is much easier to break the car from it's stand still in a high gear than lower. Think about it, how many revolutions does the engine have to turn at 5mph when in first as compared to fifth gear?

Reply to
Bryan

Congratulations - You've been bit by our resident troll/moron. I've found a real good rule of thumb for dealing with anything this self-proclaimed humorist has to say: Do *EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE* in every detail.

Not sure if he's TRYING to get somebody hurt/killed with his dipshit "advice", if he's actually stupid enough to think that he's being funny, or if he's just completely clueless, but it's clear that whatever the case is, he's got nothing absolutely useful to say on any topic that has anything to do with "the right way to do something."

Reply to
Don Bruder

I can't tell if this is supposed to be a joke, or if the poster is serious ????

the ONLY piece of parking advice that makes any sense is 5! Everything else is not only stupid, but in many areas will earn you a PARKING TICKET!!!

DO NOT FOLLOW THIS ADVICE!!! you could kill someone (or worse ) wreck your Miata!!!!

Reply to
Chief_Wiggum

Hah! After everyone's, uhm, concern about hill parking... I live in Indiana, so what I call a hill, isn't. Actually, the '66 full sized, heavy as hell truck didn't have parking brakes (no cable), and hardly had standard brakes (no pads) when I got it. I did leave it in 1st and on more than one occasion found it somewhere other than where I'd left it. (there is a dent in Dad's barn still) The doors didn't lock, the transmission linkage was so bad, only one other guy was even able to get it into a gear at school. There was no column lock, so parking with the wheels turned to the curb wouldn't have been a real deterent anyway.

It had 2 1/2 seat belts, but they we just bolted to the rusted out floor pan, so I didn't recommend there use.

I drove 3 hrs to school. I'd have to stop half way and add oil, so it was not only a danger to my self and everyone else on the road (and in the parking lot), but also the environement.

The truck has been retired. Joe

Reply to
Joe

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