Replace low milage Acura's car battery?

My Acura 3.2 TL will be 5 years old in November. It still has the original car battery. I expect the car to have only 18K miles on it by November. (I work at home and spend lots of time on the computer)

Do I need to replace the battery at the 5 year mark due to the age, or can I expect to get a few more years out of it due to low mileage? I live in Northern NJ.

Thanks,

J.

Reply to
Jay-n-123
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If you were in TEXAS, you would have already replaced it. Many battery shops will let you watch as they put a dynamic load (for free) on the battery and it will give you a good idea whether you'll get a year or two more... And if they are honest, they will know based on the make / model / age of the battery.

'Curly'

Reply to
motsco_

motsco_ wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

If he can access the cells,I'd check the electrolyte levels and top off with distilled water. Many dead batteries are dead because the electrolyte evaporated/boiled off,and the cell/s went dry or too low.

Reply to
Jim Yanik

I'm certainly no environmentalist, but it doesn't seem responsible to dispose of a battery that still functions. It's not that big a deal if it dies. They take about 15 min to swap. MZ

Reply to
MZ

Although - having a non-starting battery is always a frustrating situation. The ideal time is just before it gets to that stage....

Mike

"Tighten until it strips, then back off 1/4 turn."

Reply to
Michael Pardee

"Jay-n-123" wrote in news:LfI2i.40083$145.24921@trnddc02:

So long as cranking speed stays the same, you can leave the original battery in place. Once you notice cranking getting a bit slower, then it's time to replace.

Another sign of a failing battery is headlights that dim noticeably when idling, and brighten noticeably when you rev the engine.

Reply to
Tegger

"MZ" wrote in news:464ba2e3$0$4055$ snipped-for-privacy@news.aliant.net:

It's a big deal if it dies and leaves you stuck somewhere. Especially in the winter.

Lead acid auto batteries are recycled,anyways. I saw an ad in the paper recently,some place was offering money for old auto batteries.

Reply to
Jim Yanik

I live in WI, but I don't think it matters where you are. Both heat & cold place a strain on batteries.

I have a simple rule: I don't care what kind of car or battery, I replace the battery every 4 years. I don't have it tested, because I don't care how much longer it will last.

Battery failure increases dramatically after about 4-5 years. I don't want the hassle of having the battery fail on the coldest/hottest day of the year.

Reply to
Oldtimer

Memories... on the hottest day recorded in Phoenix I went to my car to go home from work. The temperature was still at its peak of 122F (50C), and when I hit the starter there was a "pop!" A rising wisp of vapor told me what happened to my battery :-(

Mike

Reply to
Michael Pardee

No, you don't need to automatically replace the battery. How is the car stored? If it is spending most of it's time in an attached garage and gets driven for at least one 1/2 hour or more trip a couple times per month the battery could last a long, long time.

Lots of variables. Personally I change out a battery when I notice that the car isn't cranking over with it's normal vigor. I am very sensitive to a car's sounds, and generally can hear when the starter doesn't have it's "normal" sound.

Two things seem to kill batteries most often:

1) Heat. Hot climates are very hard on batteries. 2) Deep discharge. Take a brand new battery and leave the car lights on for 24 hours, repeat. Do this a few times and the battery will fail to hold a charge.

John

Reply to
John Horner

It all depends on the circumstances of when it dies. 3 AM on a winter morning when trying to get home from a second shift stint at work isn't the same thing as 10AM on a pleasant Saturday morning of relaxing at home. When and where makes all the difference!

Reply to
John Horner

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