2001 Cabrio - how long will factory battery last?

Depends on your location sometimes along with how the battery gets abused/used.

I have seen some batteries last 11 years even in Chicago, and others last only 3.

Your battery will tell you when it is bad............trust me! lol BTW the dealer battery is usually a maintenance type of battery, so you need to check the cells for liquid.

I would change it. It's cheap. If you don't, carry jumper cables.

It'll last until that one time that you absolutely must use your car ... right now. At that time it will quit without any prior warning.

One problem with modern cars is they expect a certain voltage for the electronics to work. Push starting like you could do on an old car with points and a condensor does not work so swell. I replaced my battery the first time I noticed the starter rpms drop on a cold day.

Any good auto parts store has a battery load tester but I would be expect>It'll last until that one time that you absolutely must use your car ...

You are WAY due for a new battery.... what's your mileage? Obviously charge / discharge cycles affect the longevity.

Wes

We just had to change both batteries on a 1999 Eurovan Camper with ~70,000 miles in May of this year - they were OEM by the date-codes. One day (a warm spring day, as it happened), they both just quit. Together. And entirely without warning. And I had maintained the fluids in both of them.

Luckily, it was on the Saturday morning the week *before* we were leaving for a long trip. Not when we were in the back-country out of cell-phone range and on scarcely traveled roads. Yes, we do carry jumper cables, but the kindness of strangers is not guaranteed in these days of sensitive automotive electronics.

Still, 9 years is not bad for a set of batteries.

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

Thanks everyone for your advice and experiences. Car only has 33,000 on it. Springtime will see a new battery purchased.

Thx, Jim

If you are in a cold climate, I predict January or February.

You must live in a mild climate. Heat and cold are equal enemies of the battery.