New battery or no new battery?

[Jocko]

My battery is coming up for 5 years old, and I am contemplating whether to replace it or not. I know that the consensus is that you are best to replace a battery after 5 years, but my battery shows no signs of deterioration. The car cranks over quickly, even on the coldest of mornings, there are no "funnies" occurring with the electrical systems, power steering feels normal, and the lights are bright and don't dim when braking or when the rear screen is switched on.
So what do I do? What would you do? New battery or no new battery?

[sparky Paul]

No. I don't replace a battery until it shows the first signs of failure, usually on the morning after the first frost.

Aftermarket batteries sometimes wouldn't last even 5 years in the past, but these days, with improved battery technology, and better charging regulation on cars, you can usually get 6-8 years out of a good quality battery before you have any trouble.

Of course, it depends upon your aversion to being stuck somewhere, but batteries rarely fail without giving you some warning.

[hemming]

I wouldn't bother without some positive reason especially if you have breakdown assistance and are thinking of selling it soon anyway.

[culzean]

My battery is coming up for 5 years old, and I am contemplating whether to replace it or not. I know that the consensus is that you are best to replace a battery after 5 years, but my battery shows no signs of deterioration. The car cranks over quickly, even on the coldest of mornings, there are no "funnies" occurring with the electrical systems, power steering feels normal, and the lights are bright and don't dim when braking or when the rear screen is switched on.
So what do I do? What would you do? New battery or no new battery?

At less than £50 for a Yuasa Silver from Tayna ( 20p a week ) why risk it.  Batteries deteriorate a a pretty uniform rate and people are always surprised how more quickly the engine turns over when a new battery fitted.  The intercell welds in batteries rarely fail these days due to better equipment and QC and the plates no longer short out at the bottom because each individual plate is in a pocket that is closed at the sides and bottom ( the plates shed material during charge and discharge),  when the plate separators were open at the bottom the material used to build up a layer in the bottom of the cell which could short out the plates, so sudden failure is very rare.  But the built in failure mode of every battery is so slow and insidious that it goes unnoticed.  The battery is probably the number one call out ( or punctures these days ) for roadside emergency services.

[ColinS]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[culzean]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Batteries do have a finite life and should be considered a consumable like a filter. It isn't as though it is a hugely expensive item.  Various qualities of batteries come with 3, 4 or 5 year warranty, although you can pay a lot of money for one with a 'lifetime warranty' ( the lifetime of what is questionable, is it your lifetime, the life of the car or what ).  One hot spell in summer can reduce battery output and life considerably - it is heat and depth of discharge that kills batteries,  cold weather just the straw on the camels back.  The battery is even more important if you have a CVT or auto box because you cannot 'bump' start them, and even towing them with driving wheels on the road is not advisable. The cars today have such a lot of stuff in them that runs on electricity it is foolish to skimp on such an important part as the battery.  When I fit a new battery I always stick a label on with the date it was fitted to remind me or some future owner how old it is.  Batteries do have the manufactured date embossed on them often on the side where it is difficult to see, and it is normally coded date, not straightforward like on a tyre with week number and year.

Bear in mind electric steering demand alone can be 60 amps......

https://www.carbibles.com/car-battery-life/

[ColinS]

I don't replace a battery until it shows the first signs of failure.

[John Ratsey]

Given that the battery in question is in a vehicle used on a daily basis I would expect it to be in much better health than a battery in a vehicle with intermittent usage.

[Jocko]

Given that the battery in question is in a vehicle used on a daily basis I would expect it to be in much better health than a battery in a vehicle with intermittent usage.

And living in Scotland we don't get a "hot spell" in summer. We don't even get a summer.

[culzean]

I don't replace a battery until it shows the first signs of failure.

What are the first signs of failure, power steering a bit sluggish, headlights dimming when you turn heated screen on ? - another poster on here had his battery fail on the road and was charged an exorbitant  price by the AA for what amounted for a smaller capacity discontinued battery, he could have bought a much better, larger capacity battery for about 40% of what he paid.  Failing to do fairy obvious maintenance leaves you at the mercy of others.... and it is so easy to replace a battery.  I will be replacing the 5 year old, well looked after battery on my motorbike come spring,  confident in the knowledge it should not give me any problems in next 5 years.   Even a Yuasa AGM battery for a motorbike only comes with 1 year warranty ( try finding any motorbike battery that has a battery longer than 1 year, except the ultra expensive Li-on type ).

Keeping a good battery on the car can also give alternator a easier time,  as they age batteries lose the capacity to both absorb power and release it ( internal resistance rises ).

[TnTkr]

I'd keep it until it shows some signs. I'd rather invest on simple resistor-type battery tester than buy a new battery maybe 3-5 years before actually needed.

I just replaced the battery on my wife's CR-V. The battery was replaced by previous owner, so it was more than 7 years old. I noticed that it failed to start the car after it had been ignition on but engine not runnign for something like five minutes. I connected the battery charger for an hour and wife used the car one more week without problems until I got the new battery installed.

[MicktheMonster]

If it gets you through the winter, it'll get you through the summer (even a Scottish one)

[Si Crewe]

If the battery isn't showing signs of failure, but you're determined to spend some money, I'd suggest buying a "booster battery" pack.

That way, if your car battery does start to struggle you'll be able to use the booster battery to start the car and it'll give you an extra gadget which might come in handy in future - for your own car or to assist others.

In my experience, batteries have a much easier life in petrol cars than diesels due to the lower compression ratio.
In a diesel you can find yourself in a situation where the car will start every frosty morning for months and then it'll suddenly give up the ghost.
In a petrol engine, it's much easier for the starter to turn over the engine and there's a spark to help it burst into life so there's plenty of time to notice things such as the lights dimming when you crank up the AC before the battery deteriorates to the point where it can't start the vehicle.

FWIW, the battery currently in my Jazz was made in 2008. 

[culzean]

I really cannot see the point for £50 of waiting for something to fail...   'Living on borrowed time' is the phrase for a battery, but then if you like a gamble - why not.  I have never had a battery booster and never needed one, never needed  jump start either - but have helped others with jump starts.

[UKjim]

Always been an advocate of preventative maintenance so I side with culzean, if funds are available I would change it.


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