How long does your car battery usually last?

Batteries show their life time, just read it. They no long start to fail rather now they just fail all at once so keep tabs on when you bought them. The more you pay the longer their life.
 

When I travelled in the good old days (of the 6 volt batteries) in weather extremes down to -30 F in Minnesota. In order to make sure the car started the next day, I would remove the battery and bring it into the motel to keep it warm. It never failed.

Many cars in the parking garage would not start in those extreme temperatures.

Batteries in a temperate zone should last years beyond the warranty. Even a battery that is on it's last legs can have enough juice to start a car.
I used to bring my bike into my motel room, when I did winter camping, until I got to my site, usually a state park, and then on the way back home. I got some strange looks, but I never failed to fire that puppy up. I did use a lot of newspaper, to keep things clean, in the room. At the parks, I'd keep my bike in a restroom. I was usually the only camper, onsite. Rangers only hassled me, once, at Dinosaur Valley. Looking back, I can't believe that I rode on snow and ice, and I'm still around.
 

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I highly recommend you get the alternator output checked. That should not happen at 14000 miles. It may be overcharging which is really bad for a battery.

I checked the charging system before replacing the battery . Both the alternator and starter were within the specs according to the Chilton manual.
 
All I know is that here they used to put the life of the battery right on top of it. Mine have lasted varying times. I had bad ones once, too, that only lasted a year. Someone told me they must have not been good batteries and that's why they didn't last long. The one I have now has been going for about 3 or 4 years, knock on wood! It cost me enough for it, too. I think you have to pay more for a good one. Don't know much about short trips not making it last because that is all I do and have done for years.
 
I used to like the meter on the old cars. The needle would tell you the state of the charging system. Now you just get a red light.

I agree....my old Dodge pickup has a "meter" which always shows about 14 volts when running. Every couple of months I check the Chevy with a voltmeter to see that the alternator is putting out 14 volts.
When buying a new battery, the most important "specifications" are the CCA...cold cranking amps, and the length of warranty. "Economy" batteries, which run about $100, generally have a 2 yr. warranty, and perhaps 650CCA. The good batteries will have a 5 yr. warranty, and put out 850CCA, or more, and cost perhaps $150. Given that the premium batteries last 2 or 3 times as long, they are the cheaper items, over the long term, if a person expects to keep their vehicle for more than 2 or 3 years.
 
My car (2014) has a volt meter built into the electronics that display on the dashboard. I can select that, or tire pressure, or oil life, or miles to empty, or speed limit, or etc. That said, once cold weather gets here I'll be buying a new battery. AFAIK it still has the original battery, and at 5 years or more, it's time
 
My car (2014) has a volt meter built into the electronics that display on the dashboard. I can select that, or tire pressure, or oil life, or miles to empty, or speed limit, or etc. That said, once cold weather gets here I'll be buying a new battery. AFAIK it still has the original battery, and at 5 years or more, it's time
Yes. Winter time needs a good battery or you will be grinding it out with the old one.
 
I went through 3 in exactly 10 years with my Honda Accord and am now on number 4. So that's an average of 40 months each. It's one of the few things I don't like about this vehicle. The 4 cylinder Hondas come with this diminutive little battery about 1/2 the size of the one that comes with the 6 cylinder model. I wanted to have the bigger battery put in, but of course it won't fit because the brackets that hold it are not the same and the Honda dealer does not carry the parts to change out the brackets so they have to be special ordered and they are ridiculosly overpriced anyway. What a PITA. So I keep getting my batteries from the Honda dealer because they come with a 100 month limited warranty. But even that's a weasel deal because when your first battery dies you get a decent discount from the warranty, but that replacement battery does not get a new 100 months. It only gets what's left of the original warranty. So when it goes out at 40 months you are at 80 months and your discount is only a pittance which isn't worth using. Plus if you do, all you get is a limited warrenty with 20 months left. When I say limited, that means full replacement for the first 36 months, and after that you just get a pro-rated discount. (the batteries last an average of 40 months, see how that works?). Anyway I paid full price for the one that I have now this past February, so I have a new 100 month warrenty on that.

I shopped around a little bit by phone and I found that I could get a significantly cheaper replacement at this place, I forget the name, but it was something like "Bubba's Discount Battery Warehouse" but it was only rated at 450 cold cranking ampsonly came with an 18 month full replacement warrenty, which would presumably only be good at Bubba's, if he was still in business by then. So went went with Honda's over priced battery which is rated at 500 cold cranking amps and has the 36 month full replacement deal that would be good at any Honda place anywhere.
 
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I went through 3 in exactly 10 years with my Honda Accord and am now on number 4. So that's an average of 40 months each. It's one of the few things I don't like about this vehicle. The 4 cylinder Hondas come with this diminutive little battery about 1/2 the size of the one that comes with the 6 cylinder model. I wanted to have the bigger battery put in, but of course it won't fit because the brackets that hold it are not the same and the Honda dealer does not carry the parts to change out the brackets so they have to be special ordered and they are ridiculosly overpriced anyway. What a PITA. So I keep getting my batteries from the Honda dealer because they come with a 100 month limited warranty. But even that's a weasel deal because when your first battery dies you get a decent discount from the warranty, but that replacement battery does not get a new 100 months. It only gets what's left of the original warranty. So when it goes out at 40 months you are at 80 months and your discount is only a pittance which isn't worth using. Plus if you do, all you get is a limited warrenty with 20 months left. When I say limited, that means full replacement for the first 36 months, and after that you just get a pro-rated discount. (the batteries last an average of 40 months, see how that works?). Anyway I paid full price for the one that I have now this past February, so I have a new 100 month warrenty on that.

I shopped around a little bit by phone and I found that I could get a significantly cheaper replacement at this place, I forget the name, but it was something like "Bubba's Discount Battery Warehouse" but it was only rated at 450 cold cranking ampsonly came with an 18 month full replacement warrenty, which would presumably only be good at Bubba's, if he was still in business by then. So went went with Honda's over priced battery which is rated at 500 cold cranking amps and has the 36 month full replacement deal that would be good at any Honda place anywhere.
You made a good move. The extra money will pay for itself over the years in satisfaction.
 


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