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How Long Will my Battery Last?

vlvman

vlvman

New member
Joined
Mar 31, 2009
Location
Jefferson City, MO
Original battery in my 04 S60. Will it last two more years? Should I go buy a new Interstate now before it gets much colder? The battery is in the trunk away from the engine heat.

I am thinking it will last two more years. What do you think?
 
The interstate in my car was made in 1998, and is still going strong, starts car fine in cold weather (although it doesn't get that cold here) plus I have lots of extra lights and a big sound system to stress it a bit more.. They can last a long time
 
Manufacturer batteries that come in foreign cars from the factory seem to last at least twice as long as the first replacement.
My 2004 V70R battery is still going strong after a life in Oklahoma, and two NE winters, despite being drained dead multiple times.
My 1996 Lexus LX450 truck battery lasted until 2008, I has the Previous owner meticulous dealer records, and the battery looked exactly the same as the manual pics, had LEXUS on the side, and had a 1995 date on it.

I heard a rumor that the reason is that there are many, many rules and regulation/fees/taxes on replacement batteries that are sold separately.
To sell at a customer acceptable price, the quality suffers greatly.
The battery in the imported car skirts these rules as it is part on the vehicle, and is seen differently in the eyes of the law.
A higher quality battery can be installed without upping the price much.
I heard this and never looked into it, could be BS.

As for you S60, buy an optima, charge it up(should be charged from factory, but check anyway) SECURE it in the trunk so it doesn't become a deadly missle in a crash, and store it with the cheap harbor freight tools needed for a quick swap on the roadside when the original fails. Your mileage will suffer a bit, but you'll get better F/R weight distro for the time being.:oogle:

You might make it through the winter and far beyond on the original, and having the charged spare is great as it gives you an instant out if you find your battery is dead in the middle of nowhere.
 
FACTORY BATTERY for as long as it will serve....
INTERSTATE first *best* option for replacement
(we sell AC Delco "pro series" batteries at the shop and they run a close second to
interstates IM *NOT-SO* HO...I *do sell'em so I gotta go w/the program*)

I STRONGLY recommend the BIGGEST battery that will fit in the hole, the battery with
the largest RESERVE CAPACITY available in that size, and the FRESHEST "production
date".....do these three things and you'll be happy...

here is the "Screed" that I point people to for battery info:
http://www.batterystuff.com/kb/articles/battery-articles/battery-basics.html
 
TrickMick said:
FACTORY BATTERY for as long as it will serve....
INTERSTATE first *best* option for replacement
(we sell AC Delco "pro series" batteries at the shop and they run a close second to
interstates IM *NOT-SO* HO...I *do sell'em so I gotta go w/the program*)

I STRONGLY recommend the BIGGEST battery that will fit in the hole, the battery with
the largest RESERVE CAPACITY available in that size, and the FRESHEST "production
date".....do these three things and you'll be happy...

here is the "Screed" that I point people to for battery info:
http://www.batterystuff.com/kb/articles/battery-articles/battery-basics.html
Click to expand...

What do you think of Optima?
 
Im surprised it lasted more than 2 years if its the original battery. All the starting, stopping, and waiting from the time the car was built until it was finally sold seemed to play hell on the original Volvo batteries.

While I have seen last 5, 6 and 7 years its been rare and IMHO I would replace it while the weather is nice, because nothing sucks more than trying to do it in a parking lot at work at 6pm or worse at 10pm when the Wif has the car at the mall and its dead.
 
apachechef said:
What do you think of Optima?
Click to expand...

ever since they were first offered to the publik at large - I have been installing
them in British and Collector cars that I uprate / service / maintain....
they work WELL for cars that are "stored half a year at a time" (and I also
include a Deltran "battery tender" / charger connected DIRECTLY to the battery
and trailing the "pigtail" to an outside power source)...have found NO BETTER
battery for this "job".... the AGM type battery is well suited to "periods of dis-use"
and is also my choice for racing (you can use a smaller battery WEIGHT wise and
STILL get reasonable current output from them....)

I like the INTERSTATE high capacity "flooded lead acid" for yeoman duty in a
daily driver as you get a very GOOD performance from a "consumer battery" that
has a country-wide distribution and warranty scheme in situ....and at a 30% or so
savings over a similar capacity Optima....

it amazes me that "battery technology" has taken a back seat to PROFITABILITY
in the market place - I'm old enough to have used "Eveready DRY CELL batteries"
to run the lights on my bicycle and as starter batteries for my model aeroplanes and
boats...I even had them in my Zenith "portable" radio "back in the day"...they were
"regular old CARBON type batteries" and lasted a L-O-N-G time in regular use...
http://www.amazon.com/Eveready-Columbia-Battery-National-Ignitor/dp/B005HLK5C0
(I'm *NOT* THAT old but the "batteries" I grew up with are more closely related to
THESE than they are to the "moderne" alkie/lith/NiCad/NiMH stuff....

now-a-days you have to purchase a "long-lasting powercell lith/ion mega life high
output storage safe battery" that cost 8X what a "regular battery" co$t$ and lives
about four times as long...sheesh...(just another way to glean the last bit of profit
from what *should be* a "disposable item"..aaarrrggghhh - don't get me started on
alkaline cells either..I've had too many MagLites and Nikon motor-drives trashed
due to "leak-proof" (which is no longer touted BTW) single cells....dammit...:rant:

now out of rant mode....personal preference only...$ vs "consumer friendliness"...:nod:
 
badvlvo said:
Optima is not your best choice. A couple years ago they switched from virgin lead to recycled and the quality has suffered.
Click to expand...

http://www.optimabatteries.com/us/en/technology/agm-batteries/



In traditional flooded batteries, the positive and negative grids hang inside a box submerged in an acid solution. With AGM batteries, positive and negative plates are separated by an absorbent glass mat that holds the electrolyte like a sponge. This minimizes the potential for electrolyte spillage.
OPTIMA? AGM batteries also use a higher purity of lead than many other AGM and typical flooded cell batteries at 99.99% pure, virgin lead. This higher purity means fewer contaminants and a lower incidence of gassing, which extends battery life and increases performance.
Click to expand...
 
If you want to see how long your oem will last see if you can find and fit a battery blanket (heater) to it, your car will certainly be the only one on the block with a plug in on BOTH ends of the car but a blanket has gotten me and an iffy battery through many a Canadian winter
 
swiggy said:
The interstate in my car was made in 1998, and is still going strong, starts car fine in cold weather (although it doesn't get that cold here) plus I have lots of extra lights and a big sound system to stress it a bit more.. They can last a long time
Click to expand...

You're trippin' IMO. Never saw *any car battery* last more than 6 to 7 years MAX, though I 've never owned an Interstate battery.

Most of the less expensive batteries only last me 4-6 years. And this in NC USA.

Unless you consider a battery you have to jump start "good"

Example - 2001 Lincoln LS. Had OEM battery, replaced with another OEM battery. Never any alternator poblems. Stock radio/cassette player. Power everything accessories.

2012
-2001
_____
11 years

11 diviided by 2 = 5.5 years average of life for each battery

The Advance Auto battery in my 240 as of now is 4 years old. I suspect it'll die this winter or 1st of srring. We'll see.......
 
Last edited:
smokeyfan1000 said:
You're trippin' IMO. Never saw *any* battery last more than 6 to 7 years MAX

Most of the less expensive batteries only last me 4-6 years.

Unless you consider a battery you have to jump start "good"
Click to expand...

Just replaced a factory 99 tacoma battery today. Still was pushing 350CCA out of 710. I tested the battery and had to sell the battery, he didn't come in asking for it.
 
sterling240 said:
If you want to see how long your oem will last see if you can find and fit a battery blanket (heater) to it, your car will certainly be the only one on the block with a plug in on BOTH ends of the car but a blanket has gotten me and an iffy battery through many a Canadian winter
Click to expand...

some of the NEWER cars and trucks are coming with "battery blankets" installed....
these are heat barriers and are NOT "heaters".....most of the "blanketed batteries"
are ALSO *fed by COMPUTER CONTROLLED charge - management systems* that
require a TEMP SIGNAL (sender buried in the "blanket") to operate correctly...
DON'T CONFUSE THEM!...just sayin....:nod:
 
It also depends on the compression ratio of the engine. Redblock turbo engines can be turned by hand at the dampner pulley.
So a weak battery will last longer.

At the dealership ive seen a battery last a month. And ive seen over 10 years on a bettery.
Ac delco for the gm's.

I dont replace till mine takes a crap. I also have the benefit of a service center style battery charger/booster in my garage.
 
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