Team-BHP - Car battery life - How long did your battery last?

I can briefly relate my experience over 40 years of using batteries in cars.
When I owned my first car(given by my father after about 2 years of use) a Fiat in 1969 the original battery when replaced lasted 2.0 years. Subsequently, I put an alternator in the car (jugaad but properly done - Presolite alternator) when I replaced the battery. The battery with some care in ensuring electrolyte level lasted 4.5 years. This is the best I've ever got and was short distance running mostly. When I switched to a new Maruti 800 the battery lasted around 2.2 years and thereafter almost without fail the average battery life has been 2.5 years or a little more. This was in an Esteem, Honda City (1st, 2nd and 3rd generation), old Baleno etc. The best I got in the last 10 years was 3.5 years in my Honda City ivtech. My own experience is that the battery does go suddenly without much warning. This is because the electronics are more sophisticated now and below a threshold voltage the car will not start. This is especially true if you have anti-theft systems installed. In the older cars one could get away with a battery that was showing lower voltage with groaning and grinding starter motors.

Honda City VX- Battery kaput after 15 months (no typo there) ! No additional accessories fitted in the car. Car had just come back after a (non-scheduled) repair at authorised service station. Any ideas as to what could be the reason ?

EDIT- It was Amaron Battery, that came with the car.

Replaced the stock Exide in my duster after exactly 49 months to the day on 12th Jan.
Car has aftermarket auxiliary lights, a 4 channel amp, an after market head unit, after market speakers and a sub.

Was extremely happy with the life of the stock Exide. Hope I don't have to change the Amaron before I sell the car in the next 3-4 years.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vitalstatistiks (Post 4135887)

Honda City VX- Battery kaput after 15 months! Car had just come back after a (non-scheduled) repair at authorised service station. It was Amaron Battery, that came with the car.

Are you sure your car came back with the same battery it went with? No possibility your (good) battery was swapped out for an older one - either maliciously or accidentally?

Were the repairs purely body work, or anything mechanical/electrical in the engine compartment, that might have warranted the removal of the battery/battery tray? If so, the battery/tray are often the first thing removed and last thing fitted back, since the battery is usually placed high and blocks access to other areas.

In any case, now that you have a new battery, use a permanent marker to write your car's regn. number on the battery case.

Hi All

Today I was forced to change the battery for my 2012 maruti alto lxi at 28800 kms on the Odo.For the last 2-3 days the starter motor was not working and the vehicle refused to start. Replaced with exide dynex MF battery for 2300/- with exchange of old battery The actual price is 3300/-. I had earlier tested this battery in our diesel fiat uno and it cranked very well. the company provides a warranty for 18 months. The battery came with the car which was purchased on 25th march 2012. So almost close to 5 years. I don't know if it had served well. Experts please advise.

Regards
Sushil Narayanan

My WagonR's stock battery lasted 4 years and 2 months, and I think it was an Exide. The Exide replacement lasted 6 years and 3 months. The second Exide replacement lasted 5 years and 2 months. The new Exide I plonked in a few days ago cost me Rs 3700.

My Fiesta's stock Amaron lasted 5 years 3 months. The Amaron replacement is still running for the past 4 years, 8 months.

My Figo's stock Amaron lasted only for 3 years 1 month. The replacement by Ford A.S.S is going fine for the past year and half.

Owing to the above, is it correct to infer that petrol car's batteries last longer?

I changed the stock battery of my Ford Figo TDCi after 5 years 9 months of usage. It was still functioning well overall but early morning cranking was taking a bit longer and the ABS-light used to chime 5-6 times every time during starting (owing to low voltage to sensor I believe). After putting a new Exide battery, ABS-light is back to normal and car cranks just like when it was new.

The standard O.E.M. EXIDE battery of my Gypsy has lasted six years one month, when I expected it to give up ghost sometime between 12 to 24 months. I am tired of waiting for it to die, yet will not change before it does. Will somebody who owns a gun help me, please, and shoot it through the head ? I am beginning to dread that the fella may outlive me !

The SF Sonic battery in my Estilo is in its diamond jubilee month. The voltage, (as indicated by OBD Doctor) with the engine running, is consistently around 14.5. The aftermarket additions are a Mega Audio single din music system with four door speakers and a Crosslink Wheels security system. My regular daily running is only 15 kms, divided into four short trips of 3.5 kms each.

However, there are a few points worth mentioning:

Only about 5,000 of the total 45,000 kms have been driven with headlights on.

I turn off the headlights, stereo and a/c before switching off the car. Turn them on a few seconds after restarting.

May have cranked the car only a couple of times with the headlights on.

I try to avoid using power windows when the engine is not running.

Regularly check on and top up the cells.

Touchwood stupid:.