Car Battery Prices

[stevej37]

The battery in my Prelude has been starting the car fine...but it's a 4 year battery and the sticker says 9/22. Off to Walmart to replace it and they still carry the same Everlast Max 4 year battery.

When I returned home, I filed the receipt and found the last two receipts from the same brand and type battery. All were purchased in the same 4 year span.

Here are the dates and prices for the same three identical batteries:
9/18...$79
9/22...$109
9/26...$149

10 minute job to swap them out....helps to take the engine air filter off first.

[sc_rufctr]

Cool but...

4 year battery

What does that mean? I run them until they fail. I replaced the battery in my old S420 MB just after I bought it.

- 9 years later it still had the same battery in it when I sold it.

[stevej37]

^^^ It might last 5 or 6...but I don't like being stranded somewhere with it dead.

Your MB battery is likely a better quality than an Everlast.

[sc_rufctr]

I used an Australian made Century battery. I've also use them in my various Land Cruisers over the years (for work).

- Century batteries and Cooper tires - Never an issue.

So are Everlast guaranteed for four years?

[JackDidley]

I bought my last one from Sams. Duracell, I think. Around $150.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

I used an Australian made Century battery. I've also use them in my various Land Cruisers over the years (for work).
- Century batteries and Cooper tires - Never an issue.
So are Everlast guaranteed for four years?

Yes, 4 years....they also offer a 2 year Everlast for around $80
The CCA on that one was way lower than mine (550 to 750)

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[Scott Douglas]

Originally Posted by stevej37

The battery in my Prelude has been starting the car fine...but it's a 4 year battery and the sticker says 9/22. Off to Walmart to replace it and they still carry the same Everlast Max 4 year battery.

When I returned home, I filed the receipt and found the last two receipts from the same brand and type battery. All were purchased in the same 4 year span.

Here are the dates and prices for the same three identical batteries:
9/18...$79
9/22...$109
9/26...$149

10 minute job to swap them out....helps to take the engine air filter off first.

Since you're not daily driving either of your cars you're just wasting money by buying batteries every four years, IMHO. If it were me, I'd be upset if I wasn't getting at least 6 years out of them with the amount you drive, especially the Prelude.

I've been lucky when it comes to car batteries. The last two that died on me did so in my garage.

[WolfeMacleod]

The last time I replaced the battery in my daily driver was 2012.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by JackDidley

I bought my last one from Sams. Duracell, I think. Around $150.

I prob could have bought one for a little less at Sam's or Costco, but they are both 30 miles away and Walmart is 4 miles. Plus with the core charge I'll be making 2 trips.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

Since you're not daily driving either of your cars you're just wasting money by buying batteries every four years, IMHO. If it were me, I'd be upset if I wasn't getting at least 6 years out of them with the amount you drive, especially the Prelude.

I've been lucky when it comes to car batteries. The last two that died on me did so in my garage.

Just a couple days ago, I replaced my halogen headlights with led's.
When done, I started thinking of all the extra juice they would need.
Looking at the 22 on it....I figured 'better safe than sorry'

.

[sc_rufctr]

FWIW... My parents bought a Chrysler Valiant (VC) back in 1969 (Australian made).

It still had the original battery in it when they sold that car in 1991.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Valiant_(VC)

[stevej37]

When I bought my 84 Carrera It came with a brand new Optima battery. It lasted 13 years before I traded it out and it was still starting good.
I replaced it with another Optima....same model red top.

The newer Optima didn't even make 3 years and it wouldn't start the car.

[dad911]

Originally Posted by stevej37

The battery in my Prelude has been starting the car fine...but it's a 4 year battery and the sticker says 9/22. Off to Walmart to replace it .....

I've only replaced a 'still working' battery on my boat. And with 2 batteries, I stagger the replacement so 1 is always newer/better.

I also use a condition tester, measures the internal resistance and capacity. Under $20

Battery Tester

[aschen]

Just replaced the 9 yo battery in my cayman pre-emptively. Usually I let them die. Only get about 3 years out of my daily drivers that bake in the sun outside and have battery in the hot engine bay.

I think its cheaper/easier to just keep a 49$ lithium jump start pack in the trunk and run em til they die at least for cars old enough to have manual trunk pops. Bonus if you get the lithum pack with built in inflator since slow leaks get me more than batteries.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by WolfeMacleod

The last time I replaced the battery in my daily driver was 2012.

You got lucky.

[wildthing]

Industry recommendation is 5 years for non Li batteries.

I had a pre-Pandemic battery (2018?) on my 911 which still worked fine, but it was on a tender most of the time. Finally swapped it out.

On the other hand, I was stranded in a parking lot at one point due to a bad/old battery in my minivan. Luckily, there was a parts store across the street. Except I had to carry the battery back across.

If I don't forget, I'd swap them out after 5 years. Not too bad at $179, which works out to $36 a year.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by wildthing

Industry recommendation is 5 years for non Li batteries.

I had a pre-Pandemic battery (2018?) on my 911 which still worked fine, but it was on a tender most of the time. Finally swapped it out.

On the other hand, I was stranded in a parking lot at one point due to a bad/old battery in my minivan. Luckily, there was a parts store across the street. Except I had to carry the battery back across.

If I don't forget, I'd swap them out after 5 years. Not too bad at $179, which works out to $36 a year.

That's my thinking also. The $40/year is cheap for the 'peace of mind'

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[zakthor]

Originally Posted by aschen

Just replaced the 9 yo battery in my cayman pre-emptively. Usually I let them die. Only get about 3 years out of my daily drivers that bake in the sun outside and have battery in the hot engine bay.

I think its cheaper/easier to just keep a 49$ lithium jump start pack in the trunk and run em til they die at least for cars old enough to have manual trunk pops. Bonus if you get the lithum pack with built in inflator since slow leaks get me more than batteries.

Good point. I'm skeptical of blanket 'industry standards', I think the car's environment is the key to battery life. High temps kill batteries fast.

Here in pacific northwest our car's kirkland batteries last about 8 years? The pair of batteries on my truck are 11 years old. Watch the charged voltage it drops as battery ages, if battery tender will put it back to over 12.4v (after being used for a start) then I'm keeping the battery.

And I replace both if one battery degrades since they're wired parallel.

[pwd72s]

Buying one of these could pay for itself if you simply buy every 4 years...why buy before needed? Test and know...

https://www.topdon.us/collections/battery-testing/products/bt-100

[stevej37]

^^^
I haven't had a dead battery for quite a few years now....but I remember that I had no warning before they went.

If I bought a tester, it would prob sit on the shelf until one day the starter wouldn't turn the engine over.

But I get what you are saying.

.