Is it worth having the battery checked to ascertain that it still has plenty of life in it. Twice that I can recall, we have used a vehicle with no trouble starting, then less than three hours later the battery was dead. As we are now in our 80’s and travel occasionally to the next town which would have minimal cell phone coverage during the journey, I’m afraid our import (2009 Mitsubishi Delica van) purchased four years ago, may be reaching the stage where it may suddenly let us down. It’s probably not likely to fail while travelling the winding road that we need to drive on, so we shouldn’t be let down at an inopportune moment, but we DO stop on the way home to collect spring water from a public collection point. We have not, up till now, left the engine running to ensure we can set off again, but with my propensity to “get into trouble” it would be just our luck to find the vehicle would no longer fire if turned off. Opinions and advice will be gladly received. Personally I would prefer to replace the battery just in case, but the man of the house is more inclined to risk it.
tweake,
Jan 18, 8:17pm
best thing to do is get a decent battery charger and put the battery on charge regularly.
caleb.b,
Jan 18, 8:49pm
If it's an issue that plays on your mind. After having it for four years, I would just replace it. They don't last forever and it might not survive the winter anyway. For the peace of mind of a new decent battery, It could be well worth the small investment
marte,
Jan 18, 10:23pm
Park facing downhill in case you have to crash start it. I haven't had any battery's fail that suddenly but they have gone from weakish to flat over a fortnight before.
How big is the battery? & Yes, get a battery checkup, at worst they will sell you a good one & put it in themselves.
franc123,
Jan 18, 10:23pm
The battery has done well by the sound of it. Unless you are prepared to carry jumper leads about with you or be prepared to use roadside assistance and be delayed then it's common sense that you should get it checked. It could be that it's no longer being charged correctly.
s_nz,
Jan 18, 10:50pm
I wouldn't bother having it checked, But if it concerns you I doubt it would cost much to have done.
Stopping for under an hour to collect spring water in the middle of a long trip isn't a high risk time for a battery to let you down. It will be well charged from the long drive so far, and the engine will likely still be warm, and easier to crank.
Starting after several hours rest are higher risk. (especially cold winter mornings).
I have a lithem jump pack in each car, but this is mostly to protect against user error - leaving stuff on. Also one of my cars runs it's battery flat if left for several hours with the keys in the ignition. I don't have a garage, so never do this (but it has happened to my mechanic and a person I lent the car to - both times in the comfort of their workshop / garage respectively. Jumper leads are another option.
I agree at 4 years old it is near the end of its life. Just make sure the replacement is at least the same quality and amperage as the original . Rule of thumb with batteries buy the best you can afford long after the price is forgotten the quality remains
msigg,
Jan 19, 7:05am
Yes they are good for 4 to 7 years, so go get a new one of the correct size/amps. Good to go.
nice_lady,
Jan 19, 8:39am
Wtf ? A 4 year old battery near the end of it's life ? Our last two Hondas - well one I replaced the battery on the Integra about 15 years after the car was manufactured, the Civic still had the original factory installed battery when the car was 17 years old.
marte,
Jan 19, 9:14am
Car battery's used to last for 3-4 years depending on what part of the year it was when it decided to give up. Sometimes if it just got past winter, it could last all summer & give up mid autumn. But a 'good' battery was 330CCA, cost $60 & weighed 15Kgs back then. Now a 'Good battery' is 600CCA+ costs $300+, weighs 20Kg+ & lasts 5-12 years depending on how it's being treated.
intrade,
Jan 19, 9:29am
#9 they have been cutting corners for years all and everywhere. its like finding a needle in a haystack to get good quality from Tshirts to dishwash brush original manufacturer car parts are now made faulty from factory also. more and more. As it has to make more and more profit at less and less cost Demand on the battery to not charge it to full to meet the knotheads emission rules . While everything turns to nano particulate plastic waste in front of your eyes . Because its not allowed to have softeners or lead in plastic . mandated by. these thugs recycled copper pluming that leaks from electrolysis due to impurity in copper . And on and on and on go the problems. plumbing plastic pipes failing and rotting houses. Engeneering die cast moulds that crack after 25% of its live . because somone grinded the stamp off the metal and ugraded it to a better quality by stamping a higher grade on it. ITS one big nightmare everywhere.
intrade,
Jan 19, 9:38am
modern battery tester give state of health and state of charge and if you want the battery to last you need a ctek charger the charger can be passed on as it will likely outlive you. other brands probably die in 2 to 5 years
nice_lady,
Jan 19, 10:14am
Our current cars are 7 & 8 yrs old respectively and as far as I'm aware have their original batteries - which seem to be in fine condition - so far. I simply feel that to say a battery is near end of life at 4 years old means nothing less than that battery has been mistreated or is a crap battery.
colin433,
Jan 19, 10:31am
I agree with you, we’ve bought cars with no idea of how old the battery is, and they’ve lasted for quite a few years. This is an import (of course) and I would assume that they didn’t put a new battery in before they sold it, so it could be any old age. With us being in an age bracket where nothing is as easy as it was 10, 20, 30 years ago, I’m of the opinion that we should just go and buy a new one, we can afford it. The man of the house has his priorities wrong again, I’ll have to put my foot down with a firm hand, as the saying goes. Our situation is exacerbated by the fact that we carry two dogs wherever we go, at this time of the year it would be serious if we had to leave them while we went to seek assistance. Thanks for your (as usual) valuable opinion
tygertung,
Jan 19, 10:50am
A battery should last 10+ years, but if you feel uneasy just go down to an automotive shop and ask for a new battery and bung it in. Just do it and ask for forgiveness later!
scuba,
Jan 19, 10:55am
My recommendation was made with your situation in mind. yes good batterys can last much longer. In the past i have seen original equipment batteries far outlast NZ supplied batteries. The battery warranty on NZ new "standard grade" battery (read Budget grade here)was as low as 6 months over the years. Now "high performance" seems to be the "mid range " Bit like your family size chocolate bars- size of the bar went down while the price stayed roughly the same. As nice lady said a good battery can last 10 years. or not. A battery tester will tell you the state of the battery at that time. Down here in the south you get a good idea with the first good frost of winter. Im like you its not about the price- it's about the inconvenience and extra cost if it happens at a bad time and place.
franc123,
Sep 26, 10:49am
It's obvious some individuals in this thread don't know the difference between what's supplied OEM and what's supplied aftermarket. I'd estimate the life of a battery you buy as a readily available replacement in NZ is roughly half what the original battery was in a JDM model. Theres exceptions to this of course but overall its evident they are not as good as say a Panasonic or Varta unit. These ARE available here but they cost.
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