Preemptively replace battery after 4 years?

[Honda_Civic7]

I read that car batteries last between 3 and 5 years. The last time my battery failed, I had to sign up with AAA to have them come out. I was thinking about replacing my battery whether it tests OK or not. It's 4 years old. What do you think?

[maxwedge]

Have it tested, no?

[aleekat]

Carry jumper cables or buy one of the "portable jump pack". When it dies you can get yourself to buy a new battery.

[Blue Bowtie]

I have had several batteries that lasted a more like 7 years in standard daily driving. I had one in a stored vehicle that lasted 11 years with occasional starting and float charging. I've also had some fail in less than 2 years and replaced under its partial warranty (pro-rata). The worst was a Penn-Deka battery, and since Johnson Controls spun off their motive battery division I don't know who makes a good one any more.

Four years is not unreasonable, but most batteries I've had begin to fail in cold weather, not hot. I usually replace them just going into winter, like November-December since even a weak one can limp through summer. I suspect your area probably doesn't vary in temperature that much so the phenomenon may not be parallel to that.

[RidingOnRailz]

When I bought my 2010 Honda Accord in January of 2020, the dealer had put in a new battery when listing the car for sale. In the fall of 2022, I had a rash of dead battery calls to AAA.

When I was looking at the battery while the AAA tech was replacing it, I noticed the words "24 month" on the decal on top. So I guess I got two years - and then some - out of it!

[maxwedge]

Actually that reflects the warranty period, yes that was not a premium level battery, under normal usage it should be good for more than 2 years.

[Mrbizness1]

I have a 16 Edge, the battery suddenly dropped dead when I went to restart it in 2020. I was unable to jump it with my other vehicle so I called a tow truck. He said that newer vehicles required more power to jump. Had a shop replace that battery. I also have a 09 Murano. That car has a Champion battery that I got from Walmart in NY in 2014. I check it with a multimeter occasionally. I live in NC and was told batteries sold in northern states are made to withstand harsher climates.

[Stealthee]

That's wrong. It doesn't matter where a battery is sold. CCA is CCA.

[RidingOnRailz]

Originally Posted by maxwedge

Actually that reflects the warranty period, yes that was not a premium level
battery, under normal usage it should be good for more than 2 years.

Well, again, I bought the car with it in January of 2020, and had to replace it in Sept or Oct of last year(2022). So yes, I did get more than two years from it. Two, plus 8 months.

It started dying in August of 2022, after I was playing the radio outside during my lunch breaks at work, or when detailing inside the cabin. Activity I had been doing with my last three cars, and with the Accord since the summer of 2020.

So at least the battery labeling was honest, and it was me who was not paying attention.