How long would you expect a battery to last?

Soldato
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Just got my 2005 E350 back from the garage as the EML light came on and was reporting lots of undervolting errors.

Turns out the car has never had a new battery and the one that was in there was from 2004!
 
Caporegime
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Sounds like a decent innings for a lead acid battery to me. I've seen them fail in 5 years, but similarly also had them last for over a decade.

I had to replace my 2004 TT's battery last year, it was original.
 
Soldato
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I think the average is 5-6 years, but it depends on use. A battery in a car that does primarily longer journeys will last longer than one that just bimbles around town and hardly ever has a chance to build the charge levels back up.

Mine (bought in 2015) started playing up earlier this year despite me doing a few "longer" trips to work and back, and I thought it was on its last legs. But I bought myself a Ctek charger and gave it a good old charge, and also started using it more, and it's been fine since.
 
Associate
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Sounds like common sense but my experience is there is a big difference in longevity depending on the quality of the battery. I've had factory fitted batteries last 10+ years and then branded aftermarket replacements last less than half of that. On average, I'd agree with around 6 years or so.
 
Caporegime
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On the road....
The battery in my old e38 was the original factory item when it was replaced at 16 years and 60k miles.

When I discussed the cars history with its first owner he explained that the car spent its time when not in use garaged and on a trickle charger which I expect is why it lasted so long over a relatively low mileage, the car had little use as it was owned by someone who owned and ran a network of dealer franchises and had use of many other cars.

It certainly failed relatively quickly once I started to use the car as a “daily driver” - hate that term. :p
 
Soldato
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OEM batteries are one of the few items that car manufacturers don’t skimp on.

The problem with aftermarket batteries is that unless you don’t buy the expensive top end model for your car from Varta, Fulmen etc. you don’t get the same quality as the OEM item.
 
Associate
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I don’t think they last as long as they used to. Particularly in diesels that experience short journeys and cold weather. Replaced the last few car batteries with. 5 years.
 
Man of Honour
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OEM batteries are one of the few items that car manufacturers don’t skimp on.

The problem with aftermarket batteries is that unless you don’t buy the expensive top end model for your car from Varta, Fulmen etc. you don’t get the same quality as the OEM item.

Used to have it a lot with colleagues at work, etc. who'd buy budget batteries and wonder why they only got 2-3 years out of them but these days most of those people have a car on finance and change the car every 2-3 years anyhow.

Personally I've tended to buy stuff like Varta Silver, etc. which so far hasn't let me down... so far...
 
Man of Honour
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Exide are usually decent.

I don't know the ins and outs of it but about 80% of car batteries are made by companies owned by Brookfield Business Partners, then the higher grade ones get sold under the Bosch and Varta brands, next grade down gets sold under a few brands you see floating around like Optima, then the next grade are sold as own brand batteries by some of the automotive shops then the rest generic noname budget brands. Yuasa and Exide have their own manufacturing capabilities but Exide also produce Bosch batteries under license (so basically the same as the others but manufactured by Exide) sold under their own brand for some lines or something like that.
 
Soldato
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Exide are usually decent.

I don't know the ins and outs of it but about 80% of car batteries are made by companies owned by Brookfield Business Partners, then the higher grade ones get sold under the Bosch and Varta brands, next grade down gets sold under a few brands you see floating around like Optima, then the next grade are sold as own brand batteries by some of the automotive shops then the rest generic noname budget brands. Yuasa and Exide have their own manufacturing capabilities but Exide also produce Bosch batteries under license (so basically the same as the others but manufactured by Exide) sold under their own brand for some lines or something like that.

Good to know, thanks.
 
Soldato
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As said - depends on useage pattern and environment

not a problem in the UK but the daily heat sink, at the likes of the Med, maybe equally detrimental, to battery life, like cold starts,
getting into a baking car always feels worse for me, anyway, than a frosty morning;
company built an underground car park, with, daily, competition for those premium spaces.
e: maybe geekman will comment

Always start with the clutch in, is there an analogous strategy for autos ? ... otherwise do they put more/less load on battery during starting.
 
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Gangster
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I’ve used Yuasa and Varta batteries without any problems. My old fiesta fitted with a 7 year old Yuasa started without any problems after not driving it for 8 months during lockdown. This was without any trickle charging. A new battery is so cheap there’s no point keeping it trickle charged.
 
Soldato
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Lead acid batteries don’t like being discharged under 50% of capacity as it can damage the plates.

We have a 2008 Megane as a 2nd/backup car and its OEM battery finally gave up the ghost a couple of months ago. Rather impressed as it was a short journey runaround for its previous owner as well.
 
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