As I'm sipping a cold one on a Sat night, I think to myself, in this day and age of KERS systems and battery powered supercars, why has no one invented a device for all cars to tell you when you need a new battery so you are never stranded? I am at the end of my second 48 month battery in my 05 C2S- the original died right at 4 yrs. I had to replace it in a pinch with a Sears Diehard 48. Any practical suggestions maybe for a 7 or 8 yr battery for these cars??
Jim

 

Drive more! The more the battery is used, the less it sits just having the car draw down the voltage sitting there waiting for the key fob to have a button hit.

4 years is a good lifespan for a battery if you live in a 4 season weather area in my opinion. My honda battery lasts about that long. The longest I've seen a car battery go personally is about 6 years, and even then it was causing me some trouble.

The way I look at it, you can get an everstart maxx from wally world for under $100. I consider it a maintenance cost, like oil and brake pads.

 

Why hasn't anyone invented this device? I think to some extent you've answered your own question. Why would a car manufacturer put the effort into designing and implementing a device that is used once very 4 years? It's not like a fuel gauge where you need to constantly monitor the level.

I've never had a battery die unexpectedly, they always give you warning if you're perceptive enough to notice. My wife's Explorer cranks just a bit more slowly in cold weather when the battery is about to die, same with my Audi. The power windows start acting funny in the Porsche just before the battery dies. The voltmeter also shows a higher rate of charge when the battery is moribund.

 

The invention is not out because its really hard to determine battery life without discharging the battery through some type of measurement system that routinely discharges the battery and compares the discharge curves. Its not as simple as measuring voltage or measuring voltage under a fixed load. Would you really want to spend $500 to buy a system so that you $45 battery can be check every week?

Now if you wanted some type of system that hooked up to your laptop to do that, you can buy one and then every Sat night discharge the battery and then compare the curves yourself

http://www.westmountainradio.com/pro...oducts_id=cba4

The battery in my honda lasted 8 years, not sure its worth it to check it every month for 8 years just in case I did not notice that it cranked slow when it was 7 years old

 

Agreed. I think however it would be a popular selling point, think old people/ Lexus LS drivers, to know you won't come out to a dead battery on a cold morning when you know you have to be somewhere...
J

 

That looks like a very cool product. I'll have to look around a little more, battery-wise. I have heard the number 4 yrs bantered around a lot for P cars, but my other cars have Interstate batteries which seem to be good for 7 yrs +
Jim

 

I still have the original battery in my 4 Boxster S Anniv. model. I bought it new in April 2004. I attribute its long life to me using a battery maintainer. I only use it when it sits for over a week, usually because I'm away.

 

I own ten cars, a motor home, a Bobcat, 2 ATVs, and a race car. I also own 14 battery tenders, and I haven't bought a battery since. 10 years on the Bobcat batt.
On my 968 I used to replace them every 3 years, now I'm going on 9 years on the current one.

 

It may be difficult to make but it can be done to make a product that determine the end of life of a battery. I know there are some gm batteries that had this porthole thing that showed green as good battery. Who looks under the hood before they get in the car and starts the thing? I am sure there is an electronic gadget that could determine the lowest volt(upon start/end of charge/after long charge) and determine the likelihood of failure. I have had good experience with batteries, except on my lawnmower! Probably should have sent in my patent before this post.

 

If this "product" could be manufactured to make a profit and IF there were a market, it would have already been available. Battery manufacturers have no interest in doing this.

 

Do you leave all the cars on the tenders all the time?
Jim

 

Yes I do, i leave them on at all times. Except on the boat, i forgot It has 4 batteries, but it's sitting on a lift in So. Florida in a very salty atmosphere where I've seen these battery tenders and fancy 4 battery (intelligent) chargers short out and over charge the deep cycles, and I've seen them blow open, where you think they are charging but there is no current output. I've gone through 3 of the fancy chargers, that are supposed to be sealed

If you want to test something to see if it corrodes send it to me and I leave it outside for a month.

To me, these far exceed they're worth in batteries saved.

Good luck