Battery age.

[dobbslc]

I like the wingnut terminals!

 

[Morris]

My old Sorento battery was 13 years old, conventional lead acid. Didn't fail as such but would randomly have nothing in it.

 

[jmp49]

Have a oem kubota battery on the lawn mower that's dated 2002, although I've only owned it for 15 years or so. Every winter I take it off as part of winterization and periodically float charge it, but thats it apart from that.
All mowing season it starts the mower once a week without a issue, and that has a d905 3 cylinder diesel in it with glowplugs etc. Occasionally I use it as a jump pack to start other things (cars, forklift, jcb etc) because it has a 175 anderson connector on the battery leads.
Meanwhile the 4 month old norauto lead acid on daughters 207 was sluggish and showing "replace" on the topdon tester even after charging overnight already, so we replaced it with a bosch. Norauto are saying there's nothing wrong with it and we should take the car to a peugeot dealer... If anyone needs parts in a emergency here, norauto are a franchise equivalent of halfords, and our local ones are staffed by lying monkeys.

 

[RWD3M]

The AGM battery on the BMW is the original fitted one and over 12 years old. We had problems with it during Covid due to lack of use but did the battery repair cycle on the NOCO charger and it’s still going strong

The agm on the wife's focus must be over 10 years old now. She inherited the car from me when I bought a new one in 2017 And I'd had it on their for a few years before then

Well, that's the kiss of death then!

 

[Craig-SM]

Well, that's the kiss of death then!

Probably

 

[GRW]

I've had some old school VRLA type batteries last very well.... however I am very sceptical of the claims for especially the cheaper new stuff (both LA & more so the Lithium with BMS stuff).

I've used old school chargers to kick-start and SMPS clever trickle chargers.
Recently I've used my adjustable 0-30vdc PSU set on constant low current to recover/recharge batteries - and that can work well (it got an extra lease of life out of an 18v tool battery that the "proper" charger could do nothing with as well)

 

[jmp49]

I also occasionally abuse 12v batteries with olvervoltages, namely the 24v charger on wheels that's basically just a transformer and a big bridge rectifier inside. Just long enough to show a voltage but not long enough to get hot or catch fire or explode, then onto 12v, then onto a smart charger for conditioning.

 

[paradipiro]

If you could get the bloody tops off and give them the old Epsom salts treatment it'd help. Worked a treat on the old lawnmower battery my lad sorted. The crud that came out was impressive.

Sure I'm a young bloke, but what is that epsom salt treatment exactly?

 

[bert]

Well, that's the kiss of death then!

I thought it had gone about 4 years back so ordered a new one. It's still in the box in the shed

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Sons car needs new battery. Asked him when last one was fitted and answer was 4 years ago. Coincidence that the warrantee was 4 years ?

 

[MoreWellie]

The stop-start function hasn't worked for a long time now

That sounds like the wifes mazda
I can get that working IF I charge it fully with a proper Stop Start charger and we then do a journey of about 250 miles (can split into two x 130 mile journies. After that the stop start will work until she does a number of short journies in which case it stops working again
I tried a brand new stop start battery and that also needed a full charge and quite a few miles before the stop start came back
Methinks the parameters for the battery are set a bit tight

 

[Wozzaaah]

That sounds like the wifes mazda
I can get that working IF I charge it fully with a proper Stop Start charger and we then do a journey of about 250 miles (can split into two x 130 mile journies. After that the stop start will work until she does a number of short journies in which case it stops working again
I tried a brand new stop start battery and that also needed a full charge and quite a few miles before the stop start came back
Methinks the parameters for the battery are set a bit tight

After fitting the new battery it still doesn't work, but I'm not really bothered.

 

[qwakers]

most vehicles these days, especially ones with stop start, need to be told they've had a new battery, its cca, and tech (sla, fla etc)

its actually dead easy with even a mid end scan tool.

 

[Wozzaaah]

most vehicles these days, especially ones with stop start, need to be told they've had a new battery, its cca, and tech (sla, fla etc)

its actually dead easy with even a mid end scan tool.

I'll hook it up to my Diagbox sometime and tell it it's been replaced.

 

[Gragson]

This reminded me to pull the battery from boys golf that he has not used for 3 months, not a peep from the ignition lights.



Looks to be 5 years old, was showing about 9v on the meter, took over 24 hours on normal charge, now reading 12.9
The green indicator light has not come back so I am guessing it's goosed or cells have died.
Will stick it on the charger recondition setting and see but think I might be flogging a dead horse.

 

[Blobber]

This reminded me to pull the battery from boys golf that he has not used for 3 months, not a peep from the ignition lights.

View attachment 521224View attachment 521225

Looks to be 5 years old, was showing about 9v on the meter, took over 24 hours on normal charge, now reading 12.9
The green indicator light has not come back so I am guessing it's goosed or cells have died.
Will stick it on the charger recondition setting and see but think I might be flogging a dead horse.

I think the little indicator thing just shows its low in acid level as well as the charge state, its not a lamp just a little floaty ball I think

 

[Gragson]

I think the little indicator thing just shows its low in acid level as well as the charge state, its not a lamp just a little floaty ball I think

Yep my understanding also, I read they only read one cell so not really a measure of who goosed overall.
I'll let it run on the reconditioner and see whats what, not even sure these can be opened to top up!

 

[AVI_8]

Varta battery on my 14 year old X3 is an original AGM, though I did notice the other morning when it was minus 5 that it was a bit sluggish so looks as though it’s on its last legs
11year old 330 battery is also original.

 

[Onoff]

Are modern cars batteries still lead acid inside?

Seems a waste not being able to get the tops off and have a go at cleaning them out.

I wonder if you could drill and tap the cells then fit plastic plugs...

 

[Gragson]

Are modern cars batteries still lead acid inside?

Seems a waste not being able to get the tops off and have a go at cleaning them out.

I wonder if you could drill and tap the cells then fit plastic plugs...

Agree it does seem a waste, what I read on the Yuasa site is "maintenance free" is the key, which most batteries seem to be now, which appears no easy or recommend or possibly even pointless way to maintain/recover them past apparent cell or cells death.

Bin and move on dead or dying maintence free batts -