My truck is four years old, should I go ahead and replace the battery? I don't want to wait until it dies somewhere, but they are expensive.

 

I think you can have yours load tested at a Checker or Auto Zone store for free. Also, if I see corrosion around either battery terminal, or if I pop a cap and see the electrolyte level in any cell drastically lower than the others, I replace the battery. After the battery has sat for 8 hours, and without opening a truck door (which turns accessories on), measure the battery voltage with a voltmeter. If it's below 12.3 volts, it's in "fair" condition at best and I'd get a new one.

Any other symptoms, such as a slow crank speed, are good indicators that it's time.

- Jack

 

I would change it out. I was going to change mine as part of regular maintenance at 36 months. It did a total and sudden failure at 35 months. No warning, nothing. Never acted weak. Cranked fine, drove to a store, when I came out, nothing. Not even dash lights.

 

You know Jack, I used a simple load tester for quite a few years (think it only ran about $40.) and learned they will tell you a lot more about battery condition than just Pass/Fail. I have an OTC Pro now and a carbon pile, but for a private party who wants to test their own battery occasionally to see how it's doing (good idea), you can buy one similar to what I had for about $15.-$20. on sale at Harbour Freight.

 

Thanks, code. I've gotten quite a few things at Harbour Freight. Once you get past the fact that everything is maybe not made to real high standards, you often find it does the job. A case in point is when I bought about five diamond cutting wheels for my grinder to cut flagstone. I expected to use up every one. Well, I still have four brand new ones!

I tend to be very suspicious of a battery that just "looks bad" though. Like Bluejay, I've had them fail totally without any real warning. If I had a manual transmission, I wouldn't sweat it, I've push started many a vehicle, but with an automatic, you're pretty much limited to jumper cables and since I like to go into some pretty remote places, I could be waiting a long time for someone else to happen by.

- Jack

 

I wouldn't change it if it's cranking your truck good. You'll know it when it starts getting weak. My first one lasted over 7 yrs. But my 2nd quit in less than a year. Young batteries just die sometimes.... But usually, tried and true batteries just get weak in their old age. Old batteries usually don't just quit without warning.

 

Jack- if you test you battery(s) on a regular basis, you'll understand why I do. Any battery can develop an open cell, there is nothing you can do about it, but if you load test on a regular basis, you'll see the decline that will rarely ever be evident in cranking. I would say that I see the start of decline on a good strong battery starting 1 1/2 years or more before it gets to the point where you really think "I BETTER change this thing" If the battery is strong and destined for a good life (5-6 years at least), the decline will be slow and steady. The speed with which it cranks will rarely decline almost until the day of failure. The people like Bluejay who have had "instant failure" COULD have developed an open cell, but very possibly, if tested on a regular basis would have showed the decline over quite a bit of time. A 12V battery doesn't often show the decline in cranking the way a 6V ALWAYS did.
The cheap load testers are a very worthwhile tool, especially for a private party. I doubt that any of them are made anywhere but China now. They will tell you a lot by the way the needle reacts, but I learned that over testing many hundreds of batteries before I got the other 2 testers.

 

Chester, not true on the newer trucks. They draw so much power that you may not get a warning, whatsoever. My battery never gave a slow start, nothing. I cranked up to leave work, drove 10 miles to a shopping center and when I came out of the store and hit the key, nothing. No dash lights, nothing. It was so dead, I refused to believe it was the battery. I called for help, went to a store, bought a battery and put it on, no problem since. Some members have seen their gauges flicker and that is all the warning they got and some have had the Edge monitor act up. Mine did none of that.

 

I replaced my battery in my 07 this past winter, I went out and bought a battery with 1000cca, instead of the POS factory battery that shot craps and my truck did not even have 8000 mile on it.

 

Bluejay- Don't know if you remember when Sears sold a battery that had part of the battery reserved as a booster if the thing that happened to you happens. You just threw a switch on the battery and it boosted itself. That's about 10 or 15 years ago. Must not of gone over well, I don't think they sold them for very long. I think they were a little expensive too. I have thought when I was doing Code 3 outfitting about mounting a jumper battery (just the battery)under the hood and using relays to pull it into the charging system (only when needed-rarely) and constant duty solenoid to pull it into "jumper duty" when needed. The Search & Rescue were out long enough and with radios and other equipment operating, it was a potential need. Too busy, never got around to it. The battery alone is very small, so fitting wouldn't be a problem.

 

I usually replace batteries every 3 or 4 years unless the crap out first. If you are running a bad one it makes your alternator work harder and it increases your chances of being stranded. For 80 bucks you can get an interstate mega tron plus from sams club. Cheap insurance if you ask me and a lot cheaper than an alternator!

 

I just had to replace mine last night. Mine is a 2005 and just clicked over the 45,000 mark. I am the 2nd owner and the factory battery is what I took out.

Here in Austin TX we have had over 100 degree temps for something like 50 of the last 52 days, it's ridiculous. I noticed when it started getting hot that it got harder to start. Slow to crank but fine once it started going. It's been doing this about a month or so but was working fine, so I didn't think much of it.

So yesterday I went out with a multimeter and checked the battery voltage with the truck off and all doors closed. 12.6-12.9 volts. Good level. Cranked the truck and checked it again while it was running. 13.8-14.1 volts. Alternator is working good.

So then I again checked it with the truck off, but hit the remote start button to check what the voltage was when it was cranking and it dipped to just over 8 volts to as high as 9.5 volts. Something not right there.

Took it to Autozone and they did their free check and it indicated that it was dead. Paid for the new 900 cold cranking amps and 1100 cranking amps battery, went outside, and nothing. No start So either the Autozone test finally killed it or I just got that lucky. I'm leaning towards the Autozone test put that much of a load and finally killed it.

Put the new one in, no more slow crank, and all is well now. 4 years is about on par for what most batteries last in my experience and with the stereo, HID's, GPS, etc I have in the truck, it seems the stocker wasn't able to handle it

 

Well, the same could be said of older trucks too. Sometimes batteries just short out and die. It happens sometimes, and usually for no apparent reason. Unless you test it everyday I guess.

 

I bought a battery for my wifes car and for my truck about 4 months ago.. I also found a gadget at Autozone ( Its a jump starter with 450 cca ) for 50.00 so I put one in my truck and one in my wifes car.. Now we are good.. My battery 89.00 my wifes battery 59.00 and 2 - Jump Starters 100.00 .. I feel alot safer now.. I drive at night alot , and my wife always drives out in the country..

 

You can test it every day and still never know when it's going to go.