battery life....

[CityEnd]

since the battery is located in the engine bay, then i guess this thread belongs to here :P

how long does a usual car battery last?

when i first got the car 3.5 yrs ago, the previous owner said he had just changed the battary.

i got my first flat battery last week, and needed a jump start. I must admit i had just installed a cd stacker and was playing with the hu/stacker with the engine off for abt 15 mins.... 15 mins shouldn't be a problem if the battery is working??

after that, i was careful and never used the hu or anything when the engine was off. but once again, i got another flat battery today.

is it time to change the battery or does it sound like it could be an alternator or another problem?

another symptoms i noticed leading up to this event was every time i started the engine it would take longer and longer to turn the engine over(if that's the right lingo).

i look forward to hearing your ideas and suggestions on the matter.

[JynX]

Having no water in the battery will cause the battery to drain quickly. Try to use distilled water as well or you will get sulfation around the terminals.

Car batteries generally last around 40 months in typical australian conditions. It varies based on the weather - cold increases battery life, heat decreases it.

[Dogo]

it really does depend on the battery used. Im not sure what the average life span would be, but I know that I've watched an entire dvd with the ignition in the 'on' position, but not running, and my battery dropped from 12.4 to 11.8 volts at the end of the movie.
so that'll be powering my full stereo system, with 2 amps, the dvd player, the tv HU, DSP etc , the RSM, and whatever else is powered when the car is at 'on'.

And my battery is nothing special :? just whatever the car had when i got it.

But I've also known ppl who's battery dies very quickly with a fairly plain stereo playing cds.


I have noticed the car is taking a bit longer to start than it used to .. maybe its the cold or maybe the stereo is sucking too much juice

[ABC]

Agree with Jynx, have had my battery go tits up after about two years - seems about right.

[Rupewrecht]

Originally Posted by Dogo

But I've also known ppl who's battery dies very quickly with a fairly plain stereo playing cds.

lol yes i remember that! But i'm due for a new one - it's been 3 years

[Harry]

What kind of juice is the new equipment using?

Not sure about the 323's but if it is more than what was in their previously maybe the battery hasnt got enough left in it to handle what the alternator needs to replanish (that didnt sound right but I hope you get my drift).

I have a friend who has a Camry which had a 2 year old battery. He installed MD player which replace and old radio/cassette deck. They went on a long trip using the AC on full and the MD player the whole time. It killed his battery.

Andrew

[Toyboy]

I got nearly 5 years outta the original battery in my car,i was surprised that it lasted that long :P

[Dogo]

lol @ rupewrecht.

id forgotten abt that.

at least now we know that my speaker wires do work good as jumper leads !!

[Cosmo Dude]

Your battery will probably start to degrade soon after the warrentee expires.
If you run a lead acid battery flat frequently then you will shorten its life, the more you run it flat the shorter its life.

If the question is how long can I use the battery before it goes flat?
How many amps is the device drawing and what is the A/H rating of the battery

[ezin]

Most of the time the warranty on a battery in all new cars is 1 year! i have found that if the car has a japanese battery it will normally last 3 years! Pretty dam good! The batterys over here i think, arent as good! (size 4 size) unless u get a dry-cell battery!

[CityEnd]

just thought i'd update everyone with the battery, i got a new battery (ns50el) anyone knows what that stands for?

it was time for a change anyway, checked out the racv site and it said the average life of a battery is 3.5 yrs. so u were right jynx.

there was no point in trying to extend the life of the battery, just replace it and there shouldn't be a problem for at least 3 yrs =)

toyboy, it seems like the orginal batteries were pretty good, i think the orginal battery in my astina lasted 5 yrs too, being a 95 model with a battery replacement in 2000.

sorry cosmo i don't know the a/h rating.

btw, thanx for all your input

[Trav]

Yes, agree with Rod.

Addition to Rod's comments;

Depending on the Amp-Hour Rating of the battery you should also think about this...

-What is your car drawing while it is off (multimeter in series with the battery)?? It should be in the mA order - think alarms, radio etc...
-Do you do short trips (eg start and stop the car often as well - as to start the car your starter draws some serious current)???
-What is the voltage across your battery while car is running at about 1500rpm??? should be between 13.5V and 14V

Hope this helps...