How long has your OEM battery been in service?

Seems my OEM battery may be on its way out after 12 years and 4 months and 59,634 miles of service. Having read all the threads on batteries here (thanks to all for the help!), I noticed that most have to replace batteries every 3-5 years, even saw some OEM that died before 30k miles. Talking with Greg Pylant, we wondered if anyone had one that survived longer? Don't think I can salvage her as she is to unreliable, and my XF is my only means of transportation. Thinking of getting the Super Start Extreme model at O'Reilly's. Thoughts?

 

Got mine at WalMart, their Everstart MAXX, on sale total under $105 and some pennies with the tax and core (I brought a tractor battery back for the core), I installed it. When you buy/install it, open the hood straight up (helps remove old/install new). While your in there, clean up any debris/acid accordingly and MAKE SURE you clean both terminals AND the clamps. If your inclined (most suggest this step) check the other ends of the cables where they attach for loose or corrosion laden contact points (grounds for the NEG and terminals for the POS) BEFORE you install the new battery! One final note, remove the NEG first, then POS terminals. THEN connect the POS on the new battery then the NEG. Have fun!

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I replaced my roadster battery in July 2014 (9 years, 3 mos and apprx 50k miles) even though it was still strong. I had had some leakage with the battery in my SRT6 and swapped it out with an AGM battery, then decided it was a good preventive measure against leakage in the roadster as well. I credit part of the long life to keeping them on a battery tender through the winter when they are stored.

 

Letting a battery go until it dies can mean an expensive tow.

Letting a battery go until it dies can also mean the risk of an open cell developing, not common but it does happen and it means that the battery cannot filter the crap coming off the alternator (and the spike from the starter) very well - which puts the car's sensitive modules at risk.

So, do what you want to with YOUR car. As for me, I learned a LONG time before I bought a Crossfire to replace the battery every four years. I buy the cheapest battery that meets the specs and at four years, its outta here. OH, but I don't always follow my own rules, the SE (which I just bought last year) had a 2011 battery in it and I did not get with it and replace last year at four years. SO, it acted up a few months ago and lighted the Airbag light when it died. I bought a new battery but now I need a new airbag module.

So, if the Pizza in a dunce cap cant learn from his own experience, maybe some of the rest of you can.

Or not, whatever, it's your car and your wallet. So, stick with that old battery until it dies -just dont expect any sympathy from me when you end up with a bad airbag, top control, engine or other module gone bad.

Funny, I'm a 34 year veteran electronics technician (Now a Field Applications Engineer with JVCKenwood) and even I screwed up, didn't I? I guess I can't bite anyone else's head off if I knew better and still procrastinated.

 

I will never understand why anyone will keep a battery in their car just because it still works
If a battery is a 5 or 6 year battery then replace it at 5 or 6 years.
Why wait for it to die and run the risks Mark mentioned here ?
30 minutes of your time and maybe $130.00 gonna set ya back really

I fully agree with Pizzaguy which I personally know very well !!!

 

I also agree with pizzaguy's comments, although I think he was a little blunt! You think! My experience is like others - nearly every car battery I've had in my vehicles over the years has lasted somewhere between 4 & 5 years. And that goes for both OEM versions & after-market. Battery life is a function of use. And so the typical car owner drives 12k-15k miles per year and subjects the battery to thousands of car starts in 4-5 years. And the car starts drive the battery wear. So we all tend to get the same battery life. Some do better; some do worse.

I replaced my XFire's OEM (VARTA) battery earlier this year with a Duracell Ultra 48H6 from Batteries Plus. Cost me $145 & change. Would have bought the Walmart Everstart MAXX but both stores near me were completely out of the XFire H6 battery. You might want to consider either Costco or Sam's Club for a car battery. Their prices are usually reasonable. You'll find that, depending on who's battery you buy, the fitment in the XFire battery tray might be slightly off from the OEM VARTA. Batteries meet a specific spec for capability, but the allowance on cases can be a little different. Never really understood this fact, but recognize it exists. So, if you scan the various posts on the forum, you'll see where folks have some experience on what they did to get the specific aftermarket battery to be securely mounted. The Duracell I have is slightly higher than the OEM battery. So I modified (bent) the holddown clamp slightly so it wouldn't be applying excessive force to the nearest edge.

Lots of folks look down their noses at the Walmart Everstart battery. But I've used them often over the years and have it in a couple of my other vehicless right now. And as folks have said, they last about 4-5 years.

No matter which battery you buy, they all come from about 3 or 4 battery manufacturers. They simply use a different case and maybe build to a specific spec depending on the retailer. Trust me on this - Walmart is not in the car battery manufacturing business! They buy it from somebody. And if I was a car battery manufacturer, I want that contract!

 

When I bought my 2004 XF in April 2015, a friend, from the Forum here noticed that the battery was the ORIGINAl Varta and suggested I change it out because of the sensitive electronics in the car. I did. I got what Steve C. suggested, a glass mat battery from Advanced Auto. They even installed it. Without disconnecting the electronics. The total cost after the specials etc. cost me right around $120.00 It will be re-placed in April 2020 (pocket change)

 

AGM battery is the least I will buy for anything, I even have AGM batteries in my car, truck, tractor, jeep, wife's car, lawn mower, garden tractor.
If anything, don't have to deal with the corosion on the terminals that you will have to deal with on a normal battery.

I have a good battery supply store close by, that is all the sell batteries and chargers, and repair chargers and batteries.
Prices are always alot better there for the same product than chain stores.

 

I'm not too sure about the lack of terminal corrosion, it is caused mostly by acidic vapours leaking up a very fine gape between the terminal and the plastic case. It does not happen so much these days as when the batteries had cases made from pitch.

 

Absorbed Glass Matt batteries have fiberglass matte between the plates instead of water, so they can be sealed batteries and do not need to be vented, thus do not have the vapors like a standard flooded battery has.
I have 6 agm batteries in use atm and all the terminals are perfect, when my wife got her new dodge was 1 year and there was corosion on the terminals, before I changed it out.
How are the terminals on your lawn mower, I even have a agm battery in my ztr mower, and no corrosion.
Yes loose posts will definitely accelerate and add alot of corosion fast, but the corosion caused by electrolysis is a by product of all batteries but the biggest problem of standard flooded batteries is the leaking and sweating which builds on the terminals.
There are several things that can cause corrosion a bad post is only one, but just saying a agm battery solves most problems and far less chance for corrosion.
Do you want me to go out and take pics of all the terminals I have??
Some have had there agm batteries in for years and terminals are clean.

 

I think that you should look in to AGM battery design, they have vents and they use acid not water. We agree that fumes can cause corrosion if they escape near a terminal even if the acid is held by the mat quite securely.
I have three wet cell 12 volt batteries and none have or have had terminal
corrosion.
I agree that the AGM batteries are more secure against leaks, but they can leak fumes as that is the byproduct of the charging cycle for one.

 

Both gel and AGM batteries de-gas like flooded batteries, but since they are sealed, the gasses are reabsorbed into the electrolyte, keeping them functional longer. Both types of batteries can release their charge faster than flooded batteries, which is an important function. In order to provide a larger level of cranking amperage, a flooded battery must be much larger, as a typical flooded battery is limited in how much charge it can release at one time. Gel and AGM batteries can release more charge at once. This means that gel cell and AGM batteries can fit in a smaller case while providing more amperage.

From napa.
Keyword "sealed"

AGM or Absorbed Glass Mat batteries are the most efficient of the lead-acid design. AGM batteries use a fiberglass separator to keep the electrolyte between the lead plates. This makes AGM style batteries extremely stable in any position, even upside down.

Can't use a battery with vents upside down.

 

Here's link to a good reference on AGM Batteries (Advantages & Limitations). Overall site is a good reference for all types of batteries.

AGM Batteries (Advantages & Limitations)

 

AGM is the preferred battery for upscale motorcycles. Being sealed, AGM reduces acid spilling in an accident, lowers the weight for the same performance and allows installation at odd angles.

Ty, dedward
That site says sealed also.

 

Motorcycles are not 4 wheeled crossfires! AGM batteries in a car/truck is a personal preference. AGM batteries in vehicles that tend to lean/flip/roll/climb, or any other geometry are preferred since wet cells can and do leak when other than level by a few degrees. So, if you plan on parking on or continually climbing and decending steep hills (or sideways on hills), buy an AGM battery. IF the wet cell is filled properly, and your charging system is not defective or damaged, you should not have a problem with post corrosion. For the batteries that leak around the posts and cause corrosion, regular maintenance for that battery (cleaned and kept clean) is fine. This discussion is starting to look like the 'oil' preferences (and the like) posts!

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Just copied a post out of the link that was posted by dedward. That says agm is sealed.

Just cause I stated I like agm batteries better since they don't have corrosion problems flooded batteries have.

 

I have an AGM battery and it has vents. You can use an AGM upside down with the vents down because the acid is contained in the matting.

 

Are you talking about the pop off / one way that is built into a agm battery that are set to a certain psi that is a safety incase of overcharging so they do not blow up if over charged.
Completely different than a vent.

 

The Valve Regulated Lead Acid battery (VRLA) is not what I have. Mine is vented in the same fashion as the old wet cell battery.
These AGM batteries give off gases just like the old wet cells do, they give off less gas, most being reabsorbed as you say but when the charging system runs wild they get over charged, give of more gases and can spark inside causing an explosion. That is why the gases should be led from the battery to the outside air. Batteries that are in the trunk definitely require exterior venting because of this reason.
If your battery has the hole in each end at the top as the old ones did then you should add the vent hose or trap and the plug in the hole against the fire wall. My AGM battery came with one plug in the firewall end, I added the vent trap of course.


I use the old Varta trap that was OEM.

 

Over charging and heat makes hydrogen gas, why it is explosive, I have dealt with hydrogen many times.



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This is the agm in my truck, it just has the pop offs for each cell, been in my truck for atleast 6 years, just took the terminal off so the battery doesn't drain dead with brake lights, I am changing out the power brake booster, so pedal is loose and brake lights would be on.
Never coated the terminals or done anything to them since sealed batteries.
Would like to see a standard flooded battery that has terminals this clean without treating them for this long.

The agm in my golden jubilee tractor, the battery gets rained on and terminals just as clean.