Do you change your car battery only when it fails, or do you do so proactively? If so, roughly when? (I am interested mostly in people who live in the north vs southern owners where battery lifespan is shortened due to the heat)

Other:

Just tested my 6.5 year old battery with a multimeter. Everything looks good.

Will likely check again when temps drop in winter and see how it is then.

I hate being stranded with a dead battery. Years ago I lived in Edmonton AB where temps drop to -40 in winter, and in that environment I replaced batteries after so long. No one wants to be stuck at -40 with an inoperative car.

Now I live in Southern Ontario, so a lot milder.

 

For me, I just wait until the battery craps out. I have 4 cars and can always use another. I also have AAA service for jumps and tows so I really don't worry. However, in Pennsylvania we don't get to experience very much minus weather. Mostly around 10F to low thirties during winter. Changing a battery in the winter can be a PITA but I've done it in about 30 minutes...
My last Lexus still had the original battery when I sold it after 6 years. My Avalon also had a 6 year old battery when I traded it. My '66 Corvette had a 9 year old battery when it crapped out... Been lucky I guess...Since I retired and don't have to make any flights or meetings, I don't worry...

 

If your car is a daily driver, it will live a little longer. When it fails you on a crank, it is a sign that it has to be retired. In your case 6.5 is a long time. If it were me, I will not push it after 7 years. You got 6 months to prep a new battery. I always get mine from Costco.

 

Thanks for the comments. It's not a daily driver due to Covid (and recently I retired). And yes, it will be from Costco--that's what prompted me thinking about it. I was at Costco today and saw they have the right size for me.

 

Generally I swap them out proactively. And normally I have them tested at 4 years and if they're still good, I'll keep them til they're 5 years old.. at 5 years of age I swap them out for a new one just to be safe. Ironic you ask this today as I have a battery charger on my Interstate battery in my Lexus right now. Never had one crap out on me before 5 years, but this one died at 3 years 7 months. If interstate will honor the pro rated warranty and give me 45% off as the warranty claims, then I'll get another Interstate. If not, I'll run up to the local NAPA store and get one of their batteries which are made by East Penn.

 

Batteries are cheap. I swap them out every 3 years and sell the old one if it’s still in good condition.

 

A load tester will give you a good assessment of battery strength over a multimeter. I am fortunate to have a friend that owns a service station, and get to work on all my cars there. From what I have seen in his shop, most batteries are good for about 5 years. Some fail in 3 years, and a few have made it to 7 years. I have seen a few alternators burn out from working too hard to charge a weak battery.
I changed out my 2016 ES350 battery this spring. The Interstate batteries seem to be pretty good, and they pro rate if they fail prematurely.
With the dependence of cars today on electronics, I think it is important to make sure the battery and charging system are in top shape.

 

Load tester is not a 100% guarantee, I’ve experienced multiple batteries becoming dead when only a week ago or so load test was perfectly fine. As a general rule, replace regardless every 4-5 years. Battery is cheap compared to aggregation….

 

The DIY load testers are rubbish.

 

I probably spend more money than necessary, but I replace all wear items that may leave me stranded proactively. I worked on aircraft most of my life and that is my mindset. Nowhere to pull over up there.
- Hoses, belts, battery (including key fob) etc.
- Brakes, tires, wiper blades, filters and other like items have warning signs and will not leave you in a parking lot.
- Starter, alternator, pumps etc. are left to chance and a rollback truck if needed.
I change the fuel pump on every vehicle at 150,000 miles. There are 2 kinds of fuel pumps. One that leaves you stranded and one that is going to leave you stranded.

Yes, I am not normal........

 

Yes I really don’t get the mindset of letting something fail before replacing.

That’s not how we operate assets that we depend on.

 

I can get the battery replaced via CAA/AAA at a reasonable cost and they come right to my driveway, test it and replace if needed (assuming it happens at home). Bit more than going to Costco, but very convenient. Not the only car we have and since I am retired, don't have to worry about being late for work, etc. I have used their service twice on previous cars and was satisfied with their service and response time.

In any case, appears the battery is in good shape right now, so not going to fret about it. I generally don't replace a fridge, stove, light bulb at home until it fails.

 

I now carry a quick shot charger. In the past I would wait until the lights would dim when the starter cranked and then put the main battery charger on it. If the battery weakened again in a week or so I figured something was wrong and I’d look at the system…sometimes clean and reclamp the battery cables. Also would check the voltage at the battery terminals. Always carry a set of jumper cables as well. I had one garage tell me I really needed to replace the battery (even though it would crank over just fine even in winter)…drove it for another 4 years with no issues. Replaced the factory original battery once on the old 2003 Camry at somewhere around 120,000 miles (same time as I did the plugs), and passed the car on when it had 180,000 miles and 16 years later. It was my daily driver and commuter…65 miles round trip 5/7. Now that I’m retired, the ES is kept in the garage and I’ll do the same but put a charger on it overnight every 4-6 months just to keep it topped up (short, multiple hops/starter cranking during covid will slowly drain the battery…high running electric load does not leave as much residual power for charging as in the ‘old’ days). We also have a second car so there is always a quick rescue handy. However, I get that you guys living and working in (much) hotter climates have a bigger issue and a preventive ‘strike’ may be a wise move. Generally speaking, batteries are one of (if not the) lowest frequency replacement items in the lifetime of my vehicles.

 

If you have a car that is not used daily, highly suggest that you use a battery maintainer with quick disconnects.

I have 2 cars in the garage (not daily drivers) and I have permanently installed battery tenders with quick disconnects (so laziness does not factor in). Knock on wood, the batteries on these 2 are 4+ years and they still crank good.

 

No, I wait till it fails. I do however carry a portable jump starter so I can get back on the road if it dies on me in the middle of nowhere. The battery I got from autozone (Duralast Gold) lasted about 4.5 years. I decided to go with Costco's interstate line and I'm hoping it will last similar or longer.