How long did your battery last?

I'm coming up on 4 years now on my battery and wondering what other's experiences have been - how long should I expect my battery to last?
I'd rather replace it before it strands me, but is 4 years too soon to be worth it?

You could have a load test done on it. Me after 4 years she'd be gone. You asked so that's my $0.02
Ask someone to get you one for Christmas.

Mine gave up at a few months before 3-years. I was thinking maybe every 5-years based on previous experience, but it didn't happen. I had what I thought was an intercooler episode. It was bitter cold during the coldest days of the winter last year. I parked overnight in the garage after being parked out in the cold until pretty late at night and then driving a bit of a distance to get home. It really was terribly cold that night and there was also considerable moisture too. It even snowed a little, but not so much that the roads were bad. The next morning I managed to start the car with a jump and after some sputtering I drove the car to the dealer. When they checked the car they said my battery was bad.

From some other posts, it sounds like maybe the batteries aren't what they used to be. I've also ready they're not really maintenance free and can benefit from adding water. I've never checked mine. I've also read that modern cars simply draw too much charge with all of the electronics and that contributes to earlier battery failures. I honestly don't know if any of that is true. I simply read it on some posts on the forums.

Check the density. Add distilled water if needed. Recharge with the charger after that.

I generally replace them every 5 years, on the money, without question.

But with that in mind, my parents have a 2001 Civic that has the same battery as it had the day it rolled off the factory floor.

Borrowed time.

wsktdi said:

I'm coming up on 4 years now on my battery and wondering what other's experiences have been - how long should I expect my battery to last?
I'd rather replace it before it strands me, but is 4 years too soon to be worth it?

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Mine died a year and a half ago at about three and a half years. Be glad for every day you turn the key and the starter purrs. The best deal for a new one came from my dealer.

mine lasted right at five years.

if there was a reliable way to measure and predict life, it would be built into the car.

too many variables.

so how long do you plan to drive the car,

what is the most expensive place you stop if the battery died there?

what would it cost you to get a ride, pick up battery, return to car, install battery, and return old one.

this could help you decide.

do you go into the mountains in the winter? if so, might want a new one. if around home, you could wait for a slow turn.

mine never turned slow, just quit.

i did note the indicated CCA on a meter I purchased decreased prior to the end of life. in order to really use this, you need a history on the specific battery you test.

This is discouraging. I replaced the battery in my '02 after 8 years because it seemed reluctant to start on a -15F morning in Detroit. My colleague used it for another two years. I expected similar life from my '12 Golf. Maybe not.

Wait until it fails and buy a new one. That is what they make booster cables and jump boxes. My Ford one lasted 10 yrs, my Jeep one lasted 9 yrs.

Donald

This will be my 4th winter on the original in my 2010 JSW. So far, so good. Although I carry jumper cables, these diesels require a hefty starting current and, at least with my previous TDI, I found it can be difficult to make an adequate connection to VW battery terminals for a jump start. That's why I also like to have a small jump starter in the vehicle which can connect to the battery and share it's charge for 15 minutes or so before attempting a start.

2 years on the factory '11 JSW battery. Walmart battery now in place.

Mine lasted 5 years and 3 months from the day the car was built. I replaced it with an AGM battery which is supposed to last longer.

Just swapped mine out after 2.5 years and 120k miles in the 2011 Golf. It started acting up in the cold and I didn't wanna be stranded, so I swapped it with the battery from my MK2 since that car is on the shelf for the winter.

I put the dead battery on a trickle charger and will top it off with water and keep it charged over the winter to give it a try when it gets warm again. Gotta get my moneys worth somehow...

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8 years and a few days..........

Mine died after 2.5 years/53k miles. Didn't think I was too harsh on it, but apparently it gave up the ghost last month. Checked the water levels and it seem okay. Just bought another factory battery since it was cheaper than going anywhere else (plus they had it in stock)

Maybe i got a weak battery from the factory, who knows.... ymmv

Up here in the Frozen North, I'd say 4 or 5 years ought to be just about the limit for a car battery. Mine will be starting its third winter, so I'm watching it like a hawk after this season.

The battery in my 2010 started showing weakness in this fall of 2013. Three-ish years is all I ever got out of 94R's in my 1999.5 MK4 TDI. I don't drive this one or the previous one daily.

3.5 years. After the last "cold front" here in Austin, it just didn't have the cranking amps. Also the hot Texas summer temps of 100F+ usually kill batteries in a couple of years.

OEM Battery is 12 years old with 170k miles on my ALH. Load tested last winter and it checks out 96% good. Still going strong. It spent 5 winters in VT with sub zero temperatures in college too. I don't think they make them like this anymore.

I had been driving a 4 year old Golf TDI with the original battery (129K miles) but the light was out, so I suspect it was due for replacement. Never had a problem starting though.

Batteries are like cats, they have a certain # of lives, kill em dead a few times and the clock is really ticking!

I work aids to navigation, we run batteries 6 years on solar chargers, if the system is properly maintained they are very reliable. This is off the coast of Maine mind you, its god damned unpleasant and dark in January. Heat, short trips, bitter cold, long periods of rest (ie over a week) and rough roads / fast acceleration and deceleration (imagine g forces acting on 50 lbs of lead plates who rely on precise alignment and insulation from each other in a bath of electrolyte to work properly)

All these things conspire to kill your battery. If you drive in conditions like this you will likely see a pathetic battery life.

Now if none of those things apply to you, you will likely see above average longevity.

Parting shot:

Take a battery of a given form factor (size) and chemistry (sealed led acid) and weigh it. if it is heavier it has more lead in it, lead is expensive, only reason to put more expensive heavy **** in a battery is that it makes a better battery, period.

3 years is about all I ever get out of a battery here in south Fl. From the heat perhaps???

2011 JSW, 55k miles. Just got the code 2101 Throttle Valve Actuator valve.

Took it in to my guru, they ran the test and said that my battery voltage was only 11.6v at fault occurrence and replaced the battery.. No more fault code and working fine.

Looks like only 2.5 years for me on my battery..

Mine was good for almost 3.5 years - it didn't actually die, and the car always started on the first crank, however, I could tell that the CCA had lessened once the cold weather arrived. It was cranking, but a lot slower. It was entering the fourth winter and I didn't want to be stuck.

The best part of the story is that after waiting 2 hours for the car at the dealer (yes, the dealer) the advisor came out and said their testing yielded a "code" that allowed them to replace the battery under warranty.

Sometimes things can work out.

2005 Jetta TDI wagon with 400+ K's, still with original battery--still great even at -27c the other day----just lucky I guess

Funny seeing this thread for the last few days... Had to put a charger on the battery this morning as all it could do was a few weak cranks and no more... got it started after the quick charge... let it run for a good 30-45 min along with the drive to work. 8 hours later... cant get a single crank out of it.

RIP OEM batt. 2 years, 4 months, 53k miles.

J

Did everyone with a 2009+ TDI get a 72Ah battery from the factory or did some come with 80Ah?

pleopard said:

Did everyone with a 2009+ TDI get a 72Ah battery from the factory or did some come with 80Ah?

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My '10 has a 72Ah

GearheadzTV said:

3 years is about all I ever get out of a battery here in south Fl. From the heat perhaps???

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Yep. I can attest that Texas summers kill batteries as well.

as do Arizona summers we get 2-4 years out of a battery (mine experience has been less than 3 years) and our previous 2011 JSW TDI lasted approx 2 years.