When to change battery

[nazerath]

What is the usual price of batt now? For me I will change it n keep n keep a spre if going on long trips, of course it needs to be charged at home before bring out. Jumper cables too.

[Rm2s]

Ask yourself some basic questions:

 

1. am I travelling out of Singapore?

2. do I die die need to drive if batt died w/o warning?

3. do I have recovery service at hand like jump-start service provided by some insurers, AA, etc?

4. can I afford downtime of about 1-2 hours?

 

Just keep some mobile battery shop, AA, insurer's w/s numbers in your phone.

 

For me, I wait until battery dies off unless I am driving out to MY and the batt is already 2 YO.

 

No right or wrong answers, but just some consideration and expectation of your car.

 

 

 

Good advice. I've kept the number of one of the mobile persons in my phone. It is just that battery tends to hit at the time when you needed the car most; likely going to work in the morning!

[Kangadrool]

If rushing for important meeting, then bad. But, cab call in SG is easy compared to many other cities. Going to work? Just call office up and tell them you'll be late. It's easy. Going back home? Also easy 'cos it takes about 1 hour or at most 2 hours down time for replacement batt to arrive. Just keep a few numbers and see which one works out a better deal in shorter time.

 

 

Good advice. I've kept the number of one of the mobile persons in my phone. It is just that battery tends to hit at the time when you needed the car most; likely going to work in the morning!

 

[Ktglfc]

In order not to inconvenience myself and everyone, I will just change every 2 years.

Experience come from hard lesson learnt when i stuck in hdb carpark, with kids crying for sleep.

[JJaassoonn]

Check your battery when u send your ride for servicing, once it reach 18 month.

[Yeobh]

Autobacs got free battery test with report. Went to test last yr March 13 n was told to replace battery. Now June 14 me still using same unchanged battery

 

There's more than one way to put he lead acid battery to extreme test ( high discharge - simulating starting or full electrical load on )

In the good old days and still use by professional to double check battery tested by induction sampling method - this method uses a a S.G. hydrometer. Very accurate as it test the diluted sulhpric acid S.G. )

The next method is to us a volt meter and load device ( rheostats). The load device will be gradually set to the battery amp/hr rating .If you do not have loading device, you can do crank testing by disable the coils. The other method is to run the engine and switch on all the electrical acc. including air con.

To make it simple for mech, equipment makes make high discharge testers with fix resistance wire to take the loading - normally 60 to 100amp

The lastest tester is a sampling inductor tester that from time to time may not faithfully test the true.

[Eyke]

i bought this: http://www.ctek.com/gb/en/chargers/MXS%205.0%20TEST%20AND%20CHARGE for testing and charging

[Yeobh]

Car manufacturers have put in so many new techs in car but somehow no one developed a reliable way to tell battery life. A simple light turn on to say battery will die within a month or something would be so useful. Given that the car computer probably know the driving habits and usage pattern of each car, I always wonder why can't it be done?

 

My battery also just past 1.5 years, always like not sure if I should change. Change too early waste money not changing may inconvenient myself.

 

Back in the 80's I did come across a write up /design from a NZ auto electrician engineer suggesting placing a slim ( probably half the width of the normal 60amphr battery ) slave battery about 18amp hr side by side to the main battery. The slave or stand by battery will be connected to the main battery via a voltage/amp control solenoid. The slave battery will stay idle and be

continuously charged and will be activated when the main battery voltage drop below 9.5volt when cranking.

With availability of dual battery control circuit board designed mainly for caravan and 4 x4 off road vehicles, one can easily set up such system especially for those whose vehicles that are heavily loaded with electrical acc and high powered ICE.

[Alphas]

I think many ppl here got it wrong, a multimeter won't be able to tell you how good your battery will perform when you crank your engine to start.

 

What pros use is a battery analyzer like this...

 

It test batteries using a series of short Pulsed DC Impedance method. This testing method is more accurate than conventional resistance load testing.

 

For those who use a multimeter or a volt gauge meter. That will not tell you the condition of the battery. In fact you will see fluctuation in the voltage while your engine is running becoz of the gadgets, headlights and entertainment you are running in your car.

 

The figures in CCA will usually reflects the battery's health. Sometimes ppl do look at the load resistance as well. The lower resistance the easier to crank. The healthy figures are around 400CCA to 500 CCA depending on the size of your car's battery.

 

Unfortunately, this device cost a whopping US$200+ or slightly over S$300 not including shipping. You can buy this online. Or you can just go to your AD to ask them to measure and test the battery for you when you do your servicing. The AD workshop should have at least one of such battery analyzer. Some outside workshops have it too but not all. Some tire & battery shops that I see dun even have this analyzer which is sad. Some have a pathetic device to display green or red light to determine the battery's health.

 

That's why when ppl go to get a battery, those selling will just action action use a multimeter and smoke customers, telling them the battery is no good. They dun even use a correct device to analyze the battery and they dare tell ppl the battery is no good. Better be careful of such shops you go to.

 

 

 

Autobacs have this and testing battery is free, just go every alternate year to check your batt health, done in 5 mins.

 

[Hamburger]

for car that is 2L and above, just change it at 18 months regardless of what.

 

once i bragged in front of my friends how well my batt was when it was 18 months old.

 

Next thing i know, it die on me without any crank. Really throw face lao kiu....

[FourZero]

My stand will be to check with ur reliable workshop tat u untrust ur car with on wat is the battery lifespan of ur car normally. And change base I their recommendation tat u trust on.

Different car different battery lifespan. Some needs to change every year also.

Cheers 😃

[Tireburner]

Took delivery of my car in Jan 2009. The stock battery went dead in April 2011, 2 years n 3 months later.

 

The replacement battery is still in use after 3 years 2 months. Not sure of how long more it would last, but hope it would not be tomorrow cos I gotta go to work! In case it does, will just call Borneo recovery service.

Edited June 22, 2014 by Tireburner

[Kb27]

Around 2 yrs, you should get your battery checked for cca. Any reading less than 70% of the battery specs, you should replaced it asap.

 

Depending on cars and driver's habit, battery may last longer or shorter, but average is 2 yrs.

[Jaspok]

Y dun just install a digital voltmeter to monitor yr batt?

I learnt it the hard way & had no worries after install one. No need to guess, test or ponder abt yr batt.

 

Under $50 can get a decent 1 + install

[Alpha78]

Took delivery of my car in Jan 2009. The stock battery went dead in April 2011, 2 years n 3 months later.

 

The replacement battery is still in use after 3 years 2 months. Not sure of how long more it would last, but hope it would not be tomorrow cos I gotta go to work! In case it does, will just call Borneo recovery service.

 

Using the second Amaron battery on my ride, first one was used for 2 years and 8 months before changing, it felt fine but I had to change it due to an important event. Current one has been in use for 2 years and 1 month, still going strong.

 

Some people said Amaron batteries can last 3 to 4 years easily, not sure how far it's true. But now that I have on-board camera with Power Magic cut-off, and it's set to cut-off at 12V, it did cut-off a couple of times when I didn't drive for a week. But the battery still managed to crank on first try.

[TVT]

Car manufacturers have put in so many new techs in car but somehow no one developed a reliable way to tell battery life. A simple light turn on to say battery will die within a month or something would be so useful. Given that the car computer probably know the driving habits and usage pattern of each car, I always wonder why can't it be done?

 

 

Actually the battery itself has a indicator on top. Like my Amaron battery it shows green colour if the battery is healthy, and grey colour if it is going "bad" soon.....

 

My question is: is this indicator accurate ?

 

[Kangadrool]

it's as accurate as predicting 4D and Toto results.

 

 

Actually the battery itself has a indicator on top. Like my Amaron battery it shows green colour if the battery is healthy, and grey colour if it is going "bad" soon.....

 

My question is: is this indicator accurate ?

 

[Bieffe]

 

Actually the battery itself has a indicator on top. Like my Amaron battery it shows green colour if the battery is healthy, and grey colour if it is going "bad" soon.....

 

My question is: is this indicator accurate ?

 

definitely not accurate. I've genna a few false results. Macham pregnancy test kit w/0 99% accuracy.