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nightmare69 wrote:

jmra wrote:I don't think I've ever had a battery that didn't last at least 5 years.

Walmart brand neverstart last 2-3yrs. I only buy the factory motorcraft brand for my fords.

Sorry to burst your Motorcraft bubble, but the "factory Motorcraft brand" isn't made by Ford...they are manufactured by Johnson Controls, as are most of the other auto manufacturer's OEM batteries. Johnson Controls also makes batteries for other retail brands sold under various names such as Interstate, Everstart, Diehard, Energizer, and so on. There are only 3 or 4 battery manufacturers that produce them for everyone else but 80% are made by Johnson Controls or Exide. Johnson Controls is the biggest, second is Exide...GM used to make it's own under the Delco brand. but they sold it to Johnson Controls several years ago. Both Johnson Controls and Exide produce batteries sold by Walmart under their Everstart store label.

ELB wrote:

talltex wrote: ...I carry a spare battery to fit my truck and one to fit my wife's Jeep in my tool box at all times.

Interesting. How long does a battery last on the shelf...or in the tool box... when it is not being used?

I usually give them a slow charge after 3 months, but I don't think I've ever carried one for more than 6 months before I used it in something. When I need to replace a battery on something in inventory, I use one out of the toolbox if it fits, and then replace it with a new one at that time, so they are continually being rotated out. If it's a top post, they don't usually stay in toolbox long enough to need a charge. I was driving a GMC HD2500 4x4 Crew Cab for a couple of years, and because GM's are about the only ones that use the sidemount screw in terminals, I didn't rotate through them as fast, and did give them a charge occasionally.

I've been in the automotive industry for 35+ years, and have dealt with literally thousands of battery issues. Currently, there is NO surefire way to predict how long a battery will last. 20 years ago, you could tell when a battery began to get weak, and once you hit that point it might last a few months or a few weeks. The technology and construction changed and now they either start fine or not at all. When they fail now it's almost always an internal short and it goes out suddenly with no warning. I've gotten in my truck at the dealership and it started fine, drive a mile to the Post Office to get mail and walk back out and it won't even try to turn over. I carry a spare battery to fit my truck and one to fit my wife's Jeep in my tool box at all times. Last year, we drove my wife's 11 month old Grand Cherokee 30 miles to eat supper in Waco and when we came out and I turned the key I heard and felt a loud bang...saw smoke coming out from under the hood, opened it and the positive cable on the battery was melted onto the terminal and the top of the battery case had been blown apart so the seam along one side was separated from the base. THAT was the first time I'd ever seen one do that, in spite of all those years of not wearing any kind of protective glasses or anything else when jump starting them. I'd say on average most batteries SHOULD last 3-4 years if driving a lot in city...if it's mostly highway driving with fewer starts and stops 4-5 years....but again, they CAN go out anytime.