How long have your batteries last?

ITSANSS · Post by **ITSANSS** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 5:40 pm

2003 Dodge Neon SXT

Totaleded in late 2003 at 7,000 miles.

Sat in my buddy's field until six months ago.

Would have to jump battery every time to move the car around the shop.

I bought the Neon to park my SS Monte Carlo. Charged the battery at 50 amps until it started to smoke and then it worked perfectly for three months in the Neon with two 12" subwoofers and 600w monoblock amplifier.

Had an Optima Red Top in my MC SS that I decided was too expensive to let sit. Threw the Red Top in the Neon and threw the factory Neon battery into my buddy's gasoline golf cart. Works great to this day and on that golf cart there is an Alpine head unit, four Bose speakers, two fog lights, KC spot light, and water squirters (my idea, of course) rigged up with a windshield washer motor from a 1992 Camaro and windshield washer squirters from a 1980 school bus.

Moral of the this story...

If a battery won't hold a charge...cook it at 50 amps for a while and you just might be surprised.

2005.Neon.SXT · Post by **2005.Neon.SXT** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 11:21 pm

excon wrote:
MyNeonSaysHi wrote:Are there any signs when it starts to go bad?

I can monitor the battery voltage on my AE scan gauge.
Slow cranking, taking forever to get to start, and jumping the battery when it finally dies.

What about a voltmeter bouncing around between 13.0V and 13.3V? Mine has sat without being driven for 7 months last year when I was deployed. This year, it's sat through the month of April when we were in Virginia for training and June when we were in Cali. Both times car died and had to be jumped when I got back.

Dimas · Post by **Dimas** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 12:47 am

Don't know if I'm in the right spot for most likely not, I have a Duralast red top from Autozone me thinks, well about 2 days ago my car wouldn't start, it makes the clicking noise, I just replaced the damn starter and the same problem.

I did the "clutch start" and rev the engine a couple of times and even had a friend jump it a bit, only a temporary fix apparently. My battery is less than a year I believe, the car may have sat around for a good 6 months while I was in Afghan, so that probably might have done it.

Any suggestions on a real reliable battery?

LilSparkPlug · Post by **LilSparkPlug** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:51 am

My OEM battery lasted from July of 04 to September of 06. Because the car sat for a few months when I was painting it without a tender...it died.

Then I bought a cheap battery from Autozone, that lasted me from September of 06 to June of 08. Water got into my HID relay and tripped the power....it killed the battery overnight. I could have charged it, but went to the dealer and bought a new one and I've had it ever since.

My batteries last me around 50k or so....but then again there's usually something that kills them in between.

vielecustoms · Post by **vielecustoms** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:50 am

Dimas wrote:Don't know if I'm in the right spot for most likely not, I have a Duralast red top from Autozone me thinks, well about 2 days ago my car wouldn't start, it makes the clicking noise, I just replaced the damn starter and the same problem.

I did the "clutch start" and rev the engine a couple of times and even had a friend jump it a bit, only a temporary fix apparently. My battery is less than a year I believe, the car may have sat around for a good 6 months while I was in Afghan, so that probably might have done it.

Any suggestions on a real reliable battery?

have the battery tested.(autozone and advance are free) it may just need a charge. if you are going to leave the car sitting in the future it would be a good idea to check into a memory saver and a battery disconnect. to keep any voltage leaks (alarm, accessorys etc..) from killing the battery while your away.

CSMaverick07 · Post by **CSMaverick07** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:08 am

Up until July of this year I was running a replacement mopar battery from a servicing in 2004. I've driven my car nearly everyday since I got it in 2007, and never had any problems with it. Around June though every time I would start the car the cluster gauges would run through their diagnostic and I could never figure out what it was. Then slow cranking came in, and finally a couple weeks later it was toast

. I was surprised it lasted as long as it did.

Hudson_Neon · Post by **Hudson_Neon** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 2:24 pm

ok, nov. '03 till jan. '09... she lasted quite nice

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:18 pm

I expect my new oversized battery to last a long time. If not, it has a 3 year free replacement, and a 9 year pro-rate =)

toddw814 · Post by **toddw814** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 2:46 am

i know when i worked in a garage we tested and sold batteries and on the average your suppose to change the batteries every 3 to 5 years
the tranny fluid is once every 2 years or 30,000 mile along with the radiator fluid unless you run go5 fluid or toyota red then its onc every 2 year or 50,000 miles
more info then you needed lol but it helps