Battery life

How long do original equipment batteries typically last in a temperate
climate, i.e., So. Calif. (so, no hard, sub-0 cranking, etc.)? Specific car:
'01 2.4T. Given all the little motors and fans that run on this thing even
when it's turned off, my guess is (a) the OE battery is heavier duty than
you'd find in some other cars; and/or (b) it has to "work" harder than most.
I checked with the Volvo service writer this morning, and he said some get
four years, and they've seen some go four and a half. But, when it comes to
batteries, you never know. I like to change them before the wife gets stuck
somewhere. The savings from squeezing out another 1,000 miles, or month, or
three, or whatever, from an old battery isn't worth the worry. We're at
three years now. Recommendations?

 

3-4 years.

 

My experience in Florida is that a no-maintance batteries last 2-3 years and
regular(you can add water) with caps type are good for 4-5 years. All will
fail sooner if they are deep cycled more than a few times, especially
no-maintance types. eddie

 

Changed mine last week, S80 2,9 -99. But I live in the cold northern
country of sweden at the same latitude as Anchorage.

 

IMHO the genuine Volvo batteries last far longer than anything else on the
market for some reason.

'93 850- new battery required in '99.
'97 S70 - Still on original.

Tim..

 

" Tim (Remove NOSPAM. Registry corupted, reformated HD and lost alot of

No offense...

'98 S70- original battery left me stranded* in '01, just over 50,000 miles.

Car started up fine, I drove a few miles to store, and when I came out the
engine would not crank- not enough juice. I got it push started (manual
transmission). No warning, battery worked perfectly up until that point, so
I figure one of the cells must have completely failed during the short
drive.


*I have booster cables, but push starting seemed easier at the time.

 

[Jim Carriere] (Mon, 19 Jan 2004 15:04:23 -0500):

Not recommended on new cars..

 

I have a 2000 (got it in Nov. of '99) S40 w/110,000 miles and the original
battery. Started right up today and it was only 8 degrees out. If I would
have thought about it before now, I probably would have replaced it before
this winter.

 

recommend you wrap your battery in a blanket during cold weather - like
single digits temps and double digit wind chills. My battery crystallized
and became useless during our recent cold snap here in Boston.

steve

 

My original 1995 850 Turbo battery lasted 44,000 miles and 2.7 years
(Delaware, USA - we do have cold winters). First replacement (Delco maint
free) lasted 2.7 years and 41,000 miles. Second replacement (Delco maint
free) lasted 2.8 years and 40,000 miles. Current battery (Kirkland from
Costco) just installed 2 months ago and doing well; it is half the price of
a replacement from Volvo dealer or the Delco dealer and has a better
warranty - 36 months free replacement, 100 month prorated replacement.
Hopefully, it will last at least the 3 years of free replacement.

My wifes car, 1996 850 Turbo, original battery lasted 5.2 years and 28,000
miles. First replacement (Volvo dealer battery) lasted 2.8 years but had
not yet failed after an additional 14,000 miles. Replaced proactively with
a Kirkland battery, same as on the 1995, two months ago.

 

A new battery is not a fool proof option. Most batteries either fail
soon after installation or at their normal end of life. Sears Die Hards
have a rather large rate of early failure. The only fail-safe option is
to get your wife a road service policy and a cell phone.

By the way, I have gotten 7 years out of an original equipment Volvo
battery and only 1.5 years out of a Sears DieHard International battery
with a 1-1/2 year full replacement limited warranty, 72 month limited
warranty. We are having 0F weather but most batteries here die early in
the summer when it is hot. If they die in the winter, it is usually
because they are worn out.

 

In my experience it seems like the battery fails before the warranty runs
out and that the battery lifetime is meaningless. Its a gimmick so that you
come back to them for replacements. I learned to ignore the the life of the
battery (36 to 72 months) and buy the one with the most cold cranking
amperes. They seem to last the longest.

 

The main difference between a 36 month battery and a 72 month battery is
the distance between the bottom of the plates and the bottom of the
battery. This determines how much crap can pile up below the plates
before they short out. To gain space you need tighter tolerace plates
which cost more, hence the higher cost for the same cranking capacity.