My SSR: 05 Blur-Mike in AZ fan,Mirrors,Trans Cooler,Trans Pan, Vette Servo-Eibach Springs, Joes Tune
Battery Life
Whats been the average life on the batterys?
I am on the original on my 05 and it hasnt let me down yet, it has 23,000 mi so it has sat a lot. most of the miles between Seattle and Phoenix in the fall and spring, exposed to the desert summer heat for only a short period.
I've owned several cars over the years, and it seems the average life of the original factory batteries is around 3 or 4 years. Some have lasted as little as 2 years, some 5 years. Seems to me like the import cars have cheaper batteries that don't last long at all, and the domestic cars have slightly better batteries that last a little longer.
I replaced the factory battery in my '03 last year, after it started dying on me. After the first time I had it jumped, it just didn't hold up well at all.
Your battery is probably nearing the end of its reliable life. It may last longer if it hasn't been drawn down very often or been in extreme weather. I guess I would plan on replacing it at the very first hint of trouble, if not sooner. It never hurts to put in a new battery. If you aren't driving it often, you might consider getting a deep cycle battery as a replacement, such as an Optima Red Top. They seem to hold their charge pretty well and bounce back well after being apparently dead.
Poor SSR, you should drive that thing more often!!!! I' ve put 50K miles on mine in 3 years!
AKWARES
Last edited by akwares; 05-27-2009 at 02:52 AM.
Reason: forgot something
Mine is almost 5 1/2 yrs. old. I have 64,000 on my truck, and the battery still seems good, but I'm going to put a new one in at Redlands when we move the battery box to install Mike's Spare Tire Kit.
__________________
lloger
Slingshot Yellow
#1849
Pearl Red Ghost Flames
Color Matched Running Boards
Color Matched Engine Cover W/ Ghost Flames
Lowered by Hotchkis Performance
Hotchkis Performance Sway Bars
My SSR: Tuned & Ported 2005 SSR Ricochet Silver, 6 speed build Date 05/05/2005 #20763
Our battery lasted just a little over 3 years.. Warrenty took care of it!! seems like every gm car we have owned dies in 3 years.. The Hemi is 5 years old & going strong
I don't think mileage has as much to do with battery life as time, climate, and the way the battery is used and maintained.
A battery that is left unused for long periods of time (especially if they're not on a trickle charger) will have ashorter life span than one that is frequently used.
Extreme temperatures can shorten battery life, and heat seems be more harmful to electrical systems than cold.
My wife's 03 Corvette battery had to be replaced last year, so that was 5 years and the car had about 30,000 miles on it.
My 03 Chevy DuraMax has 80,000+ on it and has the original batteries.
I will replace them this fall when I take it out of storage.
My 04 SSR had 3800 miles on it and I just replaced the battery before the Maggie Valley trip!
If you have a battery that is 5 years old, you've got your money's worth.
Trying to see how long a battery will last, will at some point have you stranded.
O-YLR's original 2005 battery didn't hold over the winter. Houston's heat typically kills my under-hood batteries in about 4 years with little to no warning. I was hoping for better with the SSR due to its battery location but my truck is a garage queen and doesn't get driven much. She lives in a garage with no power for a charger. I just put in an Odessey battery to see how it will fair. I was worried with all the electronics in the SSR that I might hurt something with a low voltage crank. After a slow restoration charge, I put the original SSR battery in my '78 K10 pickup. It has very few electronics and dual isolated batteries.
Folks have made the important points, especially that after being drained these lead acid batteries never bounce back completely. I just replaced the orig. in my '05 this spring. It sits over the winter and didn't get started regularly this winter. I'll be buying a trickle charger before this winter.
My SSR: 04 redline #5545 1sb, Mpd boards chin spoiler lowered, magna charger ,full trunk trim, chrome wheels
My 04 was purchased nov 04 and lasted till jan 08 , 3yr 2 months , kept indoors away from cold weather , mind you it only goes below freezing about 2 days a year here in Palm Springs Canada . The main reason was prolonged time sitting in the garage in the winter when i drive the 08 Tacoma. i now have a battery tender to keep the battery topped up so it will last for years and years
Batteries are hit and miss. I got 7 years out of the original in my Oldsmobile. I got 6 from the one in my Silverado and that was a mechanical failure (side post broke out completely). The one in my 'R is definitely going at under 4 years. I figure that's largely due to the fact it's not my every day driver. I've had 2 incidents where it barely cranked over and it's just a bit sluggish these days in my opinion. I'll be replacing it in the near future.
My SSR: SSR 04 – PEDIGREE SSR Chrome Wheels w/ 1st Aux. Gauge Package released for Production. #9684
Quote:
Originally Posted by joedecat
My 04 was purchased nov 04 and lasted till jan 08 , 3yr 2 months , kept indoors away from cold weather...
Since I don't have access to the GM Inquiry system here at home I will guess that your 04 SSR was built sometime in Feb. (Build Date: 02/18/2004 Warranty Start Date: 12/10/2004) based on your VIN. So your battery was really sitting idle for quite some time (which can be harder on a battery) before you actually purchased it back in Dec 04. Thus that would make your battery almost 5 years old... well approx. 4 yrs & 11 months old before you had to replace it.
Oh yes I still have my original battery in my 04 built on May 6, 2004 so mine is over 5 years old and still going strong.
__________________
Last edited by Marc NY; 05-29-2009 at 06:46 AM.
Reason: add actual build date & Warranty Start Date
Batteries are hit and miss. I got 7 years out of the original in my Oldsmobile. I got 6 from the one in my Silverado and that was a mechanical failure (side post broke out completely). The one in my 'R is definitely going at under 4 years. I figure that's largely due to the fact it's not my every day driver. I've had 2 incidents where it barely cranked over and it's just a bit sluggish these days in my opinion. I'll be replacing it in the near future.
It's not a good sign if you can hear a difference in how the starter sounds when you're starting your engine.
Running low voltage is not good for the starter and a new battery is a lot cheaper than a new starter.
My wife's '03 Vette started doing that last year and it went straight to the dealer for a new Delco.
My SSR: 5184 yellow, born feb 10, 2004,, magnaflow catbacks,mikes fans,k&n air charger ,,
i have never had a gm battery last this long,,totally amazed,,20,000 miles since feb. 04,,,but then the boss' z3 is 10 years old with 36,000 miles and still has the original battery,,she drives it all year,,,i have a battery tender on the ssr for the winter,,don't want to get it wet....
Batteries located outside of the engine bay regularly last 5 years even in Houstons heat & humidity. I seldom get a battery that has been baked on the engine bay to last over 3 years.
But as always quality, maintenance and usage are the key factors to life spans of batteries, people, etc
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
VIVA DE FUNK
!!
Waiting to see if I get reinstated...
Linear Mode
