Original Toyota Factory Fitted Battery Life
- Thread starter BonZa
- Start date
Rusty Panels
Well-Known Member
You will often find it's the dead of winter that finally takes them out!
Hotdog
Active Member
I got 4 years on mine but that may be down to just unlucky a cell failed. Last service report from my local mechanic said it was on its way out but the car seemed to start fine so I thought I would replace it after my next camping trip and guess what it wouldn't kick over when it was time to leave camp but it was fine drive to and around while we were there. 
I can't resist! This prompts me to suggest a "who's factory battery lasts/lasted the longest?" thread Maybe this one will do?
My manufactured date 10/2013 MY2014 Colorado still has the factory battery (as far as I can tell - AC Delco) going strong at 124,000 km and approaching 8 years.
Maybe this one will do?My manufactured date 10/2013 MY2014 Colorado still has the factory battery (as far as I can tell - AC Delco) going strong at 124,000 km and approaching 8 years.
BonZa
Active Member
haha I like that, "who's factory battery lasts/lasted the longest?"I can't resist! This prompts me to suggest a "who's factory battery lasts/lasted the longest?" thread
My manufactured date 10/2013 MY2014 Colorado still has the factory battery (as far as I can tell - AC Delco) going strong at 124,000 km and approaching 8 years.
my '05 Jeep Wrangler unknown brand of battery 6 years and 120k, '07 Triumph Bonneville Yuasa 5 years and 60k
cam04
Well-Known Member
Difficult to compare with others. Being a commercial vehicle my 2013 px ranger would have cycled many more times than most in its life with me. I swapped it out after 7 years prior to a remote run - just in case. I have no doubt that my dcdc charging system (ctek) which back charged the start battery off the solar system had a massive amount to do with its longevity. Same with my 2013 optima in the rear of the Ute which is still doing fine in spite of the hiding I give it.I can't resist! This prompts me to suggest a "who's factory battery lasts/lasted the longest?" thread
My manufactured date 10/2013 MY2014 Colorado still has the factory battery (as far as I can tell - AC Delco) going strong at 124,000 km and approaching 8 years.
Decca
Active Member
Top ups with a smart charger appear to be effective in prolonging battery life.
Modern cars have alternators that are controlled by the Engine computer.
In the 'old' days; alternators charged at around 14.5 volts.. When the battery was fully charged.. a regulator stopped the charging.
Now... The battery charges at around 14.5v for a short period after starting the car to 'top up' the battery... then reduces charge rate to something a lot less (have forgotten exactly)... Which doesn't charge the battery properly, but keeps the car's electronics alive.
All done to reduce fuel consumption and emissions ........ at the expense of your battery due to its shortened life.
And stop/start technology.. again to reduce consumption and emissions...... makes it worse...these cars have a special battery to handle these repeated starts and of course this battery is dearer. And could imagine the starter motors wouldn't last as long as well
Yep!. Cold weather reduces battery capacity. Usually the straw that breaks the camel's back
McGinnis
Active Member
It's definitely true that colder temperatures reduce nominal capacity, but they also increase service life. A lot of people get rid of a battery after it fails to start a vehicle on a very cold day, yet if they put it on charge and gave it a few days it would probably be back to normal.
Colder temperatures also increase the internal resistance of batteries making them harder to charge, compounding the issue.
The real killer of batteries is heat.
Colder temperatures also increase the internal resistance of batteries making them harder to charge, compounding the issue.
The real killer of batteries is heat.
Rusty Panels
Well-Known Member
After living in an area that had sub zeroes for most of the cooler months I can tell you that if your battery is going to drop a cell it will be on one of those cold mornings. I did have a good run out of most of our vehicle batteries with an average of 5 years I'd guess but, winter would definitely cause their eventual death!
McGinnis
Active Member
5 years off a starter is decent, yeah. Your observations are probably accurate in reality as a result of a few confounding factors - when you combine higher resistance (reducing charge rate), therefore lower battery capacities/voltages, and longer crank times (on old diesels in particular), it may be a death by a thousand cuts to batteries in winter.
This would be particularly true for vehicles that are only taken on short drives typically.
This would be particularly true for vehicles that are only taken on short drives typically.
Chatty
Well-Known Member
Spare a thought for me - the Sierra has two cranking batteries, hence why I keep away from cold weather.On a cold day this winter I lost the battery in my tractor, excavator and my Willys truck
BonZa
Active Member
update seeing I started this thread.
I have just replaced the original battery after over 7 years. the old one still seemed ok but doing a load test it was coming up as marginal so I wasn't prepared to push my luck any longer.
with the new battery, a century overlander, it noticeably cranks over faster
the original was a Furukawa for anyone that's interested
I have just replaced the original battery after over 7 years. the old one still seemed ok but doing a load test it was coming up as marginal so I wasn't prepared to push my luck any longer.
with the new battery, a century overlander, it noticeably cranks over faster
the original was a Furukawa for anyone that's interested
Albynsw
Well-Known Member
Not very long for an OEM battery