I just had to replace mine this week. I knew it was coming, it was getting weak. Replaced it with an Interstate battery, same size as the panny, and came with
a 75 month warranty.

 

My OEM will be 5 years old in July. First 2 winters, I disconnected it for storage, but haven't done so since. Started up good and strong this year.

 

One observation after 30+ years in YankeeLand (25 in Chicago and 8 in Iowa)is that you will notice a weak battery with cold weather starts about 2 years before the "warranty" runs out. After 23 years in Georgia, I find that cars start so easily in the warm weather that you will not notice a weak battery until it is a complete rock - usually about the end of the "warranty" period or within a year after.

72 month battery in Iowa is good for 4 years. 72 month battery in Georgia is good for 6 - 7 years.

 

Clearly, experiences vary. After mine got charged up again, via the alternator, it was fine. It must be that leaving the ignition on draws more than just what the dash cluster lights need.

Live and learn. HPH

 

A timely thread. The Jeep sat most of the week this week. Yesterday it wouldn't start.

It's a 2002 with original battery...until Rick changed it last night.

He said he noticed it was turning over slowly on cold mornings, it probably would have started with a jump, but he figured it was due for replacement, so he replaced it.

I was not inconvenienced, I took the S to work when the Jeep wouldn't start.

 

Gave mine a quick charge on the old Heath Kit (remember them?) battery charger. Came up to full charge within 5 minutes. Guess my battery still is in great shape.

 

I had to replace my battery. I'll have to buy a charger to put the battery on trickle charge when the car is in storage. That seems to be the answer to a long battery life.

 

Interesting....the battery in my '03 tested a few days ago as "good" at 12.63v abd 473 CCA. What exactly does that mean?

 

473 CCA = 473 cold cranking amps. it's how much juice it can deliver.

I found a site that gives a rough estimate that we need 224 CCA.