How long will Stock Battery last?
07-20-2010, 09:45 PM
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: 04-14-2010
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 432
Not HHR specific, but interesting Delco battery story.... My Father had a '79 Impala, bought it new. The first car he ever ordered from the factory, up till then he got 1 year old dealer demo/loaner cars. He always kept it properly maintained, but was always one to replace things when absolutely necessary, not "just in case". In 1989 he was getting ready to give it to me and went to the dealer where he bought it (in PA where they lived) to make sure it was okay to drive out to Pheonix where I was, He and my Mother were going to drive it out to AZ as a sight seeing trip and then fly back. After sitting in the waiting room for a bit he noticed every mechanic and service guy in the shop looking under the hood of his car, shaking their heads. He starts thinking "Oh oh, something major....." 
The service manager comes to get him to ask about the battery, "was there ever a different battery in there?" "No, I don't remember buying a battery" Dad pulls out his service records (complete, he's like that) and they went over them together.......... It was the original battery according to the tag..... 100,000 miles, 10 years old, still working perfectly. The dealer gave him a new one "Just in case" and kept the old as a display/conversation piece.......
That replacement lasted me 2 years....
They just don't make things like they used to......
The service manager comes to get him to ask about the battery, "was there ever a different battery in there?" "No, I don't remember buying a battery" Dad pulls out his service records (complete, he's like that) and they went over them together.......... It was the original battery according to the tag..... 100,000 miles, 10 years old, still working perfectly. The dealer gave him a new one "Just in case" and kept the old as a display/conversation piece.......
That replacement lasted me 2 years....
They just don't make things like they used to......
07-20-2010, 11:47 PM
#22
Platinum Member
Join Date: 01-09-2007
Location: SE USA
Posts: 15,890
I would think having the battery in a cooler spot (in rear) has to be much better than in the hot engine bay..
07-21-2010, 01:00 AM
#23
Platinum Member
Join Date: 04-09-2006
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 7,033
A good battery shop can generally do a quick test with a load test machine to see how much umph it has left, and tell you if it is up to standards.
I generally replace them at the FIRST sign of a slow start - ie: that day!!! then once it is replaced, I listen nervously fearing it will fail. And yup, brand new batteries can fail suddenly without warning - not frequently of course but it still makes me nervous
07-21-2010, 06:48 PM
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: 01-13-2008
Location: Washington State, where it rains
Posts: 4,708
Yeah..batt's wipers and exhaust sys hang in there quite a long time..after that your into regular replacement mode.....makes you wonder if they are holding out on us,,,,I think they have the means to make these parts to last triple that.....
07-22-2010, 12:49 AM
#26
Senior Member
Join Date: 05-23-2006
Location: Chandler, AZ
Posts: 1,082
This is from an article in the July/August issue of "Highroads", the AAA Magazine for Arizona. The topic is "What is the effect on a car battery's life in Arizona's heat"? Their answer was:"The average life expectancy of a car battery in Arizona is 22 Months.
Regardless of the length of the warranty on your battery, if it has been in your car for longer than that, you are running on borrowed time.
07-22-2010, 05:46 PM
#28
Senior Member
Join Date: 06-21-2008
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 1,449
My sister in law lives in the great north woods of Michigan, where bears routinely forage in the garbage cans and snowfall is measured in feet. She buys a new battery every three years, because in an area where dead battery sometimes equals dead person, it's cheap insurance.
07-22-2010, 05:51 PM
#29
Senior Member
Join Date: 03-16-2006
Location: Tucson Arizona
Posts: 217
I live in Arizona (Tucson) and with the exception of our HHR battery, I have had to replace batteries anywhere from 24 to 36 months.
I think the fact our HHR battery is in the back and is parked in a garage during the day helps extend the life.
I think the fact our HHR battery is in the back and is parked in a garage during the day helps extend the life.
07-22-2010, 06:44 PM
#30
Senior Member
Join Date: 04-12-2008
Location: Cedarburg, WI
Posts: 527
I replaced my battery this week with only 52K miles and 2yrs. - 4 months on the clock. That is just not right in my book. I never had a battery fail in that short of period of time, especially a factory installed one... It was out of warranty, but the dealer did replace it for a minimum service charge of $50 for Customer Satisfaction policy so I'm OK with it...
The battery in my HHR has never worked very well. If I left my radio on when I was washing the car, 1 hr. later it would not start. That shouldn't happen. It doesn't take that much juice! I think putting it into storage over the winter really killed it the rest of the way...
On the other end of the spectrum, I finally had to replace the ORIGINAL battery in my 98 Riviera last month. 12 years old and 226K miles! Now that is what I'm talkin' about!
Of course it is a monster that is under the rear seat and very expensive! 
I never had a battery fail in that short of period of time, especially a factory installed one... It was out of warranty, but the dealer did replace it for a minimum service charge of $50 for Customer Satisfaction policy so I'm OK with it...The battery in my HHR has never worked very well. If I left my radio on when I was washing the car, 1 hr. later it would not start. That shouldn't happen. It doesn't take that much juice! I think putting it into storage over the winter really killed it the rest of the way...
On the other end of the spectrum, I finally had to replace the ORIGINAL battery in my 98 Riviera last month. 12 years old and 226K miles! Now that is what I'm talkin' about!
Of course it is a monster that is under the rear seat and very expensive!