Man, just noticed that my wife's "new" 2003 SLK still has the MB battery in it. I know the car lived in a garage most of it's life, but that seems pretty impressive to me.
Man, just noticed that my wife's "new" 2003 SLK still has the MB battery in it. I know the car lived in a garage most of it's life, but that seems pretty impressive to me.
Maybe it is the garaging or some type of usage pattern, my wife's 2000 Buick LeSabre still has the original battery in it.
Or maybe it is the fact that the battery on the Buick is buried under the back seat. Where is the battery on the SLK?
In reply to Hal:
Under the hood, by the fire wall on the right side. I'm guessing garage. I have no experience with modern houses with garages - I'm guessing it doesn't get so cold in them. My cars live outside, and in Colorado, it can get plenty cold. Guess it takes it's toll. But four or five years is all I expect from a battery. I feel like I did pretty well if I get that.
Wife's Buick is kept in single car block and brick garage in MD. Only heat in the garage is from radiant heat from the house chimney which forms part of one wall.
My 2000 Miata still has the original battery. Never garaged and is my daily driver (has 107,000 miles). I bought the car new. Battery still works fine. It's an AGM type battery.
The factory battery in my '96 F-150 went 8 years. Never saw a garage in it's life.
Well you just jinxed yourself. 
The battery in my dodge 1500 was the original one from when I drove it off the lot in 2002. I sold the truck last year, no issues.
SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: Well you just jinxed yourself.
Pft. If I don't have to put a battery in it this fall I'll be surprised. So, you know, can't really do worse than I expect.
Maybe I just need to buy better batteries.
I had a cold-climate Interstate last 9 years. Then I moved to Nevada. That did it in right quick!
got 8 yrs out of my Integra's OEM battery ... the car lives outside ..... thought so highly of the OEM that I went to the dealer and got a replacement ... we'll see how long it lasts
our 03 Mach 1 has the original battery...still going strong.
The battery that was in my '94 Ranger when I bought used in '95 lasted less than 3 years from new. One day I drove to work...no problems, but when I went out to crank it up and go to lunch the battery was dead. I could jump it but it wouldn't stay charged, so wound up replacing it with an Interstate.
The battery in my current DD seems to be holding up quite well. It was in there when I bought the car 2-3 years ago and starts the car on the first try unless I am on fumes...and even tho the car sits for most of the month.
I think a big determinate to battery life is the load it's put under and whether it is ever run down and consequently re-charged.
Some of the Panasonic batteries that came in Japanese stuff in the 80's were nuts. They would go a decade for sure, lots outlasted the vehicle.
My Ford van is a few days shy of ten years old. It has lived it's entire life outside - high-tops don't fit in typical garages - in the wildly varying climate of SE Wisconsin. It still has the original battery. It frequently sits, unloved, for weeks without being driven. It's NEVER had a charger on it, yet it starts like a champ every time.
Edit: Oops, I forgot about the time I had to call Ford's roadside assistance for a jump, when I left an electric cooler plugged in, overnight. That happened during the first week I owed it, though.
Yup, I replaced the Panasonic AGM battery in my 1990 Miata when I installed the high-compression engine. It cranked a bit slow. That was in 2002.
Hal wrote: Maybe it is the garaging or some type of usage pattern, my wife's 2000 Buick LeSabre still has the original battery in it. Or maybe it is the fact that the battery on the Buick is buried under the back seat. Where is the battery on the SLK?
My father-in-law has a 2003 Buick LeSabre with 55,000 miles on it and he keeps telling me he has the original tires and the original battery. I keep saying to go get a new battery before he gets stranded at Cracker Barrel.
My 2002 Jeep Liberty still had the original battery and showed no sign of slowing down when I traded it last year. Nine years ain't bad. Kept outside most of the time.
The battery in my wife's '99 Sunfire was original up until last year. Yup - 12 years. Impressively reliable for such an awful car.
Pete240Z wrote:Hal wrote: Maybe it is the garaging or some type of usage pattern, my wife's 2000 Buick LeSabre still has the original battery in it. Or maybe it is the fact that the battery on the Buick is buried under the back seat. Where is the battery on the SLK?I keep saying to go get a new battery before he gets stranded at Cracker Barrel.
Ha! Good one! I was going to post I went seven years on one but after reading all the previous posts, I've got nothin'.
Assuming my car was bought in 1999 as a MY 2000, the original battery in it lasted 11 years. Finally crapped out last Spring. Car had around 140,000 miles. Never garaged, and certainly not babied.
SkinnyG wrote: The battery in my wife's '99 Sunfire was original up until last year. Yup - 12 years. Impressively reliable for such an awful car.
You made me chuckle with that comment. They were (are) awful.
wbjones wrote: got 8 yrs out of my Integra's OEM battery ... the car lives outside ..... thought so highly of the OEM that I went to the dealer and got a replacement ... we'll see how long it lasts
FWIW, there's only a couple true manufacturer's of batteries. On my Interstate truck I get weekly I see Honda, VW, BMW, etc. right next to our Service Central batteries.
That said, best of luck getting another 8 years. I always tell people 4-5 years is the average expected life.
I install flux capacitors, that way my batteries stay charged past 1985...
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