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what do car battery makers do to.....

bobski
....make their batteries only last a year?
I mean its like clock work.
yet, 2 year or 5 year batteries all last the age they claim.
whats different inside?
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Comments

16 comments

Date Votes
  • asop
    Are you saying you get what you pay for[:0]
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  • varian
    i get three years out of the wal mart $55.00 one year warranty battery. i use it in the old s-10 that i drive a lot but never very far. mu pickup is on year five of a five year warranty from advance auto. will probably b replacing that one soon.
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  • mag00
    Don't get me started on batteries. [:(!][:(!][:(!]

    My American Made Gates Optima lasted over 15 years. I still use it in a diminished capacity too.
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  • Alpine
    I have an AGM in the Silverado that's going on 12 years.

    I mean a real AGM not one of those fake ones that you add acid.
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  • llama
    quote:Originally posted by mag00
    Don't get me started on batteries. [:(!][:(!][:(!]

    My American Made Gates Optima lasted over 15 years. I still use it in a diminished capacity too.


    The Optima is my go-to if given a choice.
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  • bustedknee
    Planned obsolescence -- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Planned obsolescence, or built-in obsolescence, in industrial design and economics is a policy of planning or designing a product with an artificially limited useful life, so it will become obsolete (that is, unfashionable or no longer functional) after a certain period of time.[1] The rationale behind the strategy is to generate long-term sales volume by reducing the time between repeat purchases (referred to as "shortening the replacement cycle").[2]

    Producers that pursue this strategy believe that the additional sales revenue it creates more than offsets the additional costs of research and development, and offsets the opportunity costs of repurposing an existing product line. In a competitive industry, this is a risky policy, because consumers may decide to buy from competitors instead if they notice the strategy.

    Planned obsolescence tends to work best when a producer has at least an oligopoly.[3] Before introducing a planned obsolescence, the producer has to know that the consumer is at least somewhat likely to buy a replacement from them. In these cases of planned obsolescence, there is an information asymmetry between the producer, who knows how long the product was designed to last, and the consumer, who does not. When a market becomes more competitive, product lifespans tend to increase.[4][5] For example, when Japanese vehicles with longer lifespans entered the American market in the 1960s and 1970s, American carmakers were forced to respond by building more durable products
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  • bearman49709
    I shortest time I have ever had a car battery last was three years.
    When I sold my 2008 Exploder in 2015 it still had the factory battery.
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  • mag00
    quote:Originally posted by llama
    quote:Originally posted by mag00
    Don't get me started on batteries. [:(!][:(!][:(!]

    My American Made Gates Optima lasted over 15 years. I still use it in a diminished capacity too.


    The Optima is my go-to if given a choice.


    I have a newer red top that is total junk. My old blue to marine is top shelf.

    The new batteries don't use good quality lead in them. I started looking around for a good one.

    I recently picked up a Bosch Platinum AGM from the boneyard, year old and $35. Great deal. Hope it lasts like the first Optima. Back when I bought my first Optima, I was in Denver and went down to Gates and talked to them directly. I forget the details, but they impressed me back then.
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  • kidthatsirish
    Lots of variables affect battery life. I dont think Inever had a battery last less than 5 years in Virginia or in Florida, but have had several that only lasted 3 years in Oklahoma.
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  • Ditch-Runner
    3 to 5 years is average for me I do have one in a 94 GMC that's over 10 years old ( will self destruct tonight after talking about it ) I think its the longest lasting one I have had . Ohio winters and not driving a lot seem to do them in .
    sorry I do not know the name on it off the top of my head tonight of the one still holding out for me
    as for your question I would guess the materials used makes the difference


    back in the late 70's I had a buddy ( OK uncle [:0]) that "reconditioned " battery's and sold them for 10 or 20.00 each I think he told me he would dump out the acid add new, sometimes he told me he would drop the battery straight down on a hard surface to knock off any build up on the battery's plates that would make them charge better ? he was in and out of so many businesses I lost track but refused to work for anyone . cancer took him several years ago

    some one get a bad one just traded with them and move on
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  • jerrywh818
    The answer is more or less plates inside. The heavier a battery is the longer it will last if not abused.
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  • hillbille
    something else is those side post terminal cables. lot of times you can't see the crud built up in the end of the cable or on the nut, a bad connection here can cause a bad battery or the symptoms of a bad battery. If you take a pocket knife and slice the plastic away from the bolt and end of cable you would be supprised at the crud that grows there......
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  • themountainman
    Batteries fail abruptly. No warning. Klick klick
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  • Mr. Perfect
    The amount of electrode and anodic material is known. Usage rates are easily calculated and with years of use data it is simple math (and a not very complex chemical redox balancing equation) to determine how much electrode material needs to be added to ensure the battery makes it to the claimed age.
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  • Mobuck
    I used to get only a couple of years tops out of tractor batteries. A 12 volt system using 2x 6 volts in series is HARD on batteries. After going through several brands, I bought Interstate. One of our "B string" diesel tractors is running Interstates that are 6 years old and still going. Another that has a reputation of being a "hard starter" is going on 2 years with Interstates. Previously, it needed one or both batteries replaced yearly.
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  • JasonV
    My tractor doesn't get used very much and is hard on batteries. When I do need it the temp is usually below zero and I have some drifts to move.

    I bought a cheap chinese solar charger and mounted it to top of tractor. Have not had a problem since and the last battery went 7 years.
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