How Long should a Battery last?

[Expatman]

My 2017 Yeti 1.2 Tsi DSG (stop/start) is now coming up for 6 years old with the original battery, so far no apparent battery problems but should I be planning replace it before the winter  hits?  I know I could just carry on and wait for it to die but it’s such a pita then to get into it one morning and find the battery dead - inevitably it will be when I need to be somewhere urgently! 

What experience have others had of the likely life of a battery and did you get good clear warning signs before it died?

Thanks

[Zarniwoop]

For my 2015 1.2 Tsi DSG  I've just replaced my battery as a precaution as it was nearly eight years old.  It had shown no signs of trouble at all, but I decided the risks were too great with another winter coming on and the car living outside in the elements.  I reckoned the old battery owed me nothing, and I'd been delighted with the service it had given.  (Exide branded as OEM))  Replacement cost just under £100, Yuasa HSB013, with a 5 year guarantee.

Edited 18 November, 2022 by Zarniwoop

[Crasher]

We are seeing a lot of modern EFB and AGM batteries suddenly fail at around 6 years with little warning.

[KenONeill]

31 minutes ago, Expatman said:

Tsi DSG (stop/start) is now coming up for 6 years old with the original battery,

Further to the above comments, I've known EFB and AGM batteries fail at as little as 3 years from new.

[Crasher]

We have seen a few replacements do that with Yuasa being bloody awful, their Silver 5000 series EFB's are terrible, every single one AND their warranty replacements we ever fitted failed so now we only fit Varta BUT on our loan car Passat. a Varta E39 AGM failed within weeks.

Edited 18 November, 2022 by Crasher

[varooom]

I think there is a warning myself, but it depends on how you pay attention to your car, I changed my AGM at just over 7 years of use as a prevention before this Winter.

The early signs that I think people miss is either Stop/Start doesn't work, or like me it was, but the car didn't switch off for very long before it turned back on again.  The new battery once fitted allowed the stop/start to turn off for a much longer period.

[Warrior193]

38 minutes ago, Zarniwoop said:

For my 2015 1.2 Tsi DSG  I've just replaced my battery as a precaution as it was nearly eight years old.  It had shown no signs of trouble at all, but I decided the risks were too great with another winter coming on and the car living outside in the elements.  I reckoned the old battery owed me nothing, and I'd been delighted with the service it had given.  (Exide branded as OEM))  Replacement cost just under £100, Yuasa HSB013, with a 5 year guarantee.

Does your car have stop-start? Yuasa HSB013 does not appear to be EFB or AGM - you may have fitted wrong type of battery.

[freedie]

I don't have an electric car but I still have to charge mine overnight...

[Warrior193]

1 hour ago, Expatman said:

My 2017 Yeti 1.2 Tsi DSG (stop/start) is now coming up for 6 years old with the original battery, so far no apparent battery problems but should I be planning replace it before the winter  hits?  I know I could just carry on and wait for it to die but it’s such a pita then to get into it one morning and find the battery dead - inevitably it will be when I need to be somewhere urgently! 

What experience have others had of the likely life of a battery and did you get good clear warning signs before it died?

Thanks

You may have a good battery there; a lot can depend on how it is used - I would suggest getting it properly tested, if still good, keep it until you start to get some early signs of reduced performance (EG. stop-start frequently inhibited)   

[Warrior193]

3 hours ago, freedie said:

I don't have an electric car but I still have to charge mine overnight...

I think you may need to think about checking the alternator or replacing the battery soon. I only have to charge mine every 3 to 4 weeks because of short trips.

Edited 18 November, 2022 by Warrior193
clarification

[Zarniwoop]

4 hours ago, Warrior193 said:

Does your car have stop-start? Yuasa HSB013 does not appear to be EFB or AGM - you may have fitted wrong type of battery.

No,  my car has the older, chain driven camshaft engine,  and is (thankfully) not equipped with stop/start,  so does not have an AGM or EFB battery.  Maybe that's why the battery has lasted so well.

[Yetian]

Batteries now seem to fail within a few months of their warranty expiring. I don't know how they do this, but it seems to have been the case for several years.

Saying that, I bought a 10-year-old Nissan X Trail that still had its original battery in good working order.

[Expatman]

On 18/11/2022 at 16:54, Warrior193 said:

You may have a good battery there; a lot can depend on how it is used - I would suggest getting it properly tested, if still good, keep it until you start to get some early signs of reduced performance (EG. stop-start frequently inhibited)   

Yes, going to get it fully tested when car goes in for service in New Year. At the moment it seems okay, headlight bright as soon as started, stop/start works fine (but I usually turn it off anyway - stopping and starting hurts my engineering sympathy for the motor! - continuing to put on Ctec charger once a month to fully charge and condition (whatever that means?), hopefully will get another years out of it as I will change the car then. Problem I have is finding something (anything) to replace the Yeti with which has same attraction and benefits. Most modern alternatives are just so dull.

[Urrell]

10 hours ago, Expatman said:

At the moment it seems okay, headlight bright as soon as started

Any state of charge will be like that, it's the charging system on the car making the headlights bright when it's running.

[Warrior193]

18 hours ago, Expatman said:

Yes, going to get it fully tested when car goes in for service in New Year. At the moment it seems okay, headlight bright as soon as started, stop/start works fine (but I usually turn it off anyway - stopping and starting hurts my engineering sympathy for the motor! - continuing to put on Ctec charger once a month to fully charge and condition (whatever that means?), hopefully will get another years out of it as I will change the car then. Problem I have is finding something (anything) to replace the Yeti with which has same attraction and benefits. Most modern alternatives are just so dull.

If you have access to a battery tester, battery recovery voltage after engine cranking test is a very good indication of condition. Standing voltage after removal of surface charge is another.

Google or Youtube give testing methods.