andyf0722

I still have my original battery in my 2000 4Runner. I check the eye occasionally and it always good. I haven't had any problems with starting but 7 years seems like a long time. Am I tempting fate or just lucky?

bob200587

That is a long time, but I've had one that was in my 4runner in '01 or '02. I got an optima, and put that battery on the shelf for a while, then when the batt. in the GMC went out we put the one from the runner in it. It's been in there ever since. 5 or 6 years at least and not a problem. It's probably kick the bucket soon though...

frodin1

I just put a new one in my 2000. It still wasn't completely gone yet but I put a meter on it and it was only showing 11volts in the cab with it off. It was sounding a little week on startup also. I went with the Costco battery. It doesn't matter were you go lately the price of lead has gone up, thus driving up the cost of batteries. What used to be a $40 -$50 dollar battery is now $70 bucks. Optimas were around $110 now $149.

eightnine

the one in my 1st gen is at least 10 years old and hasnt given any problems yet

to4menon4u

your lucky to get away with 3-4 years with an ultima out here in teh desert because it gets so frikin hot in the summer the plates in the battery expand and contract and move around untill the plates touch then its no good. i reccomend an ultima ( good warranty )

Ringmaster

The original in my 99 made it for 8 years before biting the bullet.

Both the heat of summer, and the cold of winter is when a bad battery will usually take a dive.

andyf0722

I should add that I am in the northeast so I don't have the heat of the desert but do have the cold of the winters. It has is parked in the garage for the last 5+ years.

deserttoy84

normal battery life is about 5 years. If you plan on going on any long trips i would just go ahead and replace the battery. I would just make sure to get a warrantied battery like die hard or interstate.

CJM

Avg life of a battery is 3-5 years give or take a few here or there. I seen bad ones a year old, 3 months old, 10 years old, etc. I work as an AAA certified battery service tech.

A few things happen to batteries:
They develop a bad cell:
- Shorted cell due to failure of the separator between the positive and negative plates
- Broken internal connections due to corrosion
- Broken plates due to vibration and corrosion

Also
- Low electrolyte
- Cracked or broken case
- Broken terminals
- Sulfation after prolonged disuse.

But what basically kills a starting battery is alot of discharge and recharge cycles. If your an idiot and dont drive your car alot or leave the lights on like 20x a month the battery wont last..

Do not ever go by those dumb eyes on the battery that mimic a hydrometer, they only measure one cell..not multiple cells. A hydrometer will measure the cells, all should be within the proper scale.

Generally speaking, if you dont do anything to discharge and recharge the battery alot and it doesnt get a bad cell expect about 5 years..

Man4God

My old Cobra's battery was 8 years old before I sold it. OEM Motorcraft. Unbelievable life.

bigarms23

I have my optima for 10years if you want to keep it fine or you can change it

02SE

I've had my Optima deep-cycle yellow top, for just over ten years now. It still works great.

andrewmitch

what about the 2005 Runner Batteries. I can't find any documentaiton on these. Typically they are 7 year batteries but I am wondering if they have Super Long Life Batteries - like 10 years??

Tool Pants

I have a 1988 pickup that I have owned for 19 years. I would say 4 years for a lead acid battery and you got your moneys worth. Longer than that you are lucky and living on borrowed time.

In my opinion the warranty thing is a gimmick. Has nothing to do with the quality of the battery. Same battery can be sold under different brand names, but the warranty is longer on the battery that usually costs more.

Go to Lowes or Home Depot and price a water heater with a 5 year warranty vs. 7 years. Same exact same water heater. You pay more for the one with the 7 year warranty, because consumers will pay more.

The company that makes stuff like this is smarter than the average consumer.

algranger

when this one does die i would recomend an optima andif you have a system and lights and stuff id get the yellow top i can run my system with an 1100 watt amp for 10 hours at work and i have never had a problem starting after that plus it has a great warranty

cosmophonic12

auto batteries last about THREE good summers in phx.

Paul H.

I have no idea how old my battery is but after camping and a night out in -3F, it started right up with no problem. I am thinking that it is at least 10.

CLin9383

just replaced my autocraft silver battery with Optima 34R after 4.5 years