Car battery life in Florida...
 

I had quite a surprise a couple of weeks ago when I went out to start my 07 Camry and the engine wouldn't crank. No prior symptoms whatsoever. We then did a hydrometer test and had a couple of weak cells and one pretty much dead cell.

Car is about 3.5 yrs old, just about 20K miles on it, of which only 9k in the last 3 years in The Villages. The car can sit in the garage for a week at a time since we use golf carts for most local buzzing around.

Fortunately, a friend came to our rescue and jump started it for an easy trip up to Sam's for a replacement.

But, since then, we have learned from 'car guys' that car batteries don't last as long in the hot Florida climate as they would in colder areas. This seems counter-intuitive. They also say long periods of inactivity are also bad for the car.

Anyway, just a little heads up for some of you who make minimal use of your car and who might not be aware that battery life is shorter down here.

Hello All, In the fifteen years we have been in West Palm Beach, batteries only last about 3 years. And mine have all died with no notice, and one exploded. That was a mess! LB

I have lived in North and Central Florida for 30 plus years. In my experience, car batteries last about five years.

Car batteries normally last the number of months stamped on the battery. A battery with a 72 month rating is made to last at least 6 years. The higher the number of months the more the battery cost. Manufacturing defects and abnormal use can shorten the life of any battery. Not using the vehicle daily is one of the things that will shorten battery life. I have lived in tropical areas for over 40 years and buy my batteries at Sears.

No notice at all
 

Yesterday after driving home from Ocala we parked the car on the street in front of our house. Went out to put it in the garage 10 minutes later -----nothing, dead as dead. Even the door locks wouldn't work. We called AAA and they took care of us. He also said that batteries don't last here in the Florida. Ours was 4 years old. .... Is there some way to check if the battery is getting low??

I too had to call AAA because of the sudden death of my battery. They sent the battery car. While talking to the service man, he said that in his experience, batteries are good for 3 years in Florida.

In Massachusetts, they seemed to last forever.

Yoda

Life Depends
 

Daily driver vehicle batteries seem to last longer. I replaced the battery in my toy car after 3 years. click click click. Red top Optima batteries aren't cheap but if you plan on keeping your vehicle you may want to change to this brand. It may be twice the price of replacing a conventional battery but you'd have peace of mind and they last 2-3 times longer.

F16

Mine
 

MY caddy is 6 yrs old and the battery is like new. It likes florida.

Car batteries don't quit without warning if you have your car maintained by a reputable repair shop. I'm presently a mechanic in south florida and every car that comes in with a battery more than a year old I test and most over 2 years old fail.

If you go to Jiffy Lube for oil changes they probably don't check and then your calling AAA for one of their EXPENSIVE batteries. And of course until they get there you're stranded.

The reason the battery is lasting so long in your Cadillac is because it's located under the rear seat, shielded from the nasty Florida sun.

Most batteries come with warranties that give free replacement within 2 years, so have your battery checked when it's 23 months old and chances you'll get a free battery.

Bought a new battery in October. Car sat in garage, driven once a month.
Dead in December.


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My experience with car batteries in Florida has been that they cost $20 per year. A $60 battery will last 3 years and a $140 Optima battery which I have used in one of my cars lasted 7 years.

I wonder how the hybrid batteries hold up in Florida. Anyone with a hybrid such as a Prius or Camry hybrid or a Ford Fusion hybrid out there?

I have an '07 Camry hybrid and had the same question. The engine battery is in the trunk and seems better insulated. (There's also has a battery under the hood that runs all the non-engine electrical stuff. I guess that one would be affected same as other standard car batteries, right?) Also, anyone have tips for how Floridians can extend car battery life?

Thanks.

Thanks for all of the info, very timely for me. My Lincoln dealer here in Ohio said that my 4 year battery should be replaced shortly (don't remember reported readings in their test). Since we'll be on our way to TV in a few months I thought that just perhaps I'd limp thru the cruel winter and get a few extra months out of the battery with better Florida weather. So perhaps based on all of this good input I should move up the scheduled battery replacement. Thanks to all. Ray

My towncar doesn't have a battery , (at least I don't think it does)

unplugged fumar

Actually, I was wondering about the large batteries (maybe under the car) that are the main drive batteries for the electric motor. I was wondering if the heat effected them as well.

I own a Prius, and since I do not yet live full time down there, I cannot comment on the hybrid battery..........except to say that the hybrid battery is vented, and that when I am on the Priuschat forum, I have never read anything to suggest thet the hybrid battery is affected by living down south. It is really a moot point, because Toyota warranties the hybrid battery for like 10 years, 150,000 miles.........

The 12 volt battery in the Prius is not under the hood, but in the rear right quarter panel, easily accessible through the rear hatchback. I just replaced mine with a yellow top Optima battery. The Yellow tops are recommended for the Prius because of how they maintain the cars computer systems.....they do not "crank" the car or start the car.

This Optima battery is much different and better made then regular batteries. It has gel in them instead of liquid. As to checking the status of your battery, any voltmeter should give you a reading on how strong it is.On my Prius, with just a couple of pushes of the buttons, it gives you a readout of voltage with load, without load, etc.......

Frank

Thanks Frank, good info on the Prius. As you say, with the warranty the main battery life seems to be a non-issue.

There are differences in batteries.

The 'regular' car battery is a "lead-acid" battery. The 'extra' batteries in hybrids are either NiMH (Nickel-Metal-Hydride) or LiOn (Lithium-Ion).

As they are entirely different chemical compositions, one can expect they would have different reactions to the climate. Also, the 'regular' battery only has to provide a lot of power momentarily - then it's recharged while operating normally when the demands aren't nearly as much. I had a friend of mine drive 150 miles on his battery when he lost a fan belt - at that point the battery is only powering the sparkplugs and other electronics - which isn't much. It's cranking the engine that takes a LOT of power.

Hybrid batteries are designed for a much different power curve in that they'll almost always be in use. Therefore it's reasonable to conclude there'll be different 'wear' characteristics.

Lived in Tucson for 8 years and here 5...battery life in a car is between 3 and 4 years...a better battery might go 4+ but you should have it tested around 3 years. :beer3:

I am also in central Florida and my car batteries usually fail after 2-3 years.

Extreme temps and not using the car will play havoc with the battery. Make sure you disconnect the battery when not using it for an extended time. All the electronics will drain the battery.

Heat is harder on a battery than cold.

Not a good idea to disconnect the battery. You will lose radio memory and trigger some warning lights depending on the make and model. Get a device to maintain your battery when not in use. Also remember HEAT kills electronics. Batteries and alternators suffer from the heat.

It seems that I always was lucky with my batteries. The last one was good for 7 years until I drove in winter time to Michigan. Next morning I couldn't start the car. It wasn't really cold there, just around 38 degrees
Another point for a better battery is to charge it by driving distances. Less using the car with short distances means taking off power and never get charged completely (battery "dries" out).