Battery life

I have been watching the "CCA" value of my OE 2014 battery since I bought the car in 2014. It's remained at or around 450 CCA since purchase. I also recently drove a 2016 Mazda and for fun checked the battery on it, also around 450 CCA. The main thing I've noticed is after about 2 years these Panasonic OE batteries can run a little low on water. Adding a few tablespoons of distilled water to top up the cells does wonders for lifespan.

How do you open the OEM Panasonic battery to add more water?
 
Are you using an old school load tester to measure CCA? What's the battery temperature when you perform the test?

I use a new school load tester to do this test. While I don't believe the "CCA" value it gives may be an accurate to the label value, it is a reliable indicator of battery life. Before I watched a battery in another car get down to 200, and as it fell below 150 it failed that very week. Here's a link to the handy tester I use: https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)
 
Perfect video. I don't shake my battery though. However I do drive 60 minutes per day and often times will put a charger on the battery to get it back above 12.6V if it seems to not be holding full voltage anymore.
 
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Old thread resurrection.... not for the car but going to try out for an ATV with a higher amp need (3500lb winch, heated grips & throttle) but lacking in physical space for required AGM battery. Expensive battery though for what you get...huge weight & space savings though...

Supposedly safer ..... Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4)

http://earthxbatteries.com/

ETX18C-24C-36C-ISO-LEFT-BLUE2-600x600.jpg


ETX24C-TOP-ANGLE-BLUE-600x600.jpg
 
I just replaced the battery on my 2013 CX-5 today. Bought: 8/12 Replaced: 12/16 = 4 years and 4 months...not too shabby. :)
 
Just replaced mine with a Walmart special, Everstart Maxx, on sale for $93. Old one was only showing less than 200 amps on a tester.
 
If you join Advanced Auto (SpeedPerks) you can get $40 off the purchase of a battery. I bought a silver after rebate for $83.
 
FWIW - Brand new Exide Extreme is $79 in Size 35 at Home Depot, and Costco has a long-warranted interstate brand battery for $74.
 
So I've been keeping my eye on this post because I've had the feeling that my battery was starting to go. CX-5 built 7/13, purchased 8/13 the day it was delivered to the dealer. So I finally got out my battery/system tester (http://www.cloreautomotive.com/sku.php?id=512) and tested my OEM battery. It was only putting out 326 CCAs and the tester said it was not OK. The charging system was fine. So I bit the bullet and bought a new battery. Figured I'd try the AGM type and see if it works any better (although I guess I won't know that until 3 years from now!).

http://www.autozone.com/batteries-starting-and-charging/battery/duralast-platinum-battery/mazda/cx-5-grand-touring-awd/2014/4-cylinders-y-2-5l-mfi-dohc/377104_71024_0?checkfit=true
 
⋯ So I bit the bullet and bought a new battery. Figured I'd try the AGM type and see if it works any better (although I guess I won't know that until 3 years from now!).

http://www.autozone.com/batteries-starting-and-charging/battery/duralast-platinum-battery/mazda/cx-5-grand-touring-awd/2014/4-cylinders-y-2-5l-mfi-dohc/377104_71024_0?checkfit=true
So your AutoZone Duralast Platinum 35-AGM battery costs $185.99 + tax and $18 core! I thought that's pretty expensive for a 3-year replacement warranty battery? (boom08)
 
Skip the Optima AGMs imo. My yellow top failed after years, in line with some other reviews I read. For a lower price and better specs you can get a DieHard AGM battery from Sears and a more convinient warranty.
 
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If you join Advanced Auto (SpeedPerks) you can get $40 off the purchase of a battery. I bought a silver after rebate for $83.

I bought an Advanced Auto Silver for my minivan a while back, got over 8 years out of it! Also got many years out of a few Diehards I've used in the past. I really don't understand what people think they're going to get out of a $200 battery. It's more of how you take care of it that counts; keeping it clean on top between the terminals and watching the fluid level where you can, and making sure the charging system is up to par.
 
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I bought an Advanced Auto Silver for my minivan a while back, got over 8 years out of it! Also got many years out of a few Diehards I've used in the past. I really don't understand what people think they're going to get out of a $200 battery. It's more of how you take care of it that counts; keeping it clean on top between the terminals and watching the fluid level where you can, and making sure the charging system is up to par.

Depends though, AGM batteries cost more than the lead acids.
 
So your AutoZone Duralast Platinum 35-AGM battery costs $185.99 + tax and $18 core! I thought that's pretty expensive for a 3-year replacement warranty battery? (boom08)

Well, I DID have a $5 off coupon. (headbang) And it seems like all the AGM batteries available locally had just a 3 year warranty.

Anyway, a few factors in my decision making process. First off, AutoZone was the closest place that actually HAD any Group 35 batteries in stock. Second, the AGM battery has higher output and more reserve than the regular batteries do. We were -22F here last week which is not all that unusual for Minnesota. Third, I'm at the point in my life (read that as old/retired/well enough off) that I don't want to have to worry about small things like my vehicle starting or not just to save a few bucks. So I went with top of the line. Besides, everyone else bought them out of the regular batteries last week when theirs failed in the cold weather! (boom01)

I am satisfied with my purchase.

I will add a couple of other items of note.

- My OEM battery had a sleeve around it; sort of a plasticized cardboard. It has some foam rubber cushioning inside of it too; a little extra battery protection I suppose. It slipped right off so no problem. I tried to put it back on after I put the new battery in but it seemed like it would not "seat" itself all the way down even though it looked like it was all the way down. That's when it dawned on me that the Group 35 battery is shorter than the OEM Panasonic battery! I was able to cut enough off the bottom of the sleeve to get it back even with the top of the battery (which is needed for clearance of the battery hold-down bracket).

- In addition to the Solar battery/system tester that I noted above, I also have this booster pac http://www.cloreautomotive.com/sku.php?id=262 and this memory saver cord http://www.cloreautomotive.com/sku.php?id=269. You just plug the the memory saver cord into the booster pack and then into the OBD connector and all of your vehicle's memory settings (like radio stations, for example) are saved while you swap out the battery. Works great!
 
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