Battery Tests

[Jman136]

Hi all,

So, I've got to ask, are the battery load tests that the dealerships perform accurate? My wife's 2019 Subaru Legacy was just at Subaru for an oil change 3 months ago. They stated that it passed the battery load test and was still good. Three weeks later, the battery went totally dead and the car wouldn't start. I jumped it, and took it to Subaru. They ran another test, and stated this time that it was not holding a charge, and therefore failed the test. So, I ended up getting a new battery. All is good now, BUT I have to wonder what are the true warning signs of a battery going bad WITHOUT the car just not starting one day?

My 19 GTR has 27k miles on it, and I'm thinking it should be good for at least another winter (Wisconsin).

Thanks for any tips/advice!

 

[Conrad 16.5]

Maybe they didn't actually perform the first load test as stated?

This wouldn't be the first time that dealership said that they did something when in fact they did not.

I still have the OEM battery in my 2016.5 and it turns the car over very strongly. I do keep a battery tender on it when not in use though.

 

[wlong01]

There really aren't any symptoms like in the old days where a battery would hard crank for weeks on end. This was usually your indication that it was time to replace. Today you can go out and start your car and it will start fine (just like it always does) and you can come out at lunch and nothing.
I replace mine at 36-40 months no questions asked.

 

[Chocolate]

What was the brand of battery in the Subaru? That's pretty early for a failure. Hopefully was covered/prorated under warranty.