Home Forums FineTunedMac Community Lounge Automobile Battery, CCA & Predicted Life Remaining

I am under the impression that when an automobile battery test indicates the remaining “life”, AKA CCA, is at the half way point or less, then the failure rate for the remaining half may be much faster than it was for the first half.

Is there merit/science in that conclusion or is that just silliness?

You might find this Autsmotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association page on CCA battery testing informative. Apparently although there is a relationship between battery life and CCA, it only tells part of the story.

CCA = cold cranking amps, the higher the better in cold environments. It only indirectly provides an indication of life; any automotive service center can check out your battery's condition and provide a prediction of residual life.
Depending on your battery CCA may only be listed on it in SAE measure or it may also specify the equivalent DIN value.

While I was hoping for an easy answer, I should have known there would be too many variables for such. Alas, I long for an easy predictor, much like my fuel gauge.

Still, many thanks all. Your time and input is appreciated!

There are plenty of easy answers but we thought you wanted accurate answers.

My approach to car batteries is about as simple as you can get. There are so many variables, technical and otherwise, that I just change the battery after 7 or 8 years. Why? Because, when the battery does decide to quit, it just dies....which I see as a safety issue because it can leave you stranded.

How did I pick 7 or 8 years? That seems to be the most common prediction from experts about battery life....and even the hardiest battery only provides a guarantee of half that. How do I decide whether it's 7 or 8? I just watch the performance. For example, if the car seems to take a bit more turning-over before starting, I take that as a sign.

The caveat is, of course, the foregoing is only applicable if you're like me and keep cars as long as they want to keep performing reliably.

Car battery failure falls under McGllicudy's corollary to Murphy's Law. If it is going to fail it will invariably fail at the worst possible time. My solution is a AAA membership.

Ya, and I've always wondered how items like furnaces and hot water tanks know when it's Christmas Eve.

The furnace knows, because it's got Santa stuck in its chimney, and it passes the info on to the hot water tank.

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love that sign...