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Optima/NAPA spiral cell batteries also seem to last Posted by John Fitzgerald [Email] (#77) [Profile/Gallery] (more from John Fitzgerald) on Fri, 14 Mar 2014 19:02:10 In Reply to: Re: 11+ years from my Bosch Silver battery..., Street, Fri, 14 Mar 2014 13:15:47 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
as I've had them in for five, six, seven years in various Saab 9000's and our non-Saab.
They are very vibration resistant. Idk if they have any more heat resistance than any other premium battery.
They used to have a long (5? 6?) year non-prorated warranty; that changed a couple of years ago.
It is possible that as components corrode with age, pin switches, etc, there might be an increase in parasitic drain with power off. You could measure this, if you are seeing dead batteries in a regular manner on a daily driver after three years. Of course, if it's a cheap battery, the plates will have less vibration resistance, less gap below the electrodes for material to build up, and poorer quality cell design. In some respects, the $189 I pay at Advance Auto (during one of the numerous online 15% or 20% sales) is a pretty small premium over a $125 or $145 "normal" battery.
The only car I haven't put an Optima battery in is our 2003 BMW 330 convertible. It is mounted in the trunk, and the tech manuals caution that it is a special, heavy duty vibration resistant design. Maybe I had too much kool-aid that week, but when the stock battery failed after seven years, I replaced it with the BMW specified battery. I understand the great degree of flex and vibration in a convertible body; it is trunk mounted, and lives a fairly pampered life, anyway, as it spends four months each year on a battery tender.
John
Burlington, Wisc
'73 96 RHD sold after four years in Middle Barton, Oxfordshire, UK
'80 99 sold after 20 years/192,000mi
'86 9kT sold after 12 years/approx 121,000 mi
'87 9kT sold after 9 years/approx 174,000 mi
'97 CSE given to my son after 8 years @ 245k; he sold it at 254k mi
still driving:
'97 Aero 252,xxx mi
'98 CSE 200,xxx mi 'project car' for winter & for my daughters to drive
and a couple of 'non-Saabs':
'01 Suburban 143,xxx mi
'03 BMW 330 Cic 57,xxx mi
_______________________________________ John Burlington, Wisc '73 96 RHD sold after four years in Middle Barton, Oxfordshire, UK '80 99 bought new, sold after 20 years/192,000mi '86 9kT picked up at Trollhatten, sold after 12 years/approx 121,000 mi '87 9kT sold after 9 years/approx 174,000 mi '94 CSE given to my son after 8 years @ 245k; he sold it at 254k mi '95 Aero 146,xxx mi sold '98 CSE 248,xxx mi gave it away '97 Aero 317,xxx mi my daughter’s school car … gave away [we put 300k mi on it] still driving: '97 CSE 170xxx mi 'project car' for myself and my daughters to drive '07 9-3 2.0T 240xxx '08 9-5 191xxx mi my wife's daily driver and a couple of 'non-Saabs': '01 Suburban 201,xxx mi '03 BMW 330 Cic 84,xxx mi '14 Mercedes E350 103,xxx mi
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