Battery Life Expectancy?

[ZeroDfx]

My wife has a 2003 G35 Coupe that is just about to turn 40k miles and I'm still on the original battery. Yesterday after washing the car, I pulled it aside to clean up the driveway where I spilled some oil and diff fluid, and when I went to pull the car back into the driveway, it wouldn't start...nothing but silence then some clicking. I put the jumper cables on it from my car and after a few minutes of recharging, it turned over and started. I took it for a drive to recharge it, and this morning it started up just fine.

I pulled the wires and cleaned & wire-brushed the terminals a couple weeks ago after a similar incident, and to reset my interior lights, so I should be making good contact at the terminals. I have two questions:

1. What is the life expectancy of the OEM battery? I suspect I may be getting near replacement time.

2. What could have caused this sudden problem w/ the battery?

TIA,Nick

[rn79870]

I've found that oem batteries are typically good for 36 months. After that, they are on the road to failure. I change them at 36 months to be on the safe side. If you got 60 months on an OEM battery, it's time for a new one just to be on the safe side.

[Jacko3]

Rn79870:

I agree! I usually go 48 months with genuine OEM batteries. Good or bad, I just replace the batteries. For after market batteries from Autozone, I usually do 24 months.

[telcoman]

My wife has a 2003 G35 Coupe that is just about to turn 40k miles and I'm still on the original battery. Yesterday after washing the car, I pulled it aside to clean up the driveway where I spilled some oil and diff fluid, and when I went to pull the car back into the driveway, it wouldn't start...nothing but silence then some clicking. I put the jumper cables on it from my car and after a few minutes of recharging, it turned over and started. I took it for a drive to recharge it, and this morning it started up just fine.

I pulled the wires and cleaned & wire-brushed the terminals a couple weeks ago after a similar incident, and to reset my interior lights, so I should be making good contact at the terminals. I have two questions:

1. What is the life expectancy of the OEM battery? I suspect I may be getting near replacement time.

2. What could have caused this sudden problem w/ the battery?

TIA,Nick

5 Years is about max for lead acid batteries. Up north I replace them as the 5th winter approaches to be on the safe side. I generally try to obtain the most cca (cold cranking Amp rating) as at an occasional zero degree morning it is needed. You probably can get by with the OEM rating?

Telcoman