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Home » Reader question » Reader question: Advice to replace battery
Reader question: Advice to replace battery
Dear readers,
My girlfriend had our car checked at B-Quik. Now for the second time, my girlfriend was advised to replace the battery, which was barely two years old. The second time, by that I mean it's happened before. Having become a bit suspicious, I started browsing the internet and came to the conclusion that the average lifespan of a battery in the Netherlands is 5 to 6 years.
To be sure, I also called the ANWB and got the same answer there. While the climate in the Netherlands is worse for a battery than here in Thailand.
I sent an email to B-Quik. This was the answer: At B-Quik, we sell only batteries of YUASA brand as a retailer not dealer specifically conventional and maintenance free. As for the lifetime of the batteries YUASA brand is 1 and half years to 2 years.
Things like this leave a bad taste in my mouth. Does anyone have similar experiences with B-Quik or am I wrong?
Oh yes, they say they measured the battery. My girlfriend only drives short distances and then you apparently cannot properly assess the capacity of a battery.
Regards,
Matt
Dear Matt, because you often make short journeys, it is wise to purchase a maintenance charger.
A (trickle charger) is a battery charger that maintains a battery by means of a maintenance charge.
n automatic charger.
There are trickle chargers/maintenance chargers that you can connect via the lighter.
https://www.acculaders.nl/druppellader/?filter%5B%5D=173990
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01JYZ24KK/ref=asc_df_B01JYZ24KK1580112000000/?creative=22662&creativeASIN=B01JYZ24KK&linkCode=df0&language=nl_NL&tag=beslist3-21&ascsubtag=23bcadd7-22f3-4560-8505-12b5c7c4536a
Dear Matt,
The tropical climate in Thailand is worse for your car battery than in the Netherlands, because of the warmer temperature and rust formation - moisture and heat. Furthermore, the use of the air conditioning puts a greater strain on the battery. Shorter rides are therefore disastrous, because there is little time to charge the battery. If you search the internet for average lifespan, 2-3 years is given.
What can you do yourself to check whether your battery needs to be replaced.
Buy a volt multimeter or even easier a “usb car charger with volt meter” that you connect to the cigarette socket in the car. You can buy these at Lazada.
While driving, the voltage should be above 12.5V, better above 13V. If it is lower than 12.5V after a charging trip by car, then your battery needs to be replaced.
Dear Eddie,
What you say is not correct, an 'air conditioner' works on the dynamo and not on the battery.
The air conditioning needs a lot of power so, if this were the case, you would quickly come to a standstill
when you turn off the car.
Yours faithfully,
Erwin
You also have to look at what the charging current delivers….. Up to 13.5 volts your battery lasts a long time….Above that it shortens the life of the battery….Many models here are equipped with a fairly high charging current because of all the electronics in the car….. that's why after 2 years the battery sucks….change my Honda every two years….my toyota hilux diesel (big battery) charging current 13.volt lasted 7 years.
I don't know anything about car technology, but my batteries last about 3 years and then they're gone. Shorter than I was used to in NL, for whatever reason. Based on this, I don't think the advice for a new battery after 2 years is that crazy.
You will notice it automatically if the battery gets worse, then you will have problems starting. As long as you don't have that, there's nothing to worry about. And even then you can charge and refill it yourself. That will certainly work a number of times. It is true that only driving short distances is not too good for the battery, then it hardly charges.
I can only judge our own cars, but with us the batteries usually need to be replaced every 2 years. Found this strange too, but a TH friend assured me that this is quite normal in TH.
Maybe that's why there are so many shops that sell batteries 🙂
https://www.consumerreports.org/car-batteries/how-hot-weather-affects-your-car-battery-what-to-do-about-it/
Apparently a lot of heat is more annoying for a battery than cold weather. The linked article talks about 2 years in a warm climate.
But whether you replace it preventively also depends on how reliable your car must be. Battery problems mainly manifest themselves when starting. And if it doesn't start, cables will help you take it to the garage.
The question is whether they measure the battery or whether they just see how old it is.
In my opinion, what B.Quick says is right. A whole day above 30 degrees is no fun for a battery and costs life. The short driving times and/or distances also have no influence whatsoever on shorter or longer lifespan. THE chemical effect of a battery starts the moment it contains acid.
That is why the battery used to be sold dry.
Experience tells me here in Thailand it is not strange that a battery has to be replaced after 2 years and that usually happens at the most inopportune moment without prior notice..
My experience is that a battery in a new car only lasted 2 years. Same with my neighbor. Then bought a gel battery with a higher capacity and it seems to last longer.
I just had a reverse experience. Have a Toyota Fortuner (approx. 6 years old) Diesel, so need a heavy battery.
Every 10.000 km. a toyota garage turn. At 60.000 km turn I was told: battery replaced.
I thought it was too fast so said no. I then went to BQuick to have the battery measured. There was no problem with that. I did get the measurement data printed out on which the situation of the battery could be read well. So my advice: go to BQuick, have the battery measured and ask for the measurement data.
I also only use the battery for about 2 years, which is normal in Thailand
Good advice is not to buy a wet battery anymore, but a "dry", the battery acid can no longer evaporate!. If you now have a wet battery, keeping battery acid saves a year.
Due to the climate, batteries in Thailand last much shorter than in the Netherlands.
With 2 cars Honda CRV and Nissan March maximum 3 years
Hi Matt.
I had the same problem but I switched to a gel battery.
And I looked it up for you.
A gel battery is a valve-regulated, maintenance-free lead-acid battery. Gel batteries are extremely robust and versatile.
They are more expensive, but you no longer have to keep up with the water every time.
And they last a lot longer.
The brand you buy is known here as a B brand.
On the advice of a Thai friend, I bought a 3K battery with mer with a 2-year warranty.
Gr Rob
I had the same experience as Matt, but at a larger Honda dealer. After 2 years it had to be replaced. Since I had no starting problems, I therefore did not replace it. Six months later, same story.
Now 5 months later, still not replaced and still no starting problems. A sales trick?
I don't know because the new one only costs 2000 Baht.
Battery lasts around 3 years in Thailand and you will notice when it needs to be replaced if the car has trouble starting. 3K are relatively good batteries. There is a deposit on your old battery and you will receive around 400 baht in return.
Dear Matt,
I have been working in the battery industry for over 30 years.
From 1977 to 2000 as owner of a battery factory and wholesaler.
Now my business advice.
In the Netherlands, a battery lasted an average of 3 to 4 years and at a temperature below zero, a battery loses just 15% of its capacity, so in the winter all weak brothers fall out, those 6 years you are talking about may now be possible, but not in the last century.
We are now talking about a lead / sulfuric acid battery on an antimony basis where the sulfuric acid has been quenched to a weight of 1.28.
In Thailand, however, the temperatures are quite high and that is worse for the life of a battery than in the Netherlands. the sulfuric acid for the tropics has been quenched to a weight of 1.24 and is increased by the heat to about 1.28.
All lead plates used for batteries are cast in molds and had the disadvantage that the lead had to have a certain stiffness, which is why antimony was added.
Due to this antimony, the batteries discharged themselves, so cars that stood still a lot got problems and motorcycle batteries could often be thrown away after the winter.
These batteries are still made, but with a much lower addition of the antimony, we then speak of a low-maintenance battery.
Most current passenger car batteries no longer use antimony but Calcium, these plates are no longer cast but punched, these batteries are completely closed, but not with a sticker, which is the case with many low-maintenance batteries is.
These Calcium batteries have certain cycles and last 5 years or more and do not discharge themselves, these batteries are for sale in the Netherlands, but not in all sizes in Thailand.
If the capacity is sufficient, the Thai will make it suitable for your car.
Then there are the gel batteries, these are usually too small for a passenger car, this gel is thickened with sulfuric acid and the plates are punched on a calcium basis, but beware, I have seen that in Thailand a battery was sold as a gel battery , but they first filled the battery with acid and then a strip goes over it so that it is a closed whole, you pay a hefty price and you have bought a low-maintenance or a calcium battery.
My advice is go find out where you can buy a Calcium battery for your car, because if you cannot start later you will be offered a poor quality battery again because they do not have Calcium batteries, and buy a set of jumper cables in case your battery has failed and you cannot push an automatic car.
My neighbor drowned pushing his yacht which also wouldn't start.
Success Realistic
I am surprised that your apparently technical explanation only gets a 0 as a rating.
Either they didn't understand or appreciate your joke in the end.
You definitely get a 10 from me.
You can also determine the condition of the battery yourself if you have a (simple) multimeter.
See this video for that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDZu9xS670Y
He has an expensive multimeter, but it is also possible with a cheap/simple multimeter. You must then carefully check what the minimum voltage is when starting the engine.
Dear Matt,
Don't be talked into nonsense.
A battery can easily last 5 years, sometimes up to 10 years.
In Thailand they do this with several things from cars such as tires.
Just pull up in a parking lot and wait for a note on the window that says the tires
are older than two years and need to be replaced (our tires are almost 8 years old)
just to give an example.
Let the car run at least every two weeks for a minute or 5 and no problem, if so
the alternator is no longer good.
The weather in Thailand is better for a battery than our Dutch temperature fluctuations.
Pay close attention when buying a battery and inform yourself on the internet about price/quality.
Yours faithfully,
Erwin
A battery here lasts 2 to 3 years, in my experience, so there is nothing strange about it. already done it twice.
A car battery in Thailand only lasts 2 or 3 years. 40 years of experience with different brands of cars and batteries.
Matt that's right what B-Quick says. Yuasa batteries are 'refurbished and have a short life.
You can calculate it:
You already know what your Yuasa costs per year and it will last 2 years..
A battery that lasts a long time are those that are fitted as original in a new car.
You can ask the dealer of your car if they have it and what it costs. They cost more, but an original will certainly last 5-6 years, as in NL. (and fewer starting problems!)
The cheap batteries such as the Thai Yuasa are not sold in the Netherlands. Then just do the math
The same applies to motorcycles and scooters. I bought a new Yamaha Nmax scooter and the original battery is still in it and it is now 3 years old and will last much longer.
Success.