would go instead with Costco Interstate batteries which offer 42 month free replacement. The MegaTron Plus is actually 30 month with remaining up to 60 months - pro-rated.
Battery life
- Thread starter erhayes
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would go instead with Costco Interstate batteries which offer 42 month free replacement. The MegaTron Plus is actually 30 month with remaining up to 60 months - pro-rated.
Does anyone in this forum recommend using the desulfation feature of a battery charger? I recently purchased a 15Amp battery charger which has that "conditioning" feature that's supposed to send pulses to the battery to reduce/eliminate sulfation. I'm also curious if you can just clip on the leads and condition the battery without removing it from the vehicle. I used the conditioning feature on my gas powered golf cart battery and it didn't seem to do any harm. My golf cart battery is 4 years old and going strong. My CX-5 sits for days at a time in the garage so I'm thinking the battery conditioning might be a good idea. Any feedback on those chargers and whether I can use it on my CX-5 battery while connected?
Every brand of automatic battery charger is a little different in terms of test cycles, charge cycles, etc. They are not government regulated in any way (other than the typical UL type listing). Some work better than others. Most are not temperature compensated so a charger that works super-duper at 65F will likely suck at 20F.
A well designed de-sulfation cycle is a good thing but it's not a miracle cure. Because some automatic chargers decide whether to go into de-sulfation mode based on feedback it gets from the battery, it's a good idea to disconnect the battery from the vehicle so as not to confuse it's automatic battery health diagnostics. A charger with a manual desulfation mode could probably be used with the battery installed but it might be slightly more effective without the slight extra load or capacitance of the cars electrical system.
A battery that is never deeply discharged and doesn't regularly sit unused for extended times is the best insurance against early death. It can also help to avoid things that raise the engine bay temperatures in warm weather. Little things like shutting the engine off for short stops, avoiding drive-UPS, etc. can reduce peak battery temperatures. I'm always amazed at people that leave their spouse in the idling car while they pick-up groceries! Not good for engines or batteries.
TsingTsaoNYC
Member
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- CX-5 GT AWD
Almost all car batteries in the US are made by Exide and Johnson Controls. Prices vary between the brands due to the warranty.
I've used this model with desulfation mode on my powersports equipment for over 10 years. My oldest battery is around 9 years old and still works great. I am able trickle charge 4 batteries from one charger.
Just got this for wife's CX-5. Fits easily in glove box or middle compartment between seats.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)
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- RDX Aspec Adv.
Mine is a year old or so and does fine, but when it's cold out it has caused me some anxiety now and then with hiw weak it cranks.
I have had good luck with Maxx batteries from Walmart. Good thing about them you can get them replaced under warranty just about everywhere in the US. The cca is around 800ish. With OEM batteries I get nervous around the 3rd year. I have AAA but I like those new boosters referred to in a previous post. Seems a lot better than the big bulky ones.
It's typically not the battery itself that's the problem. Mazda uses high quality, Japanese made batteries.
But there are a number of factors that can lead to shorter life of the initial battery.
1) A new engine is tight and takes more amps to crank. This adds extra load on the battery and will shorten it's life somewhat.
2) New cars are typically detailed and "played with" more often and for longer than older cars. This leads to the battery being discharged by the stereo and cabin/trunk lights being illuminated more often with the engine not running and charge/discharge cycles take their toll.
3) New cars may sit on dealer lots for months and get multiple people starting them, checking out the stereo/GPS/etc., power seats, etc. without actually going on a test drive. Not only is the sitting on the lot hard on batteries but it's not uncommon for dealerships to need to jumpstart new cars. All of this discharging results in shorter battery life.
I special ordered my CX-5 and took delivery a few days after the ship arrived in port. In a few weeks I'll have completed my 4th full winter on the OEM battery without any sign of it slowing down. It cranks surprisingly vigorously, even when temperatures approach 0F.
OEM battery on my 01 330i lasted 11 years.
The engine mount on the passenger side (near the washer fluid fill) has some good ridges for negative clip attachment.
Probably trunk mounted. Engine heat is a battery destroyer. My Volvo S80 has a trunk mounted battery. Just replaced the second one after 16+ years (over 8 years/battery). If it were in the engine bay I probably would have only got 5-6 years.
I'm thinking about using a Li-ion in some specific powersports equipment since I need a higher amperage battery but lack the battery space to accommodate the bigger battery. Price seems to be in the $150-$200 range...
Looking at automotive 12V Li-ion batteries..... all I can say is check out those prices.
http://www.jegs.com/p/Lithium-Pros/Lithium-Pros-12-Volt-Lithium-Batteries/1770167/10002/-1
Looking at automotive 12V Li-ion batteries..... all I can say is check out those prices.
http://www.jegs.com/p/Lithium-Pros/Lithium-Pros-12-Volt-Lithium-Batteries/1770167/10002/-1
What sort of changes are needed to the charging system? Or do those batteries have some kind of embedded circuitry to prevent overcharge? I'm skeptical of advertised drop-in replacements for lead batteries as safe charging requires more complexity.
Yep, that was my second car with battery in the trunk, first one was 91 Miata.
None that I am aware of but it appears different trickle chargers are needed from previous research. I don't have links offhand but will look further.
These are units I am planning to use in powersports equipment:
http://earthxmotorsports.com/shop/ETX18B
Good thing about the 2.0 CX-5......higher stance means further distance from pavement heat source. Smaller engine means more space in engine bay for heat dissipation.
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- 2014 Mazda 6 GT with MRCC
I have been watching the "CCA" value of my OE 2014 battery since I bought the car in 2014. It's remained at or around 450 CCA since purchase. I also recently drove a 2016 Mazda and for fun checked the battery on it, also around 450 CCA. The main thing I've noticed is after about 2 years these Panasonic OE batteries can run a little low on water. Adding a few tablespoons of distilled water to top up the cells does wonders for lifespan.
Are you using an old school load tester to measure CCA? What's the battery temperature when you perform the test?
