05 G35x, 50K miles- battery died last weekend while I was on Vacation in WI... I am also running a pretty serious Sub/Amp so I am sure this contributed to my battery drain....

Had to change it in a ACE parking lot... Maaaan it was a bitch! Or maybe I was just pissed cause I was on vacation.. .hah.

The only battery they sold had the terminals in the middle so I had to buy an extender to reach them.... Not to mention the "battery lock" and cover...
Felt like they made it intentionally difficult to change for the stealership..

All is well now, car starting/running like a champ!

 

100k miles and battery is still going strong.
used it on my dead xterra for a weekend and it started no problem.

 

Well, I am now on my 3rd battery for my 2004 Sedan. All OEM.

1 at just under 4 years, now another 4 years later.

I had just driven 1000 miles, didn't drive it one day since I drove my pickup, and then it was so dead that battery powered jumper couldn't jump it.

Tested good when out of car, but went dead overnight even unplugged. Cost $81 with remainder of battery warranty to replace.

 

I'm on my 3rd battery since new. 58k.

 

I still have the original in my '06

I might change it before this winter though.

 

What are the biggest signs that a battery is going?

My car starts up just fine except on days when its -16F.
What happens is when I turn the ignition on and start the car ; the engine turns over and starts but the rpm's are really low for the first 4-5 seconds and the engine runs rough and then they rise up to 2000rpm (at this point the engine sounds and runs better) and settle around the 1600rpm mark and slowly drops as the car warms up.

My question is that the battery supplying low current to the car or my fuel system being clogged?

Only happens on extremely cold days and other days its perfectly fine.

 

I doubt it's the fuel system unless you've got bad gas or a very tiny amount of moisture in there somewhere. -16F is cold, but not that cold. I'd get the battery and alternator tested before replacing anything. A new battery with a bad alternator is a bad combination. A dying battery in those kind of temps should just cause a slow turnover as you're starting, but shouldn't cause low RPM's once running.

You could consider an engine warmer if you get extended periods with temps that low at night. You won't freeze the oil at those temps (obviously), but it never hurts to have it and the battery warmer when you do start it.

EDIT: The biggest sign of a bad battery is a slow start in cold weather, but I think you might have additional issues, and possibly lights that brighten slightly when you rev the engine. But you should always get your alternator tested before buying a battery.

 

Thanks for the advice. I'll make it a point to get the alternator and battery tested before winter kicks in.
I do have the block heater or engine warmer that you described and run German Castrol (synthetic oil) all year round in the car so its probably not engine oil causing a problem.
Does anyone have a picture of what their original battery looks like. I bought my car used and therefore don't know if it has been replaced yet or not.

EDIT: The temperature that the car starts rough is -40F and not -16F like i reported earlier.

 

03 coupe still originally battery

 

I noticed last winter that my car was starting to be sluggish in cranking over in sub-zero temps. It would turn over slow and sometimes I'd start to worry it wouldn't start so I began to carry jumper cables. Fortunately warm weather returned and its been fine ever since. But I want to replace it for peace of mind this winter as it will be 5 years old at that point.

I also notice the same condition you do...this past winter it started for the first time. On very cold days, the car would start and misfire for a minute. Rpms would be low and jumo around. I used to shut it off and restart and it would be fine after. But it onlymhappened when extremely cold (under 10F or so) and would be connected to the slow crank. It did this maybe 10 times total? Every time I would just turn the car off, and then restart and it starts normal. Ive seen other guys claim they experience the same thing only on very cold days. So I always assumed this was due to a weak battery.

Either way, I'd like to replace it this winter as a pro-active maintainence item. I don't like getting stranded with a dead battery when I commute 30 miles each way to work through the boonies.

 

Yes and yes.

That's exactly what I've been experiencing.
On days when the temps are VERY cold with windchill etc. AND ONLY when the car is doing a cold start. I never see it happens once the car has been started up just a few hours ago.
Hope a new battery fixes that cuz if someone gets stranded in that situation ; it can be very dangerous.

 

I am

 

Windchill doesn't affect non-heated items. If it's 10 degrees with no wind, it's 10 degrees with 100 mph wind. Heated items, like you, have a thin layer of heated air next to your skin (or house) that helps keep you warm. Wind helps remove that heated layer, so you cool at the same rate as that windchill temp. The actual temp hasn't changed, just your ability to stay as warm in said temp.

 

119k still on my original

 

Currently I have about 328 miles on my car, still with orginal battery.