hobbs

How long did your OEM battery last? I am at 4-1/2 years and notice a little slower cranking at 40 degrees. That is about as cold as it gets here.

Any experience with one of these batteries? Interstate MT7, Diehard Platinum or Odyssey Extreme? All are AGM, have a (4) year replacement warranty and are close in actual price locally. I lean towards Interstate as there are a lot more dealers if a problem comes up.

Thirty_Seven

iTrader: (5)

Diehard Platinum and Odysseys are the same battery if I remember correctly. Can't go wrong with either one. I'd lean toward those two.

JSolo

iTrader: (14)

I replaced the oe battery in my '12 few weeks ago. I actually noticed it cranking slower last winter (gets really cold here in chicago). The battery never seemed to get a full charge, even after driving for several hours. Figured better safe than sorry this winter.

$100 for the exide 24fx at home depot.

claudiohv

After 3 years.

Gallego PR

iTrader: (1)

I was cleaning my G about a week ago and had both doors open. Went to start it to move it outside the garage to wash it and the whole entire cluster started flashing and no go. Checked the battery and in fact it was bad. I got me a Red Top Optima. Maintenance free and from experience they're proven.

Surfnazi

If you check he water levels once a month it helps prolong the battery. I've had oem battery's last 7 years.

MP-In-The-Wind

I had purchased my 2008 in 2011...original battery died 2012... replacement (AutoZone) battery died 1 month short of 3 years later.

Habbibie

Life span Depends on the car. The more electronic gizmos you have the shorter the life of the battery will be.

For Example: if you take a 34 DT series battery w/ 1000 CCA it'll last about 3-4 years in a car like the G37, C350, 335i etc. but if you take that same battery and instal it in a 96 Honda Civic or a corolla with nothing but the radio that's electronic then that same battery will last 7-8 years.

Running a dual 12v battery set up can extend the life of the pair of batteries from 3-4yrs to 5-6yrs. But 99% of people don't do that cause it defeats the purpose of saving money on the price of the second battery and where to mount the 2nd battery too.
Upgrading your stock alternator to a higher amperage will not help prolong the life of the battery if anyone was wondering. It will however help you run more electronic features than what was offered with the car like say running two 15" Orion or JBL W12 and a 4000watts amp and a few TV screens then that's where it would benefit.

JSolo

iTrader: (14)

^^Please explain this theory? Once the car is started, all power is provided by the alternator. Assuming there's adequate capacity in the alternator to power all circuits (and still charge the battery as needed) what additional wear could there possibly be?

Habbibie

Well I'll try but I'm not sure how Nissan does it. What I know of is how BMW, VW and Mercedes Benz run their sensitive electronic equipment such as the navigation system, they use a TVS (Transient voltage suppressor) which regulate and control the power surges from your alternator & battery. It goes something like this:

Power supply (alternator) feeding the battery with 13.9-14.7 volts. The voltage under certain conditions might elevate and cause a momentary outburst with a peak voltage spike of 15.2-15.8 and is usually absorbed to a limit by the battery which will also cause the battery to surge a voltage spike of its own but at a reduced level than what the alternator initial spike was due to the spike having to travel through the cells and finding the ground which in most cases eleminates the surge all together but on the rare cases where the surge surpasses the ground and continuous its path to the electronic devises such as the navigation which will cause severe damage to the component since that is the end of the line for the circuit and there is no other way out beside a minimal ground fault at 22-18 gauge. Far less than capable to holding down a surge of 15volts and an initial 145-180 amps.

What I know of is the top 3 German companies and GM use the TVS past the battery but prior to electrical components to eleminate power surges all together. Thus for why they use the battery as the main power supply for sensitive electronics because it reduces the initial alternator spike before the TVS having to deal with it.

Alternator > battery > TVS > navigation.

So to summarize everything in one general sentence, more & more auto makers are using the battery as the primary power supply to electrical components due to its natural ability to suppress spike and reduce the load to other smaller suppressing devices which by then have eleminated the danger all together.

I hope this explaines in a general prospective of why batteries don't last as long since their work load is increases and how running two batteries help cause two spike reductions are far better than one. I didn't wanna go into details cause I myself forgot what half the devices are called just their initials.

Ps. Mind the grammar/spelling I typed all this from my phone.

JSolo

iTrader: (14)

So if I'm understanding correctly, there are in essence two isolated power delivery systems? One being the battery feeding various circuits when the car is on, and 2nd the alternator feeding the battery only?

Sort of like a UPS supplying power to the PC off the battery even when plugged in? Any documentation of this actually being used in the G?

Habbibie

Yea it is somewhat similar to a UPS. the alternator two biggest jobs now a days are delivering electrical power to your ignition system (further down the line known as a spark) and charging the battery.

If you notice you can just about run everything off of the battery alone, say you put the car in the ACC mode and not starting it, everything that you are able to turn on is controlled by the battery I.E. The radiator fans, starter, fuel pump, everything in the interior, HVAC system, interior/exterior lighting, etc.

That's why I say the more components you have in the car the shorter life span of that battery will be, cause sometimes it gives more power to accessories than it receives from the alternator in time to compiscate for the lost charge.

cruzmisl

I use a battery tender once in a while and I've kept the same battery for 5 years now.

I'll probably get it replaced soon but it's OK for now.

Snipres

Mine only lasted 3 years than i bought a duralast gold...

socketz67

I think extreme shifts in temperature are another reason batteries fail over time. At three years I have the dealer check the battery during regular service intervals/oil changes. I then normally replace it somewhere in the 4th year. Duralast/Autozone batteries have always been my goto unless I can find a coupon online for an OEM battery (otherwise they are not very price competitive).