When to replace the battery?

Having one of the earlier 2006 CS cars( Launch Vehical) I was wondering how long the battery life on these cars typically last. Knowing that car batterys usually last on an average of at least 3-4 years I would think I have no worries until my 2010 service comes around. I had a bad experience on my 2001 X5 BMW last year and do not need to go thru that deal of AAA having to come out. Any suggestions and comments are appreciated.

If you have kept it well maintained and charged and are having no problems I wouldn't worry about it for awhile. It will probably start letting you know when you need to start thinking about replacement by hard starting, etc. My Feb. '06 is going strong.

Thanks, just not wanting to go thru a replacement process with a locked car and other problems. the X5 died and had to be romoved by a BMW authorized tech due to memory losses on security, engine and other factors I was told. Sure do not need to deal with that on my CS. Probably way too soon to even have any members deal with battery replacement.

On all my past cars I have taken the batteries out and replaced them with Optima red tops. I had one Last 7 years and leave with the car when I sold it. I haven't seen anyone on this forum that has put an Optima in so I don't know about fitment. But, because of the way the car behaves when the battery is dead, and the relatively short time you can let the car sit, I will be looking into this as soon as I get my car.

Thanks for the advice, just sent an email to the company asking about a replacement battery for our cars, going to be interesting to see the response.

Hello jsdone, Out of respect for a moderator's request, I'll refrain from posting the most appropriate answer to the question you've posed on this thread. Please go to http://www.planet-9.com/cayman-electronics/18973-has-your-oem-battery-ever-died.html#post220329 and scroll down to my post #15 titled "Extend the "like-new" performance of your battery for 10 years". I personally believe it would be a much better service to our membership if they could simply read the information right here; therefore please accept my apologies for any inconvenience that this redirection may cause you. Regards, Joe

Quotes source post: 220329

And here is the direct link http://www.planet-9.com/220329-post15.html

Assuming the car is frequently driven, a battery will always tell you its time to get it replaced.

Sorry, but I disagree with that. I was born and raised here in Phoenix, and I can count on one hand the times my vehicle(s) have given me warning that the battery is going to die. More often than not, one time it starts up and runs perfectly only to go out the next time and it's totally dead. Perhaps your suggestion is true where you live, but not here!

Interesting comments from all that spoke up. Getting stranded is what I fear most in the Porsche, and I have AAA as well. I'm thinking replacement at the 4 year mark in 1010, are we actually saying to replace in say 2009 or as early as this year 2008? I guess the best question we need to ask ourselves is how good are the Porsche batterys and how long do they typically last. A Porsche veteran would be able to give us some good insight if anyone is available.

As Joe says above, if you park in a garage with access to an electrical socket there are several trickle chargers that can be used to extend battery life several years. Porsche dealers sell two types, others are called Battery Tender and Battery Minder, no doubt there are other brands. The more frequently the car is driven and the longer the trips the less this may be necessary. For cars that sit idle for several days at a time they are well worth the cost.

Now I'm getting some info that really helps make things more clear, I bought the Porsche tender when I purchased the car. I have never used the charger as I have always driven the car every week, at least no more than 10 days without driving. What should I do on a regular basis if the car is not driven within 5-7 days, plug her up? If this extends the battery life, that is a very clean and simple thing to do.

You can find someone’s experience for every scenario you can dream up. The battery needs to be taken care of as you suggest. Use a tender regular y to maintain the battery and it does just that because short stop and go driving at slower speeds will not keep it at optimal charge. But every battery will be different and you have to recognize its subtle signals. I've never seen a battery that failed without one even in here in New Mexico but I’m sure there is an example somewhere. Care of the battery and awareness are your friends. Replacement before it is needed is a trade-off that will not harm anything other than a small amount of cash so if you are worried about the consequences of a battery failure it would be a small price to pay.

Good advice, appreciate your comments.

Any word back on fitments for our application?

Thanks for the reminder, no I never heard back from Optima. Maybe I will ask one more time, will advise as soon as I hear something.

I agree with 4 year as a good time. I just hit 4 yr mark and will probably replace this fall in case of cold weather. Which we had darn little this year.