How to tell Battery is going bad?

[OR VietVet]

I would think it depends on how many times the starter is activated over that time.

 

[88m53453]

When my battery went at about the 3 year mark, the audio would not work. I understand that is the built in warning.

 

[keg97]

Built in warning? I don't recall that warning when my battery went 3 years ago.

 

[MassHoe04]

I just picked up a 2004Tahoe. Battery cranked over, but I just got an Optima red top only a year ago for the Jeep. I was trading the Jeep, so I wanted to put into the Tahoe.

I was shocked at the date stamp on the one that I was pulling out of the Tahoe...
9/07! That was probably the oldest battery I have come across, that had anything left to give.

If my new red top lasts half as long, I'll be doing pretty good!

 

[Stbentoak]

I had a pair of Sears Platinum DieHards in my 2004 Ram Cummins that went 9 years. ( one was replaced free about 4 years in..)
Wanted to buy them again but they weren’t offered any longer. I believe they were actually re badged Odyssey batteries….

 

[Doubeleive]

another way to tell is if the volt meter is moving around a lot more than normal, if it continues to hang around under the 12v mark a lot that to me indicates the battery is getting hot and not recharging properly, the volt meter on these will move around because of the voltage regulation but you can see the difference between a good healthy battery and one that is not based on the volt meter, I don't like the RVC system but it is what it is. my nbs volt meter never moved unless the battery was getting weak.

 

[MassHoe04]

I just picked up a 2004Tahoe. Battery cranked over, but I just got an Optima red top only a year ago for the Jeep. I was trading the Jeep, so I wanted to put into the Tahoe.

I was shocked at the date stamp on the one that I was pulling out of the Tahoe...
9/07! That was probably the oldest battery I have come across, that had anything left to give.

If my new red top lasts half as long, I'll be doing pretty good!

P.S.: The 2007 battery that was still going? An Optima red top...

 

[Pivot]

Did it sound like this. Minus the alarm

Mine does this intermittently (minus the alarm) - planned on a new battery as mine is about at the 3-3.5yr mark. Sometimes the voltmeter reads under that 14 range. But sounds like it could be starter too based on your experience? Was yours intermittently starting like that or every time?

 

[Tonyv__]

Mine does this intermittently (minus the alarm) - planned on a new battery as mine is about at the 3-3.5yr mark. Sometimes the voltmeter reads under that 14 range. But sounds like it could be starter too based on your experience? Was yours intermittently starting like that or every time?

Intermittently. Would go a week without doing it then suddenly do it again. See I’ve never had a starter fail like this. It usually just stops in my experience so I really really thought it was the battery. Replaced battery and the positive cable because apparently they have issues… I thought the truck was OK but I still wasn’t convinced because the start was still kind of sluggish at times. A few weeks after replacing the batter the starter acted up again. I replaced it and the first start I knew that was the initial problem. It started very fast with the new starter.

 

[Pivot]

Intermittently. Would go a week without doing it then suddenly do it again. See I’ve never had a starter fail like this. It usually just stops in my experience so I really really thought it was the battery. Replaced battery and the positive cable because apparently they have issues… I thought the truck was OK but I still wasn’t convinced because the start was still kind of sluggish at times. A few weeks after replacing the batter the starter acted up again. I replaced it and the first start I knew that was the initial problem. It started very fast with the new starter.

Yea, same - never experienced a starter go like this (if this is what it is). Will look into this more - thanks for the additional insight.