still on original too!

 

Battery would have been 7yrs old this January coming up and would have about 88k miles but made a preemptive strike and replaced it.New York city.

 

OEM Panasonic still good in my xB which was bought new in March 2006. I ought to replace it soon before it fails but it's under the cruise control. I have detached and lifted the control box, but I don't think there is clearance for the battery to come out from under the cruise control cable, so may have to remove some of the air intake plastic. So have been putting it off.

On contrary, the electrolyte cannot freeze. High summer temperature is what degrades the cells, which causes a cumulative reduction of cold cranking amps, which then eventually becomes a problem is some winter after years of use.

 

My '05 died last month after a valet left my lights on. Aaaaargh. Replaced it with a Diehard Platinum which might be overkill. It's double the price of a regular battery and might only last as long as two regular batteries - but, since I'm giving it to my sister (500 miles away) next month, I feel better about fewer chances of her being stranded in the next couple of years.

 

[quote=vintage42;3931200]OEM Panasonic still good in my xB which was bought new in March 2006. I ought to replace it soon before it fails but it's under the cruise control. I have detached and lifted the control box, but I don't think there is clearance for the battery to come out from under the cruise control cable, so may have to remove some of the air intake plastic. So have been putting it off. [quote]


Why is your crusie control over the battery? I got cruise, but my battery is free and clear

 

In my 2006 xB, the original battery is still good (green indicator) at 42,000 miles. But I want to replace it, and the cruise control is complicating things. Looks like I will need to unbolt and raise the cruise control box over the battery, and remove the air filter box beside the battery, to let the battery move over and upward for removal.
I do not want to undo any of the cruise control cables that pass over the battery, as that would upset the throttle controls.

 

The Rostra cruise control box mounts on the driver-side strut tower, which puts it just above the rear of the battery. Then the control cable joins the throttle cable and they both go forward over the top of the battery. See these photos from another thread here (I don't have a strut bar):
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...B/P5070916.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...B/P5070917.jpg

I have undone the cruise control box and swung it up and to the side, which increases the clearances. But the battery is not going to move over toward the engine enough to get out from under the cruise control and throttle cables unless the air box is removed.

And I cannot force the air box off the connection the engine with the battery in the way of getting a good hold on the air tube, and am afraid of breaking the MAF and VSV connectors in trying to unplug them.

 

Anyone have one of the new Lithium Ion batteries?

Stupid expensive, but can supposedly outlast the car.

check it out here

 

I only have 4.5 years on my Panasonic, but I live where summer temps can be 100-110 F, and 20-30 degrees in the deep winter. No issues yet.

When I go to replace it, I'd like to go Optima

 

Got maybe 3 years out of it and under 25K miles. No radio mods or amps or anything.

 

OEM is really good and having nice life too

 

Finally gave in and replaced my OEM battery. 7 years & 168K miles and it was still ok. But I left the lights on for ~ 45minutes and the battery didn't have enough juice to crank over. After a jump it worked fine but I decided not to risk it this winter(I've drained this battery to completely dead twice before this which is bad for batteries). $80 later I have a shiney new battery.

 

Still running the stock battery on my '06, but it's going to need a replacement pretty soon. It's getting really hard to start on mornings that are sub-freezing.

Also, does mileage effect battery life??

 

No, not really. Number of starts does. As does hot weather. Running the battery all the way flat will help kill your battery. And they die from plain old age. (I had a motorcycle battery last THIRTEEN years once; my average is about five.)

 

bought mine in oct 05 still original at 102k miles

 

had an 2005 with 97k with the original battery. unfortunately, it was totaled back in november........
still the best car i've ever owned!

 

RS3 replaced last year only because the person watching my car was suppose to run the car every now and then but instead it sat for 9 weeks. So dont let it sit too long.

 

Well it finally happened. I just turned over 28,800 miles this week and the OEM Panasonic battery gave up. I cannot complain - 8 years with the same battery is pretty awesome.

And yes, it is a real pain to change when you have cruise control. The cable just don't move over enough to give you free access to easily dead-lift the 40 pound brick.