Car battery life?

pineapple

It was very cold this morning and the car (2004 Peugeot 206) wouldn't start. We had to charge the battery to get it going. This is the second time in recent months. I believe it's the original battery. It probably doesn't help that these days I mostly do short round trips - say just 12 miles every other day - though in fact yesterday I did around 20.
Is it likely the battery has come to the end of its life?

MX5huggy

Yes, 10 years for a battery is a good innings.

paulsad

Same car here and last winter it needed jumping a few times, this year so far its been fine - same battery.
The wife does now drive it to my daughters on the motorway maybe once a week a good 50 minute each way journey, I think that's made a difference giving it a good charge.

sk240

10 years, wow thats great.
My 2003 is on its third battery.
It really depends on how its used to how long it lasts, especially if its a diesel car becsuase it will get a much harder life

victor2

I was pleased to get 8 years out of our car battery before it needed replacing. It was fine when initially recharged, but didn't hold the charge for very long after that, so had to be replaced. Pay a bit more for a decent spec replacement if you want it to last anything like the original one did.

pineapple

victor2 wrote: »

I was pleased to get 8 years out of our car battery before it needed replacing. It was fine when initially recharged, but didn't hold the charge for very long after that, so had to be replaced. Pay a bit more for a decent spec replacement if you want it to last anything like the original one did.

Thanks. I just thought a battery was a battery was a battery. Do they vary greatly then? That said - given the age of the car not sure how much longer the car itself will go on anyway.
PS the neighbour who lent me his charger assured me that now that it is fully charged it should at least see the rest of the winter out ??

dors01

You need to get your car in somewhere to have the battery checked and if needed, changed.
Keeping the car running with a battery that is unserviceable can have bad effects on other components, such as alternator.

Stoke

If I was you, I'd just keep jump starting it until the battery is at the point that every day it won't start.

daveyjp

The battery may simply have low water level in one of the cells. If the battery isn't sealed for life check each cell.

gilbert_and_sullivan

10 years, not even worth your time getting it checked, thats a very good innings.

AdrianC

pineapple wrote: »

PS the neighbour who lent me his charger assured me that now that it is fully charged it should at least see the rest of the winter out ??

Optimistic. One thing that doesn't do batteries any good at all is going flat. A 10yo battery that's been flattened twice in shortish order? Definitely on borrowed time, imho.