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Oldest battery ever? My Nov 2002 Orig battery just croaked!

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Old 05-07-2009, 07:27 AM
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RN7676
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Default Oldest battery ever? My Nov 2002 Orig battery just croaked!

There's no point to this message other than to point out just how long some of the original batteries can last.

My 2003 has a Nov 2002 build date and Nov 17, 2002 date stamp on the battery. One of the cells was reading very low specific gravity for well over a year now, so I knew I would eventually get stranded, but I just had to know how long I could go. Well, it finally failed yesterday. Just shy of 6 1/2 years old.

So before you start cranking out your BS responses and consipiracy theories, I already mentioned there is no real point to this post other than to identify an interesting side note about original battery life.

Anyone else have a vintage battery?
Attached Thumbnails Oldest battery ever?  My Nov 2002 Orig battery just croaked!-350z-battery.jpg  
Old 05-07-2009, 08:58 AM
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davidv
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63 months and my OEM battery is doing well.
Old 05-07-2009, 09:08 AM
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Spork
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I'll go out and check mine a little later.
Old 05-07-2009, 09:18 AM
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Flick Montana
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I still have my original 2004 battery in there. No problems with it.
Old 05-07-2009, 09:26 AM
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Done Deal DR
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I just had to replace the battery in my '04.5 about 9 months ago, though batteries tend to last much less time here in the desert.
Old 05-07-2009, 09:29 AM
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Spork
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I can't find a date on mine by looking at it, and the circles with the month and year weren't marked.
Old 05-07-2009, 09:33 AM
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JasonZ-YA
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thats good it lasted you...........were the starts always clean and strong? cause a slow fading battery even after being replaced is often followed by a slowingly dying alternator.....keep an eye out on it...

-J
Old 05-07-2009, 09:38 AM
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KornerCarver
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I bought my Z in July 2003 (build date April 2003) and I still have the original battery and it is doing just fine. Starts are good and crisp with no slow downs.
Old 05-07-2009, 01:09 PM
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unit5alive
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I have my original battery from 3/03,still going strong!
Old 05-07-2009, 04:55 PM
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zeruck
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I figured I was on borrowed time and replaced my battery 2 months ago with an Optima. I purchased my DB Track 350z Dec. 21, 2002.
Old 05-07-2009, 05:00 PM
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diwun67
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I had to replace the original in my '05 last year in June with a Bosch one, I forget the CCA's, but it was the biggest pepboys offered. JL amps can beat a battery up...
Old 05-07-2009, 06:12 PM
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RN7676
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Originally Posted by JasonZ-YA
were the starts always clean and strong?
-J
Ya know, I thought they were clean and strong. I mean it always started very quickly and never lugged or loped or slowed down when turning the key. ... However, after installing the new battery I realize the original battery was turning over slow. It certainly wasn't slow, but with the new battery I can feel and hear the power of the starter and the starts are now nearly instant instead of a slow 1 second from the old battery!
Old 05-07-2009, 06:53 PM
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Hexxus
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I had an 9 year old battery in my Saturn when it finally croaked.

Old 05-07-2009, 08:43 PM
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tony530
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WTF!!!! Mine just died out today OEM battery 6 YEARS since 2/11/03 89,xxx is what i have on my car!!!! dam oem battery really last!!!
Old 05-08-2009, 04:58 AM
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JasonZ-YA
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Originally Posted by RN7676
Ya know, I thought they were clean and strong. I mean it always started very quickly and never lugged or loped or slowed down when turning the key. ... However, after installing the new battery I realize the original battery was turning over slow. It certainly wasn't slow, but with the new battery I can feel and hear the power of the starter and the starts are now nearly instant instead of a slow 1 second from the old battery!
yea, see that, it takes a trained person to hear the difference......in general its not good.........i never, ever, ever....eva wait till a battery dies out......i wait till i hear/feel/notice the signs of an aging battery.

keep an eye out on your other accessories and listen closely at all your starts............alt, starter are some of the highest abused components of your engine bay....too me, they are simple maintenance items.........items i don't expect more than X amount of years out of........so its how you see it.....

-J
Old 05-08-2009, 05:20 AM
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VO...
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Mine croacked at 4 years...
Old 05-08-2009, 05:44 AM
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lgear080
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I have no issues with my 2003 except for the battery. It requires replacement every 18 months or so...
Old 05-08-2009, 12:03 PM
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johnha209
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i just got mines replaced last week.... i got an 04... i had a 2 hour commute and my car wouldnt start because of the battery.. =(

one more thing.... it was a PITA to replace the battery.....
Old 05-11-2009, 11:21 PM
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orgasm_donor
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I bought my '88 Prelude in January 2000 and it still had the OEM Honda battery in it (Date stamped July, 1998). It actually didn't die - I just put a High output battery in its place.
Old 05-12-2009, 09:32 PM
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nd2spd
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May '03 and still strong


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