Battery life span

**JohnM** · September 5th, 2016 02:21 PM

The 3-year-old Amaron Hilife in the daily driven Vios is still ok. It gets driven more than an hour in the morning and at night. Haven't checked voltages though but no problems starting the car yet. Given its age I better get ready for the inevitable.

BTW are CTEK chargers worth it?

**monty_GTV** · September 5th, 2016 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by red_one

Maganda if you use car battery voltmeter inside your vehicle para lagi namo-monitor ang battery voltage and charging. Hindi ka mabibigla na lang dead na pala battery.

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maganda nga yan bro, meron din ako niyan but those plug-in digital voltmeters is just to indicate the voltage (of course!) but not to show yung actual health ng battery. yung last na battery ko (motolite excel) was working perfectly fine, then one morning, bigla na lang na dead

meron sa casa sila ginagamit, they can see the percentage ng life ng battery.

**jmpet626** · September 5th, 2016 03:47 PM

Ganyan din nangyar sakin, meron ako scan guage to monitor the voltage pero di din niya ako na warn in advance na pa deads na battery ko.One day bigla na lang nag 11.2v at di na kaya mag start. Meron pa ko trickle charger para sa battery na i aangat naman iya ulit voltage pero it will not hold the charge.

**red_one** · September 5th, 2016 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by jmpet626

Ganyan din nangyar sakin, meron ako scan guage to monitor the voltage pero di din niya ako na warn in advance na pa deads na battery ko.One day bigla na lang nag 11.2v at di na kaya mag start. Meron pa ko trickle charger para sa battery na i aangat naman iya ulit voltage pero it will not hold the charge.

Do you measure the battery voltage after you park the car and shut down the engine? This will inform you if the battery got fully charged or not.

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**lowslowbenz** · September 5th, 2016 05:06 PM

I have an analog multimeter at home for checking on battery voltage, charging, etc. Before I bought a new battery for our Vios, the old battery soldiered on for about a month and a half on 10.4 volts.

Yup, the engine can start on 10.4 volts.

When the voltage dropped to 8.5, hindi na pwede.

**monty_GTV** · September 5th, 2016 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by lowslowbenz

I have an analog multimeter at home for checking on battery voltage, charging, etc. Before I bought a new battery for our Vios, the old battery soldiered on for about a month and a half on 10.4 volts.

Yup, the engine can start on 10.4 volts.

When the voltage dropped to 8.5, hindi na pwede.

i can't remember na when was the last time i replaced the battery ng lumang vios ko (2006 model). pero mas longer ang ang life span ng battery ng vios ko kesa sa montero considering na gamit na gamit at daily drive din dahil panghatid/sundo sa daughter ko to school which is mga 30-45 mins from home. nakadalawang palit na ako sa montero sa vios yun pa rin. my SL grandia (bought Nov 2014) di pa rin nagpapalit battery ok pa naman...

**jmpet626** · September 5th, 2016 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by red_one

Do you measure the battery voltage after you park the car and shut down the engine? This will inform you if the battery got fully charged or not.

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Sinusukat ko after a few seconds after shutting down the car. Then measure again in the morning before starting the car.

**red_one** · September 5th, 2016 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by jmpet626

Sinusukat ko after a few seconds after shutting down the car. Then measure again in the morning before starting the car.

That's good.

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**lowslowbenz** · September 5th, 2016 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by monty_GTV

i can't remember na when was the last time i replaced the battery ng lumang vios ko (2006 model). pero mas longer ang ang life span ng battery ng vios ko kesa sa montero considering na gamit na gamit at daily drive din dahil panghatid/sundo sa daughter ko to school which is mga 30-45 mins from home. nakadalawang palit na ako sa montero sa vios yun pa rin. my SL grandia (bought Nov 2014) di pa rin nagpapalit battery ok pa naman...

Diesels have pre-heaters. Even if its direct injection, CRDi, DDi, EGTV, etc.

They still have pre-heaters, which equate to battery juice being used up.

I have a Strada 4D56. When I turn on the engine, the heater (idiot) light just flashes then turns off. Basically this will tell you that the engine is ready to start, di ba? What others would not know is that the heater relay is still in the "on" position. And this relay dis-engages a good 5-10 seconds after the heater light went off!

I don't know if its the same with a Montero, but upon turning my engine on, I hear a slight "knock" ... that's the heater relay energizing. It will continue to energize, way after the heater light went off. In about 10 seconds, the heater relay will dis-engage, (you will hear it "knock: again).

That's when I start my engine.

**Flipo** · September 5th, 2016 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by monty_GTV

maganda nga yan bro, meron din ako niyan but those plug-in digital voltmeters is just to indicate the voltage (of course!) but not to show yung actual health ng battery. yung last na battery ko (motolite excel) was working perfectly fine, then one morning, bigla na lang na dead

meron sa casa sila ginagamit, they can see the percentage ng life ng battery.

This is true, but it helps in a way considering excel is the top product of motolite you have to put the age of the battery in your mind, the service it is in, i.e. diesel engine, short trip, etc, adding up, then a trip to the battery shop to test the holding capacity of the battery will help you a lot to prepare!

This is my experience on my Excel which lasted nearly 4 years on my old FX diesel.