Decision on new truck battery?

When the battery warranty is about to expire, I kill the battery and bring it in for a replacement

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How do you decide when to get one?

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the very first time it acts weak when starting the car/truck

its not worth getting stranded trying to get another few months from a weak battery

When I start to get nervous about it being weak. Walmart AGM last time. I've spent too much time and money trying to pick the correct batteries for my boat/truck etc. They all seem to suck. Also have the noco jump starter.

It seems like every winter the first cold day of the winter when my battery has been 3-5yrs old it will just sound like it drags somewhat when I crank it.
When I hear that “slow” crank I change it.

I keep a portable jump start pack on me at all times. Once my battery becomes very weak, then i replace it. Also, annual maintenance on your lead/acid battery is important.

Well I appreciate you asking. I usually change it when I notice the truck cranking more sluggishly.

I follow the advice of my auto service shop owner and replace auto/truck batteries every 3 years - regardless - as supposedly the average life of an auto battery in the Deep South is about 3 1/2 years. I’ve never been inconvenienced anywhere with a dead battery since I started doing that a decade or so ago.

At $120 a battery, 3 years, $40 a year - maybe not even the cost of 1 tank of gasoline - why take the chance of being inconvenienced b/c you know that damn battery is going to die at the most inconvenient time or location.


Owner of my shop wrote this article, read the whole article, but the last sentence provides his suggestion/recommendation. Why Batteries Die

My truck has had a Sear's Platinum AGM for about 8 years now, no signs of going bad yet. It had a Motorcraft AGM for the 13 years prior to that. I have always kept my vehicles on battery maintainers when not being driven, have wired in quick connections so it's not a hassle. I've gone through a handful of Schumacher float chargers over the last 20 years, I have a Solar brand one too now that has more options as far as battery type and charge rate. I wouldn't buy a spare to keep around, you'd have to maintain it same as one in the vehicle otherwise is will be worthless by the time you needed it. I have a heavy-duty J-n-C jumper pack I keep in each vehicle.