- Apr 14, 2001
- 57,543
- 20,236
- 146
Why Car Batteries Are Dying Young
By JONATHAN WELSH, The Wall Street Journal
Michael Pancheri's New York shop specializes in modifying sports cars to improve their power, speed and handling. But lately he has taken on an extra job: tending to his customers' batteries.
Car batteries traditionally needed to be replaced every three to five years, but the interval seems to be shrinking to about two years, says Mr. Pancheri. "We have seen an increase in failed batteries over the last two years from customers who have add-on electronics like iPods and navigation systems," he says.
A steady increase in the number of electrical accessories in the average car is shortening battery life. As vehicles are now being designed to operate more systems, they still use the same basic type of 12-volt battery that has been in use for decades.
In the past decade or so cars have evolved from basic transportation to something resembling dens, kitchens and offices on wheels, with everything from DVD screens, subwoofer sound systems and mood lighting to built-in refrigerators and cup holders that heat coffee and cool soft drinks. The automotive aftermarket also offers an ever-growing range of gadgets that help multitasking drivers and passengers talk, eat, find their way around and get their work done on the road.
For consumers, the proliferation of onboard electronics means increased comfort, convenience, efficiency and safety in the form of computerized engine controls, tire-pressure sensors, and powerful navigation and entertainment systems. The downside: All these power-sapping accessories -- coupled with vehicles' increasingly complex networks of electronic-ignition systems, pollution-control devices, security systems and display screens -- could be helping to drive up the death rate for car batteries.
Even parked cars are using more juice than they used to. It isn't that owners are simply forgetting to turn off the headlights, or leaving their cellphones charging overnight. There are many electronic devices in today's vehicles that continue to draw power even after the ignition is turned off.
Electric fans under the hood may run for several minutes after a vehicle is turned off to cool the engine. And navigation, engine-management and diagnostic systems need power to maintain memory and can slowly discharge a battery to where it cannot easily be recharged simply by running the car.
Sales of replacement batteries -- which range from $50 to $200 -- jumped 13% to 67.7 million in 2006, compared with 59.9 million a year earlier and an average of about 54 million a year for the previous 10 years, according to data from Industry MR, a research firm in Oak Brook, Ill. A spokesman for the firm says there are other factors that contribute to the jump in battery replacement. For one, people are keeping their cars longer, and the frequency of battery replacement tends to increase in cars that are more than five years old.
Other trends are also contributing to the strain on batteries. Diesel engines, which are beginning to make a comeback in passenger cars, require more starting power. Even the steady increase in the number of vehicles per household can mean that some cars are used less often, giving batteries more time to discharge and deteriorate.
Manufacturers test new vehicles to make sure they can be parked for a few weeks without their electronic systems draining the battery to the point where it cannot start the engine. But these tests don't necessarily consider how consumers actually use their cars.
The 12-volt car battery traces its origin to French physicist Gaston Plante, who invented the lead-acid battery in 1859. Over time, car batteries have generally become more powerful and longer-lasting. Still, ever-increasing demands from motorists have kept their typical life span between three and five years. They can last twice that long if they are cared for properly and not often exposed to extreme temperatures.
People have steadily spent more time over the past decade or two commuting, eating, watching movies and otherwise living in their cars. But the auto industry was slow to change vehicle design to cater to motorists' changing needs. Where using an accessory once meant plugging in to the cigarette lighter, vehicles now have as many power outlets as a home office and spaces designed to hold cellphones and laptop computers.
For years batteries have been marketed as "maintenance free," and consumers have taken them for granted. But the extra strain they are under in modern cars has many owners giving them renewed attention. Experts say it's a good idea to disconnect the battery when a vehicle is parked for weeks at a time, but it will still slowly discharge even when stored. Small charging devices called trickle chargers, which cost $30 to $60, can extend battery life by keeping it fully charged when the car is parked.
But people shouldn't expect miracles from the extra effort at maintenance. The biggest threats to battery health -- extreme weather and vibration -- often are impossible to avoid.
By JONATHAN WELSH, The Wall Street Journal
Michael Pancheri's New York shop specializes in modifying sports cars to improve their power, speed and handling. But lately he has taken on an extra job: tending to his customers' batteries.
Car batteries traditionally needed to be replaced every three to five years, but the interval seems to be shrinking to about two years, says Mr. Pancheri. "We have seen an increase in failed batteries over the last two years from customers who have add-on electronics like iPods and navigation systems," he says.
A steady increase in the number of electrical accessories in the average car is shortening battery life. As vehicles are now being designed to operate more systems, they still use the same basic type of 12-volt battery that has been in use for decades.
In the past decade or so cars have evolved from basic transportation to something resembling dens, kitchens and offices on wheels, with everything from DVD screens, subwoofer sound systems and mood lighting to built-in refrigerators and cup holders that heat coffee and cool soft drinks. The automotive aftermarket also offers an ever-growing range of gadgets that help multitasking drivers and passengers talk, eat, find their way around and get their work done on the road.
For consumers, the proliferation of onboard electronics means increased comfort, convenience, efficiency and safety in the form of computerized engine controls, tire-pressure sensors, and powerful navigation and entertainment systems. The downside: All these power-sapping accessories -- coupled with vehicles' increasingly complex networks of electronic-ignition systems, pollution-control devices, security systems and display screens -- could be helping to drive up the death rate for car batteries.
Even parked cars are using more juice than they used to. It isn't that owners are simply forgetting to turn off the headlights, or leaving their cellphones charging overnight. There are many electronic devices in today's vehicles that continue to draw power even after the ignition is turned off.
Electric fans under the hood may run for several minutes after a vehicle is turned off to cool the engine. And navigation, engine-management and diagnostic systems need power to maintain memory and can slowly discharge a battery to where it cannot easily be recharged simply by running the car.
Sales of replacement batteries -- which range from $50 to $200 -- jumped 13% to 67.7 million in 2006, compared with 59.9 million a year earlier and an average of about 54 million a year for the previous 10 years, according to data from Industry MR, a research firm in Oak Brook, Ill. A spokesman for the firm says there are other factors that contribute to the jump in battery replacement. For one, people are keeping their cars longer, and the frequency of battery replacement tends to increase in cars that are more than five years old.
Other trends are also contributing to the strain on batteries. Diesel engines, which are beginning to make a comeback in passenger cars, require more starting power. Even the steady increase in the number of vehicles per household can mean that some cars are used less often, giving batteries more time to discharge and deteriorate.
Manufacturers test new vehicles to make sure they can be parked for a few weeks without their electronic systems draining the battery to the point where it cannot start the engine. But these tests don't necessarily consider how consumers actually use their cars.
The 12-volt car battery traces its origin to French physicist Gaston Plante, who invented the lead-acid battery in 1859. Over time, car batteries have generally become more powerful and longer-lasting. Still, ever-increasing demands from motorists have kept their typical life span between three and five years. They can last twice that long if they are cared for properly and not often exposed to extreme temperatures.
People have steadily spent more time over the past decade or two commuting, eating, watching movies and otherwise living in their cars. But the auto industry was slow to change vehicle design to cater to motorists' changing needs. Where using an accessory once meant plugging in to the cigarette lighter, vehicles now have as many power outlets as a home office and spaces designed to hold cellphones and laptop computers.
For years batteries have been marketed as "maintenance free," and consumers have taken them for granted. But the extra strain they are under in modern cars has many owners giving them renewed attention. Experts say it's a good idea to disconnect the battery when a vehicle is parked for weeks at a time, but it will still slowly discharge even when stored. Small charging devices called trickle chargers, which cost $30 to $60, can extend battery life by keeping it fully charged when the car is parked.
But people shouldn't expect miracles from the extra effort at maintenance. The biggest threats to battery health -- extreme weather and vibration -- often are impossible to avoid.
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