How Old Is Your Battery

I've owned my car for 7 years as of this year. I've never had a single problem with the battery. Never used as much as a trickle charge on it. For the first few winters, I didn't even disconnect it. With our upcoming trip to Colorado, I figured it might be time to replace it, although my stingy butt hesitated on having to spend $100 or more. I went to Auto Zone and picked up a Duralast and changed it in the parking lot. Here comes the surprise part... When I pulled the old battery out, I saw an envelope on the side that had a slip of paper in it noting it as warranty info. So I pulled it out and checked for a date. 8/24/2001. When the battery went in, the World Trade Center towers were still standing! Just shy of 12 years on a simple Wal-Mart "Ever-Start" battery! I had a Mopar battery in my old Dodge truck last just shy of 9 years once and I thought that was incredible Just wondering if anyone else had seen such longevity in a battery in your Vette. I'm wondering also if the fact that the car isn't driven much what allowed it to last so long. Regardless, I'm impressed

Wow, mine died two weeks ago and was7 years old, I thought I was doing good.

Mine is 5 years old, been thinking about getting a new one. Better safe than sorry.

I'm sure Jimmy can shed some light on this subject, but normally, I think 4-5 years on an automotive battery is doin good! Some of it depends on climate, and usage, of course. I get better mileage/time outta my tires than batteries! Come June, I will have had the '74 for 16 years....and I've put 4 batteries in it since then...and only one set of tires....and that's the set that I put on it when I bought it... 

I have had the 75 for 8 years and the battery is still going. Don't know how long it was in before I bought it. The 72 I just put a new battery in it a month ago. Again don't know how long it was when it was installed. Have a great time out west.

Yippee!!! A battery issue :)...  Well,manget1 it seems you  have gotten one of the 'good ones'.  Seriously, Joel(i think it was him) said 4-5 years is about average for a battery, but in most of our cases on this forum, we might expect a little bit more life out. One main reason is that most of our alternators in these older cars are not 'high amperage' like 45-60 amps..  that for one reason does tend to not overcharge the battery, nor does the car have a high amp load like most of today's cars.  Another factor for possibly getting a longer life out of your battery is that you probably don't use your vette as a daily driver, lessening another strain on the battery.   Also if you've never disconnected your battery, then, that pretty much means you do not have a key off drain, which is a good thing.  Today's vehicles have clocks, memory for all kinds of stuff, computers, radio stations, seat settings, etc etc etc... i have seen one battery just about as old in a vehicle, was in a ford pickup, about a 1978 or 79 model, it had a battery that was about 11 or 12 years old, and was still working when they changed it out, but, the dealer that changed it just did it cause the owner just figured it was 'time' to get a new one... hopefully that sheds a little insight...

I'm on my 3rd or 4th battery in the Vette since I bought it in '01. (Hopefully that will change now that I've solved my electrical drain issue)  Not too great there, but my '02 Dakota that I bought in '04 is on what I'm pretty sure is it's original.  It's a big old thing, and I've never ran it down since everything turns off automatically if inadvertently left on.  I think it all has to do with keeping 'em charged - if you never run 'em down they seem to last WAY longer.  

Had my battery for 8 years. got it at Walmart for $65.
I always just use the battery disconnect when i'm done driving it it. some winters it would sit for 2 months at a time.
Finally died this spring. I think I got my money's worth.
I was shocked to find that walmart didnt even carry that battery anymore. My new one cost me $100 :(

Dave has the right idea,  keeping a battery can extend its life too...  it helps keep the battery from sulfating.  Sulfation is usually the result of a discharged battery sitting for long periods of time. What happens is that the sulphur in the battery acid(which is only 35% sulfuric acid, 65% water incase anyone wondered) starts to crystalize on the lead plates inside the battery.  If the crystalization enough, it will actually bridge the space between the plates, resulting in a shorted cell.  This is one reason here in southern region we don't advocate high cranking amp batteries as they have more plates in them.  Meaning with more plates, there is less space between the plates, also they have less electrolyte,because of the number of plates...(i like to equate it to a glass of ice cubes(the plates) and water(the acid)... more ice cubes(providing they don't melt) the less water there is in the glass... anyhow to get back on track here... keeping the battery charged(which keeps the acid solution properly mixed) will keep the battery from sulfating... :) 

Believe it or not, I recently replaced a Wal Mart battery.  And it had a receipt taped to side that showed it was purchased in 2001.  Car has a disconnect and I trickled charged periodically.