Why does car battery not last long?

I got an exide battery at Monroe Muffler and Brake originally on 1-21-08. It failed and needed replaced on 12-27-08. Just yesterday which is exactly a year from the last replacement it would not take a charge and I was told it needs replaced again. A lot of batteries are replaced free of charge if they only last this long but I still get charged at this muffler shop.


On 1-21-08 it cost me $98 for getting the battery for the first time. On 12-27-08 they wanted $55 to put a new one in. If I am charged $55 again to replace the battery that means I paid more to replace the battery than it originally costed. My other batteries lasted between 5 and 8 years. How should I handle the price they charge me to replace the battery each time and why do these batteries fail so soon? I feel I am getting ripped off.|||Batteries are sold with a certain warranty. A good battery will have a year free replacement warranty while others will only have 30 or 90 days, or a year with a pro-rated replacement (which sounds like what you might have).





It sounds like you may have a charging problem with your car. If the alternator is weak, it could cause a battery to fail prematurely. You can have your charging system checked at most auto parts store, usually free of charge. This way you will know if your alternator, or something else, is causing your batteries to fail.





Hope this helps and good luck|||Oh that hurts. Maybe this is gonna be a lesson in life learned. Go to Sears %26amp; get a DieHard. They have consistently been the highest rated batteries you can buy. Also get your voltage regulator checked. It could be intermittently charging the battery.|||probably the battery you are buying( although it may be the recommended size) is too small for the loads you put on it, get the biggest capacity battery you can fit in the car, under a year the replacement should be free|||Mad Jack is right but it could also be a drain on the battery. I went Thur the same thing and found out the coil was installed backward polarity from the factory. I don't know how it even ran but correcting the polarity fixed it.|||Clean all your batt.leads were they touch batt terms----and batt terms----with emery cloth.trace your EARTH leadto were it bolts to body or chassie--remove bolt/nut --------clean area%26amp;lead end---- ALLso get your altenator checkd,it may not be charging fully|||You are getting ripped off. Go to Wal-Mart and buy a Maxx battery. They are guaranteed for 7 years with totally free replacement anytime during the first 3 years. They are less than $98 for a new one.|||i by 60 dollar batterys and they last 4/5 yrs...check cables [tight and clean] test alternator,,,|||It's leaking man, change it or else...|||A battery should last at least 4 to 5 years. If it is not lasting there is usually a problem with the charging system.





I have seen where an alternator will fail in such a way that the alternator will pass all tests but drain a fully charged battery over night. This is difficult to diagnose because like I said before, the alternator passes all tests.





Your alternator could be draining your battery, but not enough to completely kill it. Your alternator will then work very hard to restore the charge when the engine is started. This heavy drain / charge cycle would be hard on a battery and cause early failure.





Also, items that draw a lot of current will be hard on a battery. If you have a high power boom boom stereo this could cause a battery to fail early.|||Find out the caused of the battery that make it need to be replace, broken cell or just not charged, or else. Please check the charging system, the alternator, to make sure the alternator have enough power supply to charge the battery. If alternator fine, then the battery is the problem, untight connection or over usage could harm the battery. The battery can't save power caused by broken battery cell more then 2, if 2 or 1 then the battery still can save power even lower then it should be. More take time but long lasting, don't use maintenance free battery and use only regular battery, need routine check up of water level and pole cleanest but the health of the battery keep in monitoring, and the battery can be recharge if some cell got broken even only for 6 months max, but needed of scheduled time to check the condition. The key to save is keep the water level, pole cleanest, don't push the battery power to the limit by useing extra electrical device, tight the connection, have good and stable charge. M|||dear riped off


its called a prorated warrientie as the tme gets longer the more thay charge youto put another pic of junk bake into your car it is your choes to ether reserch anothe rbattier compainey and by a better one or not but as better means more monny many of peeple get stock in your problem with houres **** battiers they do work fine for so long but you should by your parts not so much by how cheap but how much per pound as a good mech bys a tool box the hier the price per lb the longer it will last just like a stake you by stake by the lb and you pay for that cut you by hamberger by the pound for much less but dont quite have the same efect on your tast buds so go figer