00fxd

Can anyone tell me how old the battery is? It's been in my '04 GMC truck a long time and still works fine, but I am replacing it anyway.
Thanks, Frank

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

It's either May of 2004 or May of 2014. The laws of physics would seem to indicate the later date but:
- That label looks a lot older than 2014
- I'm pretty sure no one has made commodity/conventional lead acid batteries in the US or Canada for a while.

Could it be the original battery? When in 2004 did your car roll off the assembly line? (You should be able to figure that out by the door sticker.)

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Hard as it may be to believe, that looks like an assembly line label. The labels used on post-assembly, parts counter AC Delco batteries are substantially different (and have been prior to even 2004.)

FWIW, I've noticed that the Group 78 sized batteries, like yours, tend to be more durable and have longer lifespan than some other models (such as the smaller Group 75 in the F-bodies.)

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

That unit belongs in the Battery Hall of Fame.

... but I would definitely replace it this winter. lol

00fxd

Thanks wssix99. My suspicions and curiosity is the same. I bought the truck a couple years old and have never replaced it. It still works fine. I have now replaced it with a Delco. I wonder what I should do with it - it does deserve a place of honor somewhere.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

My first thought is to keep it safely in your cave. Your life could depend on it someday...





Maybe you could clean up the case/label with some rubbing alcohol and put a battery tender on it every year for a decade. At that some collector may drop a pretty penny for a factory battery that still runs?

^ Maybe RPM would know if such a market exists?

00fxd

I may keep it around tho I am trying very hard not to be such a parts collector anymore.
I considered replacing it last winter and the winter before but it showed no signs of weakness. The truck behaves no differently with the new [800amp] battery ... I am listening and it seems to turn over cold with the same ooomph . I thought it might spin faster or something.

RevGTO

iTrader: (12)

I learned my lesson with old batteries some years ago. I kept having strange electrical issues on my 69 GTO with voltage regulators burning up, flickering lights, ignition modules getting fried (had to put the old points back in) and IIRC, (possibly unrelated) alternator failures.

The battery always cranked the starter over just fine, seemed to have plenty of power ... before I finally discovered it had an internal short. Replaced it and all those other issues went away.

So the moral of the story is ... don't trust an old battery even if it turns the starter over admirably.

00fxd

Sometimes even a new battery :-) Like the one in my '65 Corvette. Acted weird. Had tp change it prematurely.

1 FMF

iTrader: (1)

this would be related to the capacitance of the battery, as in capacitor not capacity. and a capacitance test can be done but it takes somewhat expensive equipment to do it right... typically more than the cost of the battery so you just replace the battery in most cases.

https://www.motor.com/magazine-summa...tery-of-tests/

RevGTO

iTrader: (12)

Yep, thanks for the tech. Somebody gave me that basic information back when it occurred. Up till that point, I had no idea of that aspect of battery function and the problems that could result. The ignition and charging issues I was having were a frustrating mystery until this was explained.