How long will an un-used 12v car battery last?

[ZackN920]

Yea, odd situation. My mom and step dad gave me an old car battery that they had in the basement on either a bench, or shelf. They never put it to use, as the vehicle ended up getting totaled right before installing it. The battery is from 11/2008. Its a 7 year Farm & Fleet battery rated for 800cca. I checked voltage and its sitting at about 3.1v.


I don't know if the fact that it hasn't been through heat cycles and generally "used" would extend life, or if battery life is just strictly dependent on the passage of time. I'm kind of leaning towards the side of just junking it. I 'll put a charger on it and see if it takes, but I'm figuring that it won't or that it will, but just wont have much life to it.

What do you think? What's the "shelf life" lifespan?

[joe]

Once a batt has been activated the worst thing you can do is not use it. If it's been ten years I suspect it's junk now. When you're done trying to charge it, let it sit overnight to stabilize before reading the voltage. You may get lucky but i doubt it.

[SkylinePCG]

ItIt’s a gamble at best, and it won’t be a sunny free-time day when it throws in the towel. Use it as a core exchange for an Interstate refurb?

[Cecil14]

That is not a battery you'll want to trust, even if it does take and hold a charge right now. As mentioned, that's a core.


aa

[Mass]

Can't hurt to try charging it over night.

Family has an old ford tractor with a 12 year old tractor supply battery and it still works. Jump it off after winter and works all spring and summer.
I would lean on the "it's dead" side though but you never know. Also agree that it's not a battery I would trust in a daily driver.

[Tripwire]

i kinda side with joe...

i work on ups's and fire alarm /house alarm systems, once you charge one either traditional or gel style if you let them sit they mysteriously die for no reason - wont even accept a charge to make them useful - use it as a core

[FSJunkie]

Batteries last a really long time if they are charged, stay charged, and that is all they ever do.

They don't last a long time after they get discharged. The plates sulfate and then it's done for. Or it freezes. A fully discharged battery freezes at 25 degrees, which blows the plates apart inside.


I'm betting it's pretty shot.

[ZackN920]

Thanks everybody. I was thinking the same thing, that it'd be bad after all that time.

Well, put a charger on it today and......Nothin'! Didn't take at all. So, I got a core. Too bad I wont get anything for it.

[Cecil14]

A lot of times you'll need more current than your average charger can provide to force a charge back into a really dead battery. I've seen guys hook a known good battery up in parallel to a dead battery to jump start things. Charger -> good battery -> dead battery. I've never tried it, I've never been willing to risk a good battery for a dead one.


aa

edit: hook them up in parallel NOT series. Pretty sure I must've been drunk when I wrote that out.

[ZackN920]

Im not willing to sacrifice a good battery...so NO.

Hmm, more current huh. Well, it wasn't sizzling. Maybe I should try the big floor standing charger/starting unit I got and set it to start mode...
If I do that though, I kinda don't want to be near it... Don't really care for battery explosions!