Battery Life

[bados]

Hi everyone. I've got close to 70K miles on mk PTGT and still have the original battery. The past couple of days when I started the car, my radar detector read "low voltage" for a second. The car is over 2 years old and has to endure very hot weather here in Florida. I'm wondering if it's time to replace it and what battery would you recommend. Thanks for responding.

[fritz_t_coyote]

70K, but only 2 years old?

Up here where old man winter gives us an annual battery test, the factory batteries last about 3-4 years, depending on driving conditions.

Of course there you have to contend with hot weather and constant AC use.
First question: If the engine cranks slowly or reluctantly, there is a real battery problem.
Second: Have you got any check engine lights or codes?
Third: have you been doing only short trips lately? It may just be you need a good road trip, or a few hours on a trickle charger, to get your battery back up to 'full'.

Otherwise, As long as you dont have starting problems, don't worry about it.

And what if your battery is having a problem: Maybe the battery is dying, or, you might be having a bigger charging system problem (is your warrantee still active?) A charging system test is a good first step in this case.

If you do need to replace the battery, just about any major brand battery should be fine. I am fond of Die Hards as if you have a problem you can get it handled at any Sears Auto Center, and you can almost always catch a sale. The Optimas are highly praised, but pricey, and IMHO a bit of overkill in a typical PT.

[bados]

I have no indication that the battery is going with the exception of a low voltage indication on my radar detector. Everything else seems ok. I know I'm going to be sorry for saying this, but I'll wait until I have a hard start, then buy the battery. I have AAA just in case.

[bobs turbo pt]

how about an 03 gt with 18,063 still have the oringnal battery and all is still ok