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14 Pilot Touring - 46k - should I get new battery?

4K views 23 replies 18 participants last post by  bigdaddy170 
#1 ·
Greetings,


I'm wondering if I should replace my original battery. 5 years old, 46k and we are driving from Seattle to Reno in July and I'm sure it will be very hot. No sign of weakness, every service it passes the test and sometimes I don't start the Pilot for I week and never an issue so how long really OEM battery last?



Did some search and looks like it varies from 3-7 years. If you have 2014 Pilot, when did you replaced your original battery?


Thanks in advance!
 
#2 · (Edited)
Greetings,


I'm wondering if I should replace my original battery. 5 years old, 46k and we are driving from Seattle to Reno in July and I'm sure it will be very hot. No sign of weakness, every service it passes the test and sometimes I don't start the Pilot for I week and never an issue so how long really OEM battery last?



Did some search and looks like it varies from 3-7 years. If you have 2014 Pilot, when did you replaced your original battery?


Thanks in advance!
I would. When I was younger Id just wait til they died til I replaced. Some lasted almost ten years.Now I change them about every five years. I use the Interstate from Costco. I must have gotten defective one from them and crapped out after only a little over 2 years. They refunded my full $ (no pro rating) and walked to tire center and got another. No issues with new one. Have them in all 3 of family cars. They are cheaply priced and great warranty thru Costco. For the money Id rather not wait til it dies and go thru hassle of issues associated with dead battery and possibly paying double if away from home base. The oem original in my wifes crv died in a little after 3 years.
 
#4 ·
Mine lasted 4 yrs. It started growing fuzz on the connectors towards the end and gave a few slow cranks before finally failing one morning.

I have AAA and am usually the type to let batteries fail all the way... but since you're going to be on vacation, that's one headache you don't want. I agree with the others - just replace it preemptively.
 
#5 ·
If your battery lasted five years you got your money’s worth out of it. I’d replace it before it leaves you stranded at an inopportune time.
 
#9 ·
still have mine in the basement took them off the day i purchased the pilot ..does that count if I put them back on ? :)
 
#10 ·
On average, a car battery lasts from 5 to 7 years. The battery lasts longer if the vehicle is driven daily and the battery is kept fully charged. When the vehicle is parked for extended periods of time, the battery deteriorates sooner. We have seen the battery lasts up to 10 years. Several car owners commented on that their battery lasted for over 11 years.
 
#11 ·
I replaced mine at about 5.5 years when it failed the specific-gravity test. If your Honda battery is the same mfr as mine, there's a little window in the top through which you should be able to see a little green ball floating in the bottom. No green ball means it's time to shop. That little ball reads only one of the six cells, but it's still a good indicator.

Mine still started the car just fine, but deeper testing revealed three of the six cells were a little weak. I hate getting stranded by stupid stuff. At a little under $100 for the Interstate replacement from Costco, it works out to less than $20/yr for battery rental. Not worth the risk of getting stranded.

You can buy one of those jump-start packs for just a little less than the cost of the new battery. [bob scratches his grey and balding head wondering the math to justify one.]
 
#14 ·
another vote for replace it.



both times i have replaced my battery was because it suddenly died without warning.

luckily i have tripleA (and the first instance was at my house), the 2nd replacement just last week was given a prorated discount by triple A because it was only 3.5 years old so it cost me less than $100
 
#17 ·
Hot climates are tough on batteries. Texas and Arizona are death on batteries in ways that the Washington-state OP won't experience. It's still very pleasant in Reno with cool nights. Head up to the lake -- a great excuse to save the battery. (from a former ex Incline Village resident...)
 
#19 ·
Probably about time... but I always wait until they crap out... Having young kids I usually get the pleasure of one of them leaving a door cracked open and the lights are on all night, killing the battery completely which usually renders them unrecoverable.
 
#21 ·
Opinion ... yes (e.g. not based on testing or long term study).


Neighbors '13 Odyssey ... 3 years of age, dead-dead. No warning.


Our '14 Pilot ... 3 years of age, dead-dead. On way to sporting
tournament out of town (and car is nose-in in garage ...).

My very small study says... 3 and out! Go get a nice new highly
rated battery (not a Honda) right now.
 
#22 ·
Do you have jumper cables?

I thought about getting a new battery, it died when I sat in a parking lot for a few minutes with the radio on. A guy was parked next to me and I got my cables out and got a jump no big deal. I put the battery tender on the battery overnight when I know I'm not in a rush a few times over last couple weeks. Now it goes from charging to fully charged in about 5 minutes.

I looked into batteries, Costco doesn't sell one for the Pilot (where I live at least, according to their website, I was surprised) but Walmart has one for $50. So I almost just bought one. But then I charged it a few times and I changed my mind.

I have two cars and they sometimes each spend a few days or up to a week or two without starting them. So I charge the batteries. I'm gonna squeeze this one to the end. But I don't drive far, I have two cars, and I keep jumper cables in my car.

I personally wouldn't be worried about it - I'd go on the road trip - but if you want to really really not be worried about it, get a new battery.
 
#23 ·
The Costco website doesn't list the Pilot, but in fact the Group 24 dropped in with just a minor mod to the plastic "bucket" that Honda uses under the whole battery. FWIW, the same modification is needed for virtually any replacement battery you'll find.
---

For those who recommend buying a new one and throwing it in the trunk area, I am updating my recommendation to match those, but modifying that slightly to suggest storing the new one in the handy holder bracket under the hood. Hook up the cables to it so it stays charged. Put the old one on the back. Then when you get tired of seeing it there, drop it off at Costco so they can recycle it for you.


This Pilot is my first Honda car, and it includes reliability that many other cars don't. Still, things like batteries and tires need replacement on a periodic basis. I hate getting stranded by stupid stuff like a worn-out battery, so there's a very proactive testing and replacement program here for such things. Meanwhile... mrs dr bob has been a Toyota fan for longer than I've known here. She regularly takes them to the dealer for service, where they do a load-vs-time battery test that watches terminal voltage droop with the headlights on. It's pretty impressive in its simplicity and accuracy. They told her she needed a battery six months before the car stranded her in the garage at home. I backstop the dealer service stuff for the car, picking up the extra stuff that isn't mileage-related. But I wasn't testing the battery as I do the other cars in the garage, since that's redundant to the testing the dealer was doing. It truly did need a battery when they told her the first time. Good news is that getting "stranded" in the home garage hardly means she can't can't grab another set of keys and be on her way. The not-quite-as-good news is that I still get to deal with it. I added her car to the annual testing plan, plus stick it on a maintainer when it isn't driven for more than a few days. Also changed the programming on her auto-headlight-shutoff so the lights go off no more than 30 secs after the key is off, vs the two minutes after last door is closed that was the default. Pilot owners can adapt some of that headlight shutoff programming, with options depending on trim level. the Owner's Manual has good instructions on that. Easy stuff like that will help with battery longevity. Other things include the power consumption for the entertainment stack. Sitting with the engine off listening to the radio requires the key in the accessory position, and at least on the higher trim levels that means everything is powered up except the engine systems.
 
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