$1160 for a car battery??!!

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › $1160 for a car battery??!!

jonathan18

7413 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#207914 19-Jan-2017 09:36

Following a service this week I've been told I'll soon need a new battery for my car - at a cost of $540...

Given I'm used to spending under $200 with previous cars, I rang around a few places - Repco offered it to me for the bargain price of $1160! The best I've found thus far is $336 ("Ultra" brand).

So if anyone can recommend where I can find well-priced batteries, I'd appreciate it - it's a model called a T110.

Apparently, the battery for my model of car (a diesel Mazda 6) has specific requirements due to the stop/start and iEloop (capacitor to store braking energy) systems. So technologies that I thought would save on-going running costs and reduce my environmental impact through reducing fuel consumption end up costing me more through needing some flash-as battery.

This raises a wider issue - the (at least initially) hidden cost of owning modern cars. I had no idea when I purchased my car 2 1/2 years ago I'd be needing to spend that much on the new battery; that replacement tyres are $500 each... And this is on a car that cost only $62k new.

Car reviews tend to not really cover this 'total cost of ownership', but it's important to have this information to hand when making such a costly purchase. As others have pointed out there's also the untested longer-term reliability of the complex technology in modern cars, which will no doubt come at some cost when/if it goes wrong...

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

5052 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1705651 19-Jan-2017 09:46

If the battery dies after only 2 1/2 years from brand new, I'd be asking the dealer to sort it! I know batteries don't last forever, but surely 2 1/2 years isn't reasonable for a car battery under the CGA.

Twitter: ajobbins

linw

2852 posts

Uber Geek

#1705653 19-Jan-2017 09:49

Interesting post. What is even more galling is that the battery only lasted 2.5 yrs. Glad mine is just a plain ordinary one - it is an original Japanese battery and my car was bought Oct 2009!

Wow, tyres $500 each.

And, like you say, wait till we get pinged for a new car computer for $5,000!!!!!

That stop/start thingy seems to be tough on batteries. My son's CX5 needed a new bty and the car is only 2-3 yrs old. But my dau-in-law battled the dealer and got it replaced free.

Coil

6614 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1705657 19-Jan-2017 09:57

Is your car a start stop car? If so it will need an AGM battery (Active glass mat) as they can discharge and recharge very rapidly.

They are not cheap. I would suggest you go to the dealership and find out what battery you require for your car type. The reason why your battery died after 2.5 years might be due to the wrong one being fitted.

No battery is $1160, I sold batteries for Audi's and Bentley's and they were Din120 (massive) and cheaper than that. The ones that used a large AGM battery were under $900. Sounds like a yarn if you ask me.

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#1705658 19-Jan-2017 09:57

A lot of cars now (particularly Ford and most European vehicles) now use silver calcium batteries rather than stock lead acid batteries. These cost more but are essential due to the smart charge rather than fixed voltage alternators that are now commonplace.

jonathan18

7413 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1705660 19-Jan-2017 10:00

Sorry - to clarify I bought the car at slightly less than a year old, so the battery is 3 1/2 years old. Still, not what one would expect in terms of lifetime. Good to hear others have successfully pushed Mazda to replace batteries in similar circumstances.

One thing though is one of my kids has been really excellent at leaving the internal lights on - while the battery's never run flat as a result, I'm not sure if this happening a number of times would affect the life of the battery?

During the same service I asked them to check out the rattle on one of the speakers in the door; apparently a damaged driver not something loose - they said $340 just for the driver. I pushed back and said a 3 1/2 year car should not have stuffed speakers, especially since the stereo is never particularly trashed. Mazda NZ has come to the party to the extent they'll pay for the speaker (not to fit it), but only because the car has the premium Bose stereo. I think they need to check up their understanding of the CGA, as I'm pretty sure they should also be covering the install - does that sound correct?

timmmay

20595 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1705661 19-Jan-2017 10:03

Running flat does reduce the life of the battery, often significantly, with most battery technologies. Running it completely flat a few times would reduce the lifespan.

jonathan18

7413 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1705663 19-Jan-2017 10:03

TimA:

Is your car a start stop car? If so it will need an AGM battery (Active glass mat) as they can discharge and recharge very rapidly.

They are not cheap. I would suggest you go to the dealership and find out what battery you require for your car type. The reason why your battery died after 2.5 years might be due to the wrong one being fitted.

No battery is $1160, I sold batteries for Audi's and Bentley's and they were Din120 (massive) and cheaper than that. The ones that used a large AGM battery were under $900. Sounds like a yarn if you ask me.

Yep, has iStop as mentioned in the OP - there I acknowledge this (and the iEloop) as the reasons for needing a special battery.

It's the original battery, so I'd be surprised it the wrong one had been fitted? The manual is specific about it needing to be a T110.

That $1160 price is surely a joke or a mistake - it's just funny that I was even quoted it.

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

darylblake

1162 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1705667 19-Jan-2017 10:14

I have the same car, you have just freaked the sh1t out of me.

I hate iStop. Its so annoying. Id do anything to get rid of it. And don't get me started on the DPF filter. I get Mazda to do all my work now.

jonathan18

7413 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1705691 19-Jan-2017 10:38

darylblake:

I have the same car, you have just freaked the sh1t out of me.

I hate iStop. Its so annoying. Id do anything to get rid of it. And don't get me started on the DPF filter. I get Mazda to do all my work now.

Welcome to my world! I also am continuing to use the Mazda dealership to do the servicing - this service was the first outside of the three years of free servicing, but I was surprised that the cost was significantly lower than I had feared. With such a tech-laden car, I'm not sure my usual mechanic is set up (eg, I was having an SRS warning flash up occasionally - he'd have no diagnostics to check this).

Totally agree re DPF filter, and the frustrations of ensuring that the burn off happens. But I like iStop 99% of the time - the only frustrating thing is when trying to go immediately after engaging it. Without it I'd have thus far wasted 45 hours of idling (after 39k km).

Not sure if you have the 19" wheels on yours? But if you do and you're looking to replace the tyres with something more affordable, based on advice on GZ I replaced the original Firestones with Nexens (one of the few doing the unusual size of tyre) - $1100 for all four, so a good saving on $500 each!

MikeAqua

7787 posts

Uber Geek

#1705705 19-Jan-2017 11:19

My tyre guy's eyes lit up when he saw our Mazda 3 SP25. Based on the size of his grin, I shudder to think what they will cost to replace.

Mike

darylblake

1162 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1705706 19-Jan-2017 11:21

Thanks for the tips. Mines a 2014 wagon. 2.2L Diesel Turbo.

Its a very nice car, but yeh I have had a few problems with the DPF. You dont happen to know how hot it needs to be to get the burnoff cycle to work?

I took this on the open road, driving 100kms all round the place but the RPM usually sits at about 2000 maybe 2200. When i took it into Mazda they said they rev it up to 2500 for about 10-15 minutes to do the burn off. Unless i stick it in drive manual 4th gear, there is no way I am gonna be doing 2500 RPM without going at least 120kms.

trig42

5816 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#1705708 19-Jan-2017 11:29

MikeAqua:

My tyre guy's eyes lit up when he saw our Mazda 3 SP25. Based on the size of his grin, I shudder to think what they will cost to replace.

I have the Mazda3 MPS, and had to get a couple of new tyres for it (18"). First quote was near $500 each. Shopped around (on the phone). Discount Tyres put a couple of Falkens on it for around $270 each I think.

Have to get brakes (pads) done next - they wont be standard either. Any recommendations (North Shore preferably)?

Bung

6507 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#1705709 19-Jan-2017 11:34

sbiddle:
A lot of cars now (particularly Ford and most European vehicles) now use silver calcium batteries rather than stock lead acid batteries. These cost more but are essential due to the smart charge rather than fixed voltage alternators that are now commonplace.

AFAIK adding calcium to lead acid makes the plates cheaper to produce. As far as silver(very small %) calcium this from a Century Yuasa blurb "Leading car manufacturers such as Toyota, Holden and Hyundai have all confirmed that there is no special requirement in new vehicles for silver calcium technology and that other battery types can be used as suitable replacements.
Australia’s climate and harsh conditions present unique challenges and therefore a battery which has been designed and built especially to meet these challenges is a more appropriate choice than a battery which has been designed for colder climates."

Coil

6614 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1705711 19-Jan-2017 11:42

Make sure you give your car absolute hell going onto the motorway a few times a month, You want to keep that DPF as particle free as possible. They clog up like you wouldn't believe. Especially on VW's.

Id be invoking CGA on these guys to be honest. The expected lifespan of a vehicle battery is minimum of 5 years. That has not met the expected lifespan. Especially for a $1200 product.

Can you?

Wheelbarrow01

1726 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Chorus

#1705712 19-Jan-2017 11:45

ajobbins:

If the battery dies after only 2 1/2 years from brand new, I'd be asking the dealer to sort it! I know batteries don't last forever, but surely 2 1/2 years isn't reasonable for a car battery under the CGA.

I agree. I know for a fact that if a Ford Ranger battery craps out within the warranty period, the dealer will replace it at their cost. That was on the previous generation though (the PX model from late 2011 to mid 2015) - I am not sure about the current PXII model (which I now own).

The PXII Ranger does have stop/start technology - but only on the manual transmission models. I have an auto transmission, so I don't know whether the batteries are different because of this. I would be interested to know though....

The views expressed by me are not necessarily those of my employer Chorus NZ Ltd

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5