I'm going on a short trip up north next month. The whole trip should only be about 400 or so miles total. The battery in my car works fine, no signs of clinging to life. However it is 5 years old and hearing most every new battery these days is really only guaranteed for 3 years, I'm wondering if I should just go get a new battery before the trip and not have to worry about any risk. I haven't had it tested yet, but should I just bite the bullet and replace it anyways?

My pervasive noob-ness is showing, because I haven't really been on an extended drive with my car in the summer for as long as I can remember. Would a 3 hour car drive in August hurt the 5 year old battery enough to kill it faster than regular driving, or am I just over complicating things?

 

IMO: Extreme summer heat is very, very hard on a battery. A five year old battery, NO BRAINER, replace it, or carry a Jumpbox!.

 

Meh, I ran the Honda 100-Month battery in my Accord for nine years and ten months; go be sure it was getting soft for the last few months, but even a soft battery will do well on a road trip. I'm thinking I took no less than six 400+ mile road trips in the last year with the old battery; never an issue.

 

 

Sooo maybe get the battery tested, if tested fine then get a portable jump? Will likely get a portable jump either way.

 

I wouldn't change the battery simply to change it. The battery may still have quite a bit of life left. I have a battery in my daily driver that is from 2012! (Advance Auto AutoCraft Silver). It just won't die for some reason so I'll keep running it.

But in the least, have a set of good jumper cables. This means long enough and of thick enough gauge with good clamps. You can always find somebody willing to jump you if you have the cables.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Get the portable jump starter and you are good. Like horseshoez, I have had excellent luck with Honda / Acura batteries and have found if it lasts beyond 2-3 years, you are good for a while. I replaced the battery in my current TL-S at three years old under warranty and the current one is 7 years and 7 months old and still very strong. As we have been driving Hondas and Acuras for 30+ years, I have several more similar stories.

 

Well I just had it tested and it was exactly what others have suspected. 5 year old battery with 473/550 CCAs, so I'm good for a couple years at least!

Funny thing though is I researched portable jumpers on Amazon and almost all of them have 1-star reviews where people post photos of the thing exploding during use. Maybe asking randoms for jumps or using roadside assistance is the safer solution...