This is also the first time after some 30 years of driving had I used a car battery for this long.
As we all know most batteries usually wear out every 1 to 3 years and need to be replaced. The normal battery warranty is around 1 -2 years.
Actually I was adamant against having it changed, since it was still serving the car well, starting the engine at first strike of the ignition almost every time -- be it for the first time in the morning or when the engine is hot.
But the mechanic at Toyota's Prima Pearl Auto in Penang thought it was timely that I had a battery change.
They gave me a call when I was having breakfast with my daughter 20 minutes after I left the car at the workshop for a routine service. The odometer had clocked 58,000km.
The new battery costs RM205, and after a discount it comes to around RM195. I thought they would change it with the same model, so I said okay as really liked the factory fitted brand.
When I came to collect the car, I asked the service advisor, Mr Dinesh what was the voltage of the battery that made them wanted to replace it. I also told him the battery had served me well ever since I bought the car and I believed it is still okay.
He then went in to ask the mechanic who said they had checked the battery voltage and it was only 12.24V. The normal battery voltage is 12.50V.
Whoah...! after 5 years plus and it had only waned 0.26V.
I asked to open the hood to look at the new battery. Unfortunately, it wasn't what I had expected. The battery was replaced with a smaller size Toyota brand. I asked Dinesh if I can recharge the old battery but he said cannot, so feeling satisfied with the answer I left home without it (the old battery).
Now I am having second thoughts about the old battery. Bukan ler apa, rasa sayang betoi kat barang lama ni. Dah jadi sentimental lah kunun..5 tahun serving the car well...heheh!.
So a few minutes ago (while writing this note) I gave the workshop a call to have the battery back. Dinesh was out, but I reminded the fella on the line that I was going to collect the battery this afternoon.
I'll try to put it in my daughter's 10 year old Proton Iswara. We'll see whether the battery can still work after this.
Moral of this story : Old habits are hard to change, but old things that had served you well may become very sentimental too.
Lastly this Malay expression might explain or justify the above expressions: Barang lama dibuang jangan, sebab ia tetap berharga, Dibuang Sayang, Ditukar Sukar
Related article: How to Check a Car Battery
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