[stargate]

Finally, my battery died after 1.5 years with new battery desulfator from Infinitum Malaysia.

I am not that satisfied because it does not tally with all the good review mentioned at http://www.infinitum...monials-reviews

Does anyone else here using this product? How long the car battery last with this battery desulfator?

I'm wondering if this device is a gimmick or 1.5 years is the expected results. Previously my car battery can last up to 2 years without this battery desulfator.

[vr2turbo]

Finally, my battery died after 1.5 years with new battery desulfator from Infinitum Malaysia.

I am not that satisfied because it does not tally with all the good review mentioned at http://www.infinitum...monials-reviews

Does anyone else here using this product? How long the car battery last with this battery desulfator?

I'm wondering if this device is a gimmick or 1.5 years is the expected results. Previously my car battery can last up to 2 years without this battery desulfator.

Yup, mine without also last 18 to 24 months....

[xeyone]

It does not work. Read these previous post:
http://forum.autowor...p;#entry1781335
http://forum.autowor...amp;pid=1589511

[infinitum8]

It does not work. Read these previous post:
http://forum.autowor...p;#entry1781335
http://forum.autowor...amp;pid=1589511

xeyone,

We appreciate your feedback and will honour our warranty. In this case we will still honour the warranty despite of the lapse, due to our late reply (we had been away from this forum for some time). Do address all warranty claims directly to us at info@infinitumstore.com we will respond to all emails within one business day.

We stand by our brand and technology that it certainly works to remove sulfation which affects 84% of all premature battery failure. However batteries do die prematurely from other reasons as well which desulfators are not designed to fix. Please read our response here: http://goo.gl/RqoqUu

[cendana287]

Yup, mine without also last 18 to 24 months....

Yesterday my car's battery, a Made in Korea GP-Atlas DIN 88 (MF), finally failed to crank up the engine in the morning. It had lasted 4 years 10 months which I think is very good. It didn't have a desolfator or anything like that. But I've heard of batteries that had lasted significantly longer, 6-7 years. These are often the originals fitted on new, expensive cars - Mercedes and BMW especially. But for `normal', aftermarket replacement batteries, I'd say anything above 3 years could be considered as very good already.

I was thinking about how some batteries would last more than 3 years while others couldn't even make it to 2 years. I think one of the reasons why my previous battery had lasted that long, besides "luck" (not being unfortunate to get a battery that had component defects which the manufacturer's Quality Control failed to spot), is the battery's size. It's something like dry cell batteries - one that is AA would last longer than AAA. D longer still. Bigger plates tend to be able to produce and store power longer, all else being equal. The quality of the plates is also extremely important, of course. No point having bigger or/and more plates if they are of inferior material.

Then the protection of the plates and internal components from vibrations. Have to take into consideration that our cars would go through various bumps and turns which would also place some pressure on the battery. Over time, components inside would become looser and looser. I did a research of GP-Atlas and it seems this is a brand made by AtlasBX, which has international-class facilities.

Another reason why the battery had lasted that long is because of its location - it's placed under the passenger's seat rather than the engine bay as with most vehicles. There are advantages with this location: for one thing, it's a lot cooler under the seat than in the engine bay. It also tends to be more secure and less susceptible to movements and vibrations which would degrade the plates over time. The main disadvantage is in accessing it - such a hassle to take off the seat, and then to place it back! It may be "Maintenance Free" in that you don't need to check or add to the battery water. However, it's a good thing to visually inspect the physical condition once every couple of month at least, and to clean the terminals with WD-40 or whatever. And to take readings with a multimeter to check on the general condition of the battery and alternator: voltage in the morning, after driving, when engine is running and when all accessories are switched on.

I was surprised to see my previous battery still had 12.4V. That was lower than the usual 12.7V but I had thought 12.4V was "good enough" to crank up the engine. A mechanic told me that voltage and the current needed to crank up the engine are two different things. He said that over time, although a battery may still have more than 12V, it doesn't have enough current anymore to crank up the engine. Actually I should have just replaced it after 4 years. But like most people, I felt `sayang' discarding a battery that was still working:-)

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I went for KOBA DIN 100 this time. RM500 Ouch! But that's the price for a high ampere battery. KOBA is also made by AtlasBX in Korea, just like GP-Atlas. If it lasts at least 3 years, I'll be happy.

[vr2turbo]

Yup, agree that there are many factors to determine the battery life. But I read in many places the chage and discharge cycle also plays a part. Means when in use it discharge and then alternator charges back similar to AA rechargeable batteries that have a certain amount of charge and discharge cycle...

[jamespaul]

Most honda's battery can last less than 2 years.

my dad's honda accord 1 year plus a bit. (changed 5 times already)

my honda city 1.5 years. (changed 3 times)

cheap battery? unlikely as i bought a japanese made one but still died an early death.

design flaw? almost certain.

btw, i usually switch off aircon, lights after driving.

[cendana287]

Yup, agree that there are many factors to determine the battery life. But I read in many places the chage and discharge cycle also plays a part. Means when in use it discharge and then alternator charges back similar to AA rechargeable batteries that have a certain amount of charge and discharge cycle...

You're right about charge and discharge - this is another very critical factor that will decide on the battery's lifespan. Often, we tend to just focus on the battery itself. But have to also remember that it is just "one part" of the car's electrical system, albeit a very important one. One component that we often don't give too much thought to is the alternator... until something happens. Maybe it would be a good idea to have the alternator serviced every three years or so, even when "it seems to be working okay"? I'm trying to find a workshop or specialist who can do this - take off the alternator, open it up, clean and replace components as he sees fit. Like the bearings and whatever else. I wonder how much it would cost? Nowadays, most mechanics aren't as skilled and knowledgeable as the old school type. They tend to be the "Plug and Play" kind who only know how to take off a part and replace it with a new one. The old school mechanics would service and replace the components that are faulty, not the whole unit.

[cendana287]

Most honda's battery can last less than 2 years.

my dad's honda accord 1 year plus a bit. (changed 5 times already)

my honda city 1.5 years. (changed 3 times)

cheap battery? unlikely as i bought a japanese made one but still died an early death.

design flaw? almost certain.

btw, i usually switch off aircon, lights after driving.

This is why I'm puzzled as to why some/many cars and batteries tend to be like that while others could last up to 5 years. The difference is A LOT. From your comment here, this seems to be the "normal" battery life cycle with Honda cars. If there is a design flaw, surely they would know about it(?) 1-1.5 years: I wouldn't be too surprised if a cheap battery is used, because this is the expected lifespan. But you mentioned this is not the case. I believe a Maintenence Free battery, which tends to use better materials than cheap ones, *should* last at least 2 years. By the way, what battery capacity are you using? Would using a higher capacity one result in longer life? Since you have already used Japanese batteries, why not give the Koreans a try?:-)

[cendana287]

It does not work. Read these previous post:
http://forum.autowor...p;#entry1781335
http://forum.autowor...amp;pid=1589511

I had read from a few users at another local car forum who insisted that it worked, and that they have been using it for a few years already. One guy had been using it from the very first model, which was a bigger unit. I'll admit that the explanation of the science behind it does make sense and I believe the desulfator does contribute "something". But the question is, by how much? As with the comment from its representative, we have to consider that other factors are at play too when it comes to the battery. Maybe some people are having too high expectations, like it's some sort of magic bullet that, "by itself", would result in super-long life for the battery?

In my opinion, I think it's more of an accessory for the battery that "helps somewhat". Users should place more emphasis and attention to the fundamentals: (1) the battery's quality, capacity and how it is protected and maintained (make sure it's totally secure inside the tray). (2) the alternator - is it at optimum level? This is different from "merely working". Most people, including me, would just ignore the alternator for years since "it seems to be working okay".