Hi Everyone, 

Could anyone confirm the manufacture date of this battery? I'm guessing it's April 2011 from the '11D', but the other digits here could make sense based on the year of the car and when I purchased it used.

 

It's a panasonic 55d23l battery.

 

Many thanks!

Maybe this will help.................

Automotive Battery Part Numbers and Date Codes

Thanks Rooster, I already saw that one and a couple dozen similar sites. :-/ Indeed it suggests April 2011, but nothing specific for Panasonic. 

I just looked at several of the ones here (being 390cca, in northern MN, we swap them out for new 550cca ones on any car with a remote start), and it looks like it's day, month, year.

 

Although, that's the kind of battery they put in Subarus from the factory (Just Impreza/foresters, though, I think). So it should be fairly close to the manufacture date of the car it's in.

Ah, many thanks!

Sorry, I totally forgot to mention it was from a 2012 Impreza.

 

So, I wasn't sure if it was a battery from 2011 (the '11D') or whether the battery was from 2013, (since there's a '13') which would make sense since it was purchased certified pre owned from a dealer in 2013. I thought maybe they had replaced it (and that maybe the dealers used the same batteries as factory, since it seemed these Panasonics were common for new Subarus).

 

It got a death knell from a dome light left on. It's not quite as cold here in Chicago as it is for you guys up north but not something I want to be messing around with on a cold winter night. I had tried to charge it with a 20 minute drive, and it was able to start up again, but then after sitting for ~3 days, it wouldn't start. I was thinking if it was from 2013, I'd give it a slow charge to try to restore it, but if it's from 2011 it looks like it's time for a new one.

5 years is normal end of life for flooded cell lead acid batteries, when used under ideal conditions.

 

A 20 minute drive is nowhere near enough to fully charge a depleted battery.

Thanks Dave, good to know.

 

I'm guessing I never realized that in the past when batteries have died on me on other cars, because I've had instances where a short run like that will charge it enough to start again a few hours later. And generally I drive most days. So I'd always thought only 20 minutes was enough, when in reality it must have really finished charging the next few time I took it out and I was just lucky it was able to start again after the short drive.

 

This Impreza doesn't get driven every day so that makes sense.

 

By your response, I'm guessing at least a couple hours is needed...

She might be on her last legs. Starting batteries don't like to go dead to begin with and they like it much less the older they get. Right it would likely take a lot longer than 20 minutes to fully charge. Rough calculations are say it's a 40 amp-hour battery, that means it would take at least 4 hours at a 10 amp charge rate. I say at least because there's other factors like efficiency/battery getting hot from charging and things like that.

it has vent caps. pop them off and drop 1 non coated asprin in per cell.. should revive it if you don't want to replace it yet

it has vent caps. pop them off and drop 1 non coated asprin in per cell.. should revive it if you don't want to replace it yet

That trick doesn't work with the new lead calcium batteries, the aspirin dissolves the sulfation on the cells and will revitalize a pure lead battery.

 

But..

The new batteries have lead/calcium alloy plates. The thearoy is that it reduces the amount of gas the battery produces and makes them a maintenece free battery.

Just because it has a removable cap means its not maintenece proof, but is still a maintence free battery.

 

This is why we don't have to check water level in batteries as much anymore, but there is a downside. The downside is when the battery is dead, its dead, nothing is bringing it back.

 

The plates arnt plates anymore there more of a bag of lead/calcium mix.

 

Replace the battery, unless your not worried about getting stranded when it decides its done.

Edited January 14, 201610 yr by mikaleda

when buying batteries,

think months.

batteries are rated bu the number of months they will last.

 

last fall i replaced the factory battery in my 06 ford F350 super duty.

it did not have a lot of miles, 75k,

but it lasted 9.75 years.

i was amazed.

the ford replacment cost $125,

but it is going to last 9+ years.

i probably won't have the truck that long.

 

so do the math,

divide the price by the number of months to see the best deal.

 

or just by the cheapest one you can find..

when buying batteries,

think months.

batteries are rated bu the number of months they will last.

 

last fall i replaced the factory battery in my 06 ford F350 super duty.

it did not have a lot of miles, 75k,

but it lasted 9.75 years.

i was amazed.

the ford replacment cost $125,

but it is going to last 9+ years.

i probably won't have the truck that long.

 

so do the math,

divide the price by the number of months to see the best deal.

 

or just by the cheapest one you can find..

 

You hope that it is going to last 9+ years.  My last set for my Ford F250 only lasted 6 years and they were Motorcraft and cost roughly the same as yours did. 

 

Batteries any more are a crap shoot and if they outlive the warranty by very much you are lucky.

Ya, I agree that buying batteries is a crap shoot. We have a solar system at my moms place and they spend $400 a battery and still get disappointed.

 

I typically go by how heavy they are, the heavier the battery the more lead is in it and the better the battery is.

Edited January 15, 201610 yr by mikaleda

the ford factory battery,

and the replacement

are / were both 108 month batteries. that's 9 years.

 

and most batteries i see foe sale are either 72 months or 84 months,

but i'm sure there are 60 and 96 month versions as well.

 

that's why i say look at the ''$ per month'' cost.

60 months will cost less over all,

 but maybe more per month.

Edited January 15, 201610 yr by johnceggleston

Don't forget the prorate as well, after a year or two they will only warranty part of a new battery. Some company's have less months, but don't prorate

Edited January 15, 201610 yr by mikaleda

Some of the long warranty stuff also counts on the typical buyer, who won't keep the vehicle long enough to make a claim.

 

9 + years for a flooded cell battery is unheard of.  Normal for a high pressure spiral wrapped battery though.