On Fri, 08 Oct 2004 01:57:56 GMT, "Matthew"
> wrote:

>I have a 1998 Accord EX V6 with 75k miles, live on Long Island. My battery
>seems fine....starts right up, green eye. For me at least this is the
>longest I ever got from a battery. Not that I am complaining but does it pay
>to just replace it anyway? Any way to tell of it's impending failure? After
>all the winter will be upon us soon and I don't want to have to call AAA
>when my battery dies

One of the causes of battery death, besides sulphation, is loss of the
active element in the plates. The plates are a lead honeycomb filled
with a paste that in time can be shaken out by vibration to fall into
the bottom of the battery case. The result can be a battery that has
been working just fine all summer, but on that first cold morning in
November when the engine fails to start on the first turn--- well it
just hasn't got that second and third turnover in it. The hygrometer
insists it's a fully charged battery, but the effective plate area is
about the size of a 25 cent piece and all you get is that forlorn
serenade... Arurrrur! Arrur! Rur! Rrrr! Click! Click!

If it's 6 years old, retire it.