Power issue with 2007 Chevy Aveo5

[gorilla p]

I haven't had any power issues with this car at all or any issues with it starting up.
Suddenly yesterday after having no issues and turning it off in a parking lot. It suddenly wouldn't start. The horn wouldn't honk, the radio wouldn't come on, the power windows wouldn't work.
When turning the key, I just got a clicking noise.
I figured this sounded like a simple battery issue, but I attempted to jump it, and it still didn't do anything but click when turning the key.
When I brought the battery with me to get a new (used) one, I asked them to test my current battery.
The current battery had a reading of about 12.9. The replacement was about 13.3 (Also a slightly larger battery).

So I brought it to my car and assumed it wouldn't work because the previous battery appeared to have a good power reading.
So I replaced it and there was no buildup on the old one. When putting in the new battery, I had to pull on the terminals a bit because the new battery is a bit taller. The new battery started up perfectly fine. I've started up the car a few times since then and have had no issues. Is it possible that there could have been a wiring issue that I incidentally fixed when taking out the old one, banging on the terminal clamps and tugging on the wiring while replacing it?

I was wondering if I had an electrical issue or an issue with the starter perhaps?

Normally I wouldn't think anything of it, but it seemed really strange that two batteries with such similar power readings had such drastic differences.

Any input or recommendations on how to make sure I'm not going to be stuck somewhere in a week or so would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[avguy]

Batteries can have problems which don't show up in a simple voltage test. Swap the old battery back in. If it starts ok with the old one back in, you had (or still have) some type of wiring problem. If everything is stll dead, then its likely the old battery is bad.

[EAD15]

What you should do do is get the old battery load tested. The load testers are about $40 but I think most parts stores will do it for free.

Most likely, your battery would fail the load test. One of the cells likely died. How old was it?

[gorilla p]

It's hard to say exactly how old it was. I bought it certified used 2.5 yrs ago. It was an ACDelco. It looked pretty new then, so it was likely new when I bought it.

[EAD15]

If Chicago is like the rest of the midwest, then your battery issues may be only slightly premature. Are most of your drives short hops or mostly highway?

The extreme temperatures possible in the midwest can wear out a battery faster. I lived in Tulsa, OK for a time, and most batteries only seemed to last about 3 years or so. If you do mostly shorter drives, that can also accelerate the deterioration.