AdvanceAutoParts Battery Warranty Free 3yr Replace

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I purchased an autocraft gold battery from advance auto parts. It has a 3year free replacement and it is getting close to the last 2 months. Recently my battery has been in need of jump starting. Can I go and get a new replacement if there is nothing detectably wrong with the battery. I feel as if it might be going out even if though it passes borderline. What has been your experiences or store policies on this?
 
I don't know about AAP specifically, but most parts stores have to go by what their tester says.
 
Let it sit so it's weak, then take it in and they'll test it and hopefully if fails and they'll give you a new one.

ZRx has the same experience as me. They will hook the battery up to their machine and it spits out "good" or "bad". If you jump start it and drive it there, it might test as good. Better to let it drain down like it does and pull the battery and take it in telling them it's been draining down and won't hold a charge. They're pretty good about the warranty claims in my limited experience. If it fails and it's withing the warranty period, they will give you a new battery.
 
Originally Posted By: Leo99
Let it sit so it's weak, then take it in and they'll test it and hopefully if fails and they'll give you a new one.

ZRx has the same experience as me. They will hook the battery up to their machine and it spits out "good" or "bad". If you jump start it and drive it there, it might test as good. Better to let it drain down like it does and pull the battery and take it in telling them it's been draining down and won't hold a charge. They're pretty good about the warranty claims in my limited experience. If it fails and it's withing the warranty period, they will give you a new battery.


The testing machines first require the battery voltage be topped off.

Some people have been very unscrupulous and attempted to get a free battery just before the warranty expires resulting in good honest customers extra hoops to jump through.
 
Yep. they'll stick it on a charger for a few hours before they test it. If its bad, its bad. If its not you got other problems.
 
At Walmart we hook it into the machine. It automatically charges it, if it is dead. 9/10 batteries come back good.

It usually doesnt come back bad unless its REALLY bad.
 
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If by chance you get a replacement, the warranty does not start over for the replacement, just what is remaining on the original purchase battery warranty.

My local Advance Auto makes you bring in the vehicle and tests both the battery and vehicle charging system before making a determination on warranty replacement.
 
Bad battery means it does not hold its charge.

So, even after they put it in their charger and load test after, it should still be bad.

If in doubt, get a cheap HF load tester (analog), it will tell you if it is good or bad instantly for around $20.
When I had bad batteries, I always test it at home and if it fails, it will fail at the store even after they charge it.

Also make sure that the alternator is charging.
 
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Yeah it has to have proper voltage before it will be eligible for their tester, if the state of charge is low they'll charge it and test it. If it's weak their tester will know. They will ask you to either bring it back charged or leave it with them for a few hours on their high amp battery cooker, you're probably better off dropping it off and letting them charge it.


If a battery lasts 3 years it's of no fault to the battery, they either work or they don't, and if there's a defect you'll know within weeks usually . Batteries die from a combination of under charging and heat abuse in the engine bay.

That being said I always bring my battery in to test it before the warranty expires too.
 
I have a phone reminder to test my batteries in early December, before winter sets in hard.

I caught one bad battery after adopting the strategy.
 
Sis had a battery which didn't hold a charge. She called me when the cranking got REAL SLOW. It was month #35 on a 3 year replacement at AZ.
Glad she called.

I walked in with my receipt and explained how the charging system was OK but the voltage was around 8 static in the mornings and dropped to 6 while attempting to crank.

The man turned to the counter girl and said, "Give him a new battery".
It looked good to have the receipt in hand. It showed that I was on my game, I suppose.
It helped that he was frantically doing display set-up work with football playoff games starting around 1:00 PM.
Maybe they're just good, honorable people.
 
Originally Posted By: Hootbro
If by chance you get a replacement, the warranty does not start over for the replacement, just what is remaining on the original purchase battery warranty.



Excellent point! If it is that close to the end of the warranty, I'd just probably buy another one. I was in a similar situation to yours and the second battery didn't last 2 years and it was out of warranty. Of course, most people have not had my experience. They would probably just try and get new replacement under warranty.
 
Originally Posted By: fluxCapacitor
I purchased an autocraft gold battery from advance auto parts. It has a 3year free replacement and it is getting close to the last 2 months. Recently my battery has been in need of jump starting. Can I go and get a new replacement if there is nothing detectable wrong with the battery. I feel as if it might be going out even if though it passes borderline. What has been your experiences or store policies on this?


Since I live in south Florida I hardly ever get a battery to last more than 3 years. They almost always die right before the 3 year warranty is up. I've also had to jump a battery a few times near the end of a warranty.

If you bring the battery in, their policy is that they put it on the battery tester. The battery tester verifies whether the battery is good, marginal, or bad. One time they gave me a hard time and said they couldn't swap out the battery since it still tested ok. I just stood there staring at them. I advised the warranty was pointless then, because I was not going to allow my wife to be stranded on the side of the road with the marginal battery that had needed jumped twice before, so I WAS absolutely putting a new battery in her car today. They finally relented and said "just this once" and swapped out the marginal battery for a new one.
 
Originally Posted By: Gebo
Originally Posted By: Hootbro
If by chance you get a replacement, the warranty does not start over for the replacement, just what is remaining on the original purchase battery warranty.



Excellent point! If it is that close to the end of the warranty, I'd just probably buy another one. I was in a similar situation to yours and the second battery didn't last 2 years and it was out of warranty. Of course, most people have not had my experience. They would probably just try and get new replacement under warranty.


Why would you NOT use your battery warranty that you paid for? It makes no sense to have a new battery with a warranty (that you paid for) over a new battery with a no warranty for free(since you swapped out a battery already) If you play your cards right you only have to buy a new battery every 6 years, while swapping out your old battery, using the warranty, every 3 years (batteries only last 3 years here).
 
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis

If a battery lasts 3 years it's of no fault to the battery, they either work or they don't, and if there's a defect you'll know within weeks usually . Batteries die from a combination of under charging and heat abuse in the engine bay.


3 years is usually about all you get out of a battery in this Texas heat, if it's under the hood.
My 1993 Ranger has it under & in front of the rear receiver hitch, it usually lasts 7-8 years.
 
When I got batteries at Sears, I'd just have them to the basic load test right before the warranties expired and they usually failed. They had enough joice to get me there, so I'd say if yours has needed jumps you should have no issue getting one.
 
Hootbro I think what you've stated makes the most sense. If one has a bad go bad at say 2 yrs and 10 months then if your original warrantied battery is truly bad then you would only get 2 more months of a warranty to equal the original 3 yr warranty. I highly doubt you get another "free" 3 yr warranty tacked on to the replacement battery.

One of the most knowledgeable members on here about batteries states that heat, chronic undercharging, water evaporation and not adding water, and the owners assuming that the alternator truly charges battery to a 100% state of charge are the biggest battery killers. Lead acid batteries like to be near 100% and kept cool as much as possible. Which neither is seldom the case with vehicle batteries. Taking a lead acid battery out of a vehicle and putting it on a good charger that can actually get it to a 100% SOC ( and not trusting the magic green light on some battery chargers) , adding water if needed every 3-4 months would add to battery life.
 
Check the alternator belt .

Buy a cheap Harbor Freight VOM & check voltage at the battery with the car running & not running . This will tell you a lot .
 
The midtronics tester will work with any state of charge that makes around 12.2 volts, which is about 25% charged. It'll indicate if charging is needed. It's a fair (idiot proof) charger to all parties involved, and calls under 50% of calculated CCA reason to reject.

The carbon pile testers need 100% charge to be fair.
 
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