Was at Costco today and they had a battery display. i notice the car batteries are now 36 months instead of 40 month warranty. price is about the same as in the past
Costco batteries are 36 month now
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Was 42 month, now 36 month for the flooded lead acid batteries.
Costco Interstate - 36 months
Sam's Club Duracell - 36 months
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Costco Interstate - 36 months
Sam's Club Duracell - 36 months
Realistically, how often is it really the battery's fault that it failed? I honestly think that everyone who requests an early battery warranty replacement for no other obvious cause should have to prove that they have no major parasitic drains on their vehicle. Kind of like the tyre people basically tell you to go away unless you can prove that your vehicle was properly and continuously aligned within manufacturer specifications.
Battery technology isn't exactly rocket science. A few minor tweaks aside, lead acid flooded batteries haven't changed in 100 years, and the manufacturing processes are more precise than ever.
Battery technology isn't exactly rocket science. A few minor tweaks aside, lead acid flooded batteries haven't changed in 100 years, and the manufacturing processes are more precise than ever.
Originally Posted by pitzel
Realistically, how often is it really the battery's fault that it failed?
During Arizona Summers?..... About 99% of the time.
Realistically, how often is it really the battery's fault that it failed?
During Arizona Summers?..... About 99% of the time.
I've had issues from group 75 batteries in GM cars. Must be some weakness in that stupid side screw-in mount system? After a couple of years they have no depth and I maintain them with bi-annual full charging from my old 6/2amp charger. My 05 CTS-V had a new AC Delco alternator and battery cable assembly installed and it would still eat a battery up before warranty. After a couple years you had a battery that couldn't play the stereo for 15 minutes.
42 month on the Costco battery I bought last month.
The warranty is only good to the member who bought it. Selling the car eliminates the warranty.
The warranty is only good to the member who bought it. Selling the car eliminates the warranty.
Originally Posted by Kira
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The warranty is only good to the member who bought it. Selling the car eliminates the warranty.
That's with every place that sells batteries,alternator,brakes etc.
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The warranty is only good to the member who bought it. Selling the car eliminates the warranty.
That's with every place that sells batteries,alternator,brakes etc.
Originally Posted by pitzel
Realistically, how often is it really the battery's fault that it failed? I honestly think that everyone who requests an early battery warranty replacement for no other obvious cause should have to prove that they have no major parasitic drains on their vehicle. Kind of like the tyre people basically tell you to go away unless you can prove that your vehicle was properly and continuously aligned within manufacturer specifications.
Battery technology isn't exactly rocket science. A few minor tweaks aside, lead acid flooded batteries haven't changed in 100 years, and the manufacturing processes are more precise than ever.
I pay more for a battery because it has a longer warranty, not because I need 850CCA (for example) when 650CCA would have been enough had it lasted as long (warranty related). The weight difference may be only 4lbs (if that) and lead costs about $1/lb but the price difference is far more than $4. You are paying extra for the warranty so you might as well use it if you want another of the same battery.
Once you get into having to prove no parasitic drains (a false premise, rather the shop should have to prove an excessive parasitic drain), doing so becomes expensive. They'd need a qualified tech, even multiples of them, and they'd have to look up the procedure for vehicles they're unfamiliar with, in order to wait X # of minutes for a modern vehicle's battery saver type circuit to time out.
If that tech's time, benefits, equipment, etc (all in) is $40/hr and this ends up failing half the vehicles due to parasitic drain, it has cost them over half their cost of the battery just to disqualify those, and towards the end of alienating customers who feel they paid more for a warranty that isn't being honored.
It would be bad business, but do feel free to buy a battery with a short warranty if it floats your boat. Personally I despise companies that try to find a loophole or easy out of their warranty obligation, even if it's something sneakily added to the warranty statement in the hopes that people won't read it.
They are free to offer the same batteries without warranty and lower the cost accordingly. Trying to place blame? Meh, what if your hood struts have a 1 year warranty but they interrogate you about the number of times you opened your hood during that period? People don't want that. They want no questions asked warranties unless they do something outside of the product's intended purpose.
Realistically, how often is it really the battery's fault that it failed? I honestly think that everyone who requests an early battery warranty replacement for no other obvious cause should have to prove that they have no major parasitic drains on their vehicle. Kind of like the tyre people basically tell you to go away unless you can prove that your vehicle was properly and continuously aligned within manufacturer specifications.
Battery technology isn't exactly rocket science. A few minor tweaks aside, lead acid flooded batteries haven't changed in 100 years, and the manufacturing processes are more precise than ever.
I pay more for a battery because it has a longer warranty, not because I need 850CCA (for example) when 650CCA would have been enough had it lasted as long (warranty related). The weight difference may be only 4lbs (if that) and lead costs about $1/lb but the price difference is far more than $4. You are paying extra for the warranty so you might as well use it if you want another of the same battery.
Once you get into having to prove no parasitic drains (a false premise, rather the shop should have to prove an excessive parasitic drain), doing so becomes expensive. They'd need a qualified tech, even multiples of them, and they'd have to look up the procedure for vehicles they're unfamiliar with, in order to wait X # of minutes for a modern vehicle's battery saver type circuit to time out.
If that tech's time, benefits, equipment, etc (all in) is $40/hr and this ends up failing half the vehicles due to parasitic drain, it has cost them over half their cost of the battery just to disqualify those, and towards the end of alienating customers who feel they paid more for a warranty that isn't being honored.
It would be bad business, but do feel free to buy a battery with a short warranty if it floats your boat. Personally I despise companies that try to find a loophole or easy out of their warranty obligation, even if it's something sneakily added to the warranty statement in the hopes that people won't read it.
They are free to offer the same batteries without warranty and lower the cost accordingly. Trying to place blame? Meh, what if your hood struts have a 1 year warranty but they interrogate you about the number of times you opened your hood during that period? People don't want that. They want no questions asked warranties unless they do something outside of the product's intended purpose.
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I saw a guy at Walmart sitting in his car with the lights on. The engine wasn't running. It was 2 in the afternoon.
I walk up and tell him he left his lights on, thinking I saved him from a dead battery. He nods and closes the window.
30 minutes later I see him at the auto parts section of Walmart with his car battery on the counter hooked to the tester. The employee said it reads as dead, here's your new battery, have a good day sir!
I walk up and tell him he left his lights on, thinking I saved him from a dead battery. He nods and closes the window.
30 minutes later I see him at the auto parts section of Walmart with his car battery on the counter hooked to the tester. The employee said it reads as dead, here's your new battery, have a good day sir!
One of my favorite tow calls was for the exact same car as me, 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Being a Jeep guy, I take pride in getting any Jeep running or telling the member the exact problem.
So I show up, talk to the owner. He says the Jeep wouldn't start the day before , so he took the battery out and since he bought it at Les Schawb, took it there. They put it on the charger there for as understand, 8 hours, said the battery is fine now, and he should be good. He drives barely 30 minutes home, puts battery in, and it wouldn't do anything. So he calls AAA of course.
I took a look. First off the bat, battery is 7 years old from the date code, leaking out of vents and flat out just awful. Voltage is 5V. I tell him it's the battery and it will start with a jump. He didn't believe me, but was willing to let me try.
I put the jump pack on, lights come on, and turn the ignition, and guess what? Starter runs, and it catches...it's running!
Owner is baffled...and says "Les Schwab lied to me?"
I tell him yes, they had a tire tech work on a battery. Alternator is fine, so I show him the battery is toast after letting it run 15 minutes, then turning it off. Multimeter shows the voltage drop to 5V in seconds.
He asks me "What should do?" So I tell him, I'll follow you over to the same location of Les Schawb (up the street) and let's talk to the manager.
We show up there, manager was actually at the counter. Explained the story again, I show him the battery. Manager is really purplexed, but he looks in the computer and sees something that makes him mad. He looks at me and the owner, goes "Sir, I'm really sorry about this, we are going to give you a battery on the house!"
So I show up, talk to the owner. He says the Jeep wouldn't start the day before , so he took the battery out and since he bought it at Les Schawb, took it there. They put it on the charger there for as understand, 8 hours, said the battery is fine now, and he should be good. He drives barely 30 minutes home, puts battery in, and it wouldn't do anything. So he calls AAA of course.
I took a look. First off the bat, battery is 7 years old from the date code, leaking out of vents and flat out just awful. Voltage is 5V. I tell him it's the battery and it will start with a jump. He didn't believe me, but was willing to let me try.
I put the jump pack on, lights come on, and turn the ignition, and guess what? Starter runs, and it catches...it's running!
Owner is baffled...and says "Les Schwab lied to me?"
I tell him yes, they had a tire tech work on a battery. Alternator is fine, so I show him the battery is toast after letting it run 15 minutes, then turning it off. Multimeter shows the voltage drop to 5V in seconds.
He asks me "What should do?" So I tell him, I'll follow you over to the same location of Les Schawb (up the street) and let's talk to the manager.
We show up there, manager was actually at the counter. Explained the story again, I show him the battery. Manager is really purplexed, but he looks in the computer and sees something that makes him mad. He looks at me and the owner, goes "Sir, I'm really sorry about this, we are going to give you a battery on the house!"
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Originally Posted by billt460
Originally Posted by pitzel
Realistically, how often is it really the battery's fault that it failed?
During Arizona Summers?..... About 99% of the time.
Same for Texas. I am partial to AAP batteries, they stand behind the warranty.
Originally Posted by pitzel
Realistically, how often is it really the battery's fault that it failed?
During Arizona Summers?..... About 99% of the time.
Same for Texas. I am partial to AAP batteries, they stand behind the warranty.
Costco probably noticed a larger percentage of their batteries were failing between 36- and 42 months. That is why they chopped six months off the guarantee without dropping the price. I had one fail at 40 months and got a free replacement, but it were to happen again with Costco, I would be out. of luck. My next replacement on another vehicle was a Sam's Club Duracell manufactured by East Penn, I am sticking to Sam's from now on.
^ They probably reduced the warranty because everyone is noticing their batteries don't last as long due to all the electronic gadgetry present in vehicles today.
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