OT: Car batteries

[Higgs Boson]

Hey, you guys - if anybody would know, you would!

I think I've been had by my nabe mechanic. Would appreciate your wisdom about battery brands and prices.

My battery (2-1/2 years old ) went out. Got a jump from road service and drove it to nabe mechanic. He put it on tester; showed me only 6-1/2 left out of 12. I let him go ahead replace it. It's called "Advanced", which is a new brand to me. He said he's been using it for 30 years.

He charged me $125 for battery, plus $35 for cleaning contacts. With tax, it came to $175. Warranty printed on battery said 5 years, but mechanic said 3 years, plus pro-rated after that.

I think price is too high, and am contemplating change of mechanics.

I called Sears for quotes. $84.99 for high-end Diehard , 72 mo. warranty. $14.99 for installation. No charge for cleaning up contacts & testing for related problems.

$104.99 for Diehard Gold. 100 mo. warranty, lst 3 years replacement. I presume rest pro-rated? didn't ask.

So even if I bought their top of the line Gold, total w/tax would still come to approx. $130+ or $45 more than I paid.

Was I foolish or gullible, or simply misinformed and hasty, by letting nabe mechanic go ahead? (Note this is a relatively expensive So.Cal coastal small city.)

Also, IMPORTANT: Has anybody ever heard of Advanced batteries? I couldn't find them on the Web.

TIA - Your input valued.

[Tony Hwang]

Hmm, Replacing car battery is typical DIY job. Is your charging system working properly?

[Jeff The Drunk]

We have Advanced Auto parts stores around here selling Advanced Auto batteries. I've had two fail in the past 4 years but were replaced free of charge. And they tested the charging system finding no problems. Alternator capable of 90 amps at 600 rpm idle and 13.9 volts after the new battery charged for a couple hours.

You need to determine if your voltage regulation is sufficient to reach and hold the battery's target voltage of 13.8 volts with engine running at different speeds and at idle.

[Higgs Boson]

That is not happy-making news!

And they tested the charging system finding no

Hoo boy! I'm not up to that. Will have to go back & face mechanic and ask that q.

Re: price of nabe mechanic $175 and Sears quote (top of line) $130, any input on that?

TIA

[trader4]

The battery he supplied is probably no better than the $85 Sears battery or many other replacement batteries that you could have bought at autoparts stores and put in yourself. You certainly could have gotten it done for substantially less elsewhere. Or as Tony pointed out, DIY. But, if you didn't want to risk driving the car, getting stuck, etc, because he was the only option nearby, it could be worth it. I hope for that price he checked the charging system and made sure it is working OK. Some of the national autoparts stores will test a battery and charging system for free.

[Ken]

Do I think you paid too much for the battery and installation? Yes. If you use him regularly, I would be looking for a new place.

Do I think you had a better option? It depends upon where you are and when it is that the repair is required.

Do garages charge as much as they think they can? Yes, particularly in some high income areas.

Also there is a auto parts store chain called Advance Auto Parts. I suspect the branded battery might be one of theirs. Since the makers of batteries make for several retail names, I would not be worried about the brand. I looked at Exide recently and they make batteries for about twenty different sellers.

For what it is worth, I just bought a new battery because the battery I had was seven years old and I feared being vulnerable to the same situation you were in. Even though I did not have a failing battery, a failure on the road could have been very costly. Unfortunately, it does not sound like you had this option if your battery failed. Let's hope your charging system is OK like another poster suggested. If it is not, RUN, do not walk, from the person who installed the battery.

[Oren]

I've used Sears and Die Hard batteries for years and years. Some locations will test your battery and charging system for free. They have drive-in express lane just for this (here).

I'm in the Mojave Desert and get about five years from the batteries. (that's a long time) out here in the heat.

I've used the same brand in the Adirondack mountains in dead of winter and they worked like a charm.

[Ed Pawlowski]

For most cars it is, but at times it is a real PITA. With all the electronics and security systems, in some cars, it is recommended to plug a

12 volt battery into the lighter socket while taking out the battery. Otherwise you have to enter a code in the radio for it to work again.

The battery in my Buick is under the rear seat, another PITA to remove, along with the battery codes. I had a local battery shop do the replacement on that one.

[Jules]

Hmm, sounds like you either had a bad original battery or there's something up with the charging system - I'd get the latter tested just in case, as you don't want to kill another battery in a short time...

Location (i.e. weather) seems to play a big part in how long batteries last, but 2-1/2 years doesn't seem like a lot at all (the one in our car is on 12 years now and still going strong!)

[AZ Nomad]

Unless you're interested in building a spare room on your car, why don't you try posting to an appropriate newsgroup like rec.autos.tech?

[Oren]

The guy posted off topic. Something wrong? Panties in a wad?

Filter OT and rinse panties.

[jimmydahgeek]

My Bonneville's battery is also under the rear seat. Once I found it it was very easy to replace. But it was expensive because it's a special "vented" battery. I believe it was around $100. The battery in my minivan was mounted under a fuse box and looked like a PITA to get at so I took it to local shop and the guy installed it for $25. Well worth it.

[hallerb]

Some vehicles have batteries in poor locations........

like remove front left wheel, remove inner fender liner, remove frame brace, now disconnect and remove battery, then replace everything.....

[Higgs Boson]

Thanks for referral to auto group. I didn't know about it.

Note that people do occasionally post OT items here, relying on the vast wisdom of the "regulars", and I mean VAST. Courtesy requires labeling post OT, which I did.

[Higgs Boson]

That's a theory I''ve been considering. I bought the car used from CarMax. The battery was weak, so the service mgr. had them put in what was represented as a strong new battery. Maybe it wasn't. First time a battery only lasted me 2-1/2 years. I should have checked if it was still in warranty; thought of it only afterwards, sob.

or there's

As others have suggested. Wilco.

[aemeijers]

(blushes) Vast? They kept telling me I was half-vast!

-- aem sends...

[AZ Nomad]

Maybe he lives in the car.

[Doug Miller]

Let me guess... it's an AC-Delco?

SWMBO and I bought an '84 Buick LeSabre in '91. Come summer '97, it needs a new battery. So I take a look at the old one... hmmmm.... I don't remember putting this in... take it out, look at the manufacture date: November 1983.

You better believe I replaced it with *another* AC-Delco battery.

[Oren]

I once had to loosen a motor mount from the frame just to get a spark plug in a 307 Chevy engine. ( 67 Impala )

What a dang problem it was. The exhaust manifold, fender wells etc.

[Percival P. Cassidy]

About 50 years ago I read a road test report in a UK newspaper of a then-new Rolls-Royce model. The reviewer commented unfavorably on the need to remove each front wheel and a bunch of bolts holding a cover plate in place to get at four of the eight spark plugs. He had contacted RR about this, and they replied, "But Sir, doesn't your chauffeur do this for you?"

Perce