Batterys/Camp WalMart, change of tune

NewbeeMC9 · September 16, 2007, 06:26:10 PM

I've had one good battery from wally world, Awsome battery, took lots of abuse, it was a sealed battery with the green eye. I can't find them anywhere anymore. That battery suffered thru may light leaving ons, bad alt on Horse Pasture Road, idle times when car not driven, was a boat battery when the wally boat batteries didn't last, was a genny start battery, put back in car and sold it with car. Eye would be black, and just put it on charger & would be fine.

Have had good luck on car tire s at sears, life time balance and rotate. use it to park up front during holiday season if the dreaded mall must be attended. Hadn't purchased bus tires yet.

JackConrad · September 16, 2007, 06:51:03 PM

I purchased 2 group 31 batteries at a Walmart last October in NC because my other batteries were failing and out of warrantee. 2 1/2 weeks later one of the new batteries fail in South GA. I tested it with a load tester and it showed "BAD". I took the battery and my tester into the local WalMart and told the lady the battery was bad. She said "we have to test it". I said "I can test it right here". I put the load tester on it and it showed "BAD". She said "I cannot replace it with the same battery because that is a "North" battery and all we have are "South" battery. Same battery model number with an N or S after the number. Same price but less cranking amps. I have not purchased a battery from WalMart since then. As anther mentioned, I go with a national brand like Interstate, Exude, Trojan, etc. Jack

Nick Badame Refrig/ACC · September 16, 2007, 08:24:39 PM

Quote from: jjrbus on September 16, 2007, 06:01:55 PM
I was not badmouthing, I simply withdrew my endorsement. Nor was I whining, as a red blooded Yankee it is my God given right to whine, I'll do it anyplace and time that I like. But this time I was not whining. Simply pointing out Wally's change in corporate policy. I am starting to get a bad taste in my mouth about FL business's and may start whining about that!

Jim,

Balh...Blah...Blah...Blah...Blah... Are you whinning again? Lol
If theese big company's keep changing their policys, we might see fire comming from your ears too.
Just for fun!
Nick-

Nick-

Sam 4106 · September 17, 2007, 03:48:22 AM

Hi jjrbus,
Now that I know that you were not 'bad mouthing" I apologize for thinking that you were.
Now, to help me evaluate whether Wal-Mart treated you fairly or not, I need to know the terms of the warranty and how long you used the original battery that was replaced in NY. But, since you said that you used the free replacement battery for three and a half years, under the terms of the battery warranties that I am familiar with you wouldn't be eligible for a new battery anyway, even if the original battery had been replaced in the first week. Battery warranties normally only provide free replacement for the first year and coverage is pro-rated after that.
Let me use an example of a battery that has a five year warranty and it fails on the 364th day. I take it in and get a new one free. Now, here is where it could get confusing. With the replacement battery I only have four years remaining on the warranty, since I have already used one year of coverage with the original. So, if the replacement battery lasts four more years, the two batteries have lasted a total of five years and I have no warranty remaining
If your two batteries lasted a total of whatever your warranty period was, Wal-Mart was correct in refusing to give you any settlement at all. I suspect that is the case. But, even if your warranty period hadn't fully expired, they would only be obligated to adjust the cost of a new battery on a pro-rated basis. since you had at least three and a half years of use of the two batteries. IF Wal-Mart uses the common warranty.
If, I am wrong about any of my theory, I apologize again.
Good luck, Sam 4106

jjrbus · September 17, 2007, 04:08:56 AM

The original battery had a 7 year warrenty and went bad within a few months, so I was in the pro rated part of the warrenty.

JackConrad · September 17, 2007, 05:41:55 AM

I think part of the problem is how WalMart test the battery. I took a battery in to our local Walmart a couple years ago because if our truck sat for 2-3 days, it would not start. (the battery was self discharging). WalMart said "leave the battery and we will test it" I asked why I had to leave the battery for them to test it? They said "first we have to put it on a charger to make sure it is charged, then we will test it" I asked the young man "what about the surface charge that will show when you do this?" All I got was a puzzled look. I do not how they test batteries today, this was several years ago. I think one reason they have clamped down on replacing batteries is too many people would buy a battery, then return it a couple days before the warrantee expired, to get a new one. Jack

Sam 4106 · September 18, 2007, 09:39:54 AM

Hi Jack,
The person at Wal-Mart was correct in his testing method. If you load test a discharged battery, what do you think the result will be? You guessed it, BAD, so to accurately load test a battery it has to be fully charged. The puzzled look the young man gave you just showed that he was inexperienced and had never heard the term surface charge before. If a bad battery is load tested immediatly after being charged the surface charge goes away very fast, if a load tester of adaquate size is used. You may have experianced this yourself if you have tried to start an engine with a bad battery after just charging the battery. I have. The engine may try to turn over but then the solonoid just clicks after the surface charge is depleted. Something that may show that a battery is good when in fact it isn't, is not leaving it on long enough or using a load tester that is too small for the battery being tested. A hand held load tester appropriate for a group 24 battery will not be large enough for an 8D battery and may not be large enough for a group 31.
Good luck, Sam 4106

Sam 4106 · September 19, 2007, 11:10:53 AM

Hi Jack,
I recieved the September issue of "National Bus Trader" magazine today and there is an article about load testing batteries in it on pages 36 and 37. If you don't subscribe to that magazine I would be happy to make a copy of the article and send it to you.
Thanks, Sam 4106

FloridaCliff · September 19, 2007, 11:41:09 AM

Sam,

We do the same with our large commercial banks of UPS batteries

The maintenace chargers will put a static charge on a bad battery, the equipment monitors the group voltage and will not show a fault on a single battery, but once under load they will fail.

We always put a battery under a full individual charge before we load test it.

Many times I have seen your untrained store battery jockey say a battery is still good after a charge, even though it shows marginal to weak voltage reading under a load test, multiple load tests over a short period will usually prove that it is bad.

A good battery will recover and show good.

Cliff

JackConrad · September 19, 2007, 01:23:46 PM

Quote from: Sam 4106 on September 19, 2007, 11:10:53 AM
Hi Jack,
I recieved the September issue of "National Bus Trader" magazine today and there is an article about load testing batteries in it on pages 36 and 37. If you don't subscribe to that magazine I would be happy to make a copy of the article and send it to you.
Thanks, Sam 4106

Sam,
I do not subscribe to NBT anymore, but I would appreciate the article. Thanks, Jack