Battery Return Trick

[Marc Getty <marc@getty.net>]

> Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2000 09:24:29 EDT
> From: Captnbr@aol.com
> Subject: Re: new bat: recomend?
>
> In message dated 8/19/00 2:04:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time, kpa@wizvax.net 
> writes:
> 
> >ok I need to invest in a new battery for my 87, what do folks recommend?
> 
> I recommend a Walmart battery and I am totally serious. They are $34
> dollars. They come with a 2 year free replacement warranty. And after a
> year and six months you bring it back with the receipt and you get a
> new one, for FREE because they don't have any way to test them when you
> return them at the front counter. So you will never get stuck with a
> dead battery because you change it every year and a half. I have had
> many batteries and found out whether you pay $120 or $34 dollars, a
> battery is a battery and they don't last more than 3 years.
> 
> Brian 86 16v
> http://hometown.aol.com/captnbr/myhomepage/auto.html

On the same note, should you ever have any problems with returning a battery to
a place that tests them keep in mind the following.

The load testing machines that the stores have are pretty cute for testing
batteries, but they almost always pass a flaky battery which you want to return.
Way back in the day when I used to have problems with my diesel jetta cooking
it's batteries, I once had to return a battery that was bad but the store
insisted it was still within passing range.

All I did was go home, wait a few hours until the moron on duty's shift was over
and take back the battery. BUT in the meantime while waiting I drained out all
of the battery acid and refilled it with water. I took it back that night, the
battery failed miserably and I got want I wanted: a brand new battery. It seems
that a battery needs battery acid to produce much of a charge! :-)

With this past experience in mind, I never return batteries that have even the
slightest chance of passing. I always drain out the battery acid first so I
don't have to make two trips.

-Marc

'74 VW Thing in near daily driver condition but unfortunately sitting
    in storage see it at http://getty.net/thing/ and http://vwthing.org
'81 VW Jetta Diesel gone to the scrap heap in December 1997 after a
    mere 179,786 miles service, man that thing sure could off road!
'84 VW Jetta GLi was SOLD in Oct 1999 with only 164,275 miles to NJ
    see a pic of the Jetta in all it's glory http://getty.net/jetta/
'87 VW SMOKING Scirocco Tornado Red 16V 183,350 miles in Philly PA
    since 7/2/99 - Before and after pics: http://getty.net/scirocco/

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