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You can get these at your local AutoZone. They're more expensive, but they are hardy batteries.
Posted on 12/21/2009 10:21:36 AM PST by La Lydia
Okay, I need some advice from you guys who know about cars. I always have had Sears Die-Hard batteries, but this time last year, my battery (which was a couple of years past its warranty) died and I called AAA to come rescue me. They sold me a new battery, I think it cost about $100, and installed it on the spot. Today when I tried to start my car, after the DC blizzard of 2009, the battery would turn over, very slowly, but the car wouldn't start. So I had to call AAA again, and now I am sitting here waiting for their 3-hour time frame and for someone to show up. They are supposed to be bringing me another battery, because the one that wouldn't start my car is under warranty. But I don't want one of their crappy batteries, I want to go back to Sears, or somewhere, and get a good one. I don't think it ever got below 20 degrees here, so I don't understand why that should be such an issue. I think the batteries AAA sells are inferior products. Shall I risk getting a jump-start and trying to get to Sears (about 10 miles, still snowy roads), or shall I let them replace this one when they get here? Please advise.
If you plan to visit Sears, you might want to call first and make sure they have your battery in stock.
take the free battery but plan to get a new one in autumn. also, depending on the age of your vehicle, a new starter may be in order rather than a new battery...
I’d go to Sears, but I’d get a reimbursement from AAA if anything came out-of-pocket for you. I’d also keep an eye out for when your car insurance bill comes in, just to make sure you haven’t been charged any extras.
AAA is probably ‘recycling’ inferior quality batteries, given the high demand for them.
Type of Car?
Parked outside in the cold?
without knowing anything about the vehicle, sounds like you might have some parasite in the electrical system draining the batt.
Then, if you need a battery, go get one of your choice.
AAA battery?
I put at least a D cell in my car. :)
It might not be the battery. It could just the battery cables are old and/or corroded or it could be your starter or it could be your alternator could be going and not charging the battery properly.
I'd recommend having AAA tow you to Sears and then get a Die Hard which comes with a warranty. That or you could get a friend to take you to Sears and bring you back.
Call ahead to make sure they've got what you need in stock, have them charge it up for you, then bring it home and install it yourself.
While you're at Sears, pick up a trickle charger that has a 50 amp boost setting. Then you'll be able to jump yourself in the future.
Do you have a fuzz buster or some other plug in device that takes power out of the battery while the car is turned off ? Unplug these when they’re not in use...
Battery may be good. Any number of other things will cause that problem. Alternator belt may be loose so battery will not re charge. Alternator may be bad. There could be a short in the wiring so the battery will discharge while it is sitting. Happy Hunting!.
sometimes having a marginaly working alternator will dod this.
Has it occurred to you that it might not be the battery?
Could you have a bad alternator?
Could you be making short trips that don’t allow charging of the battery?
Could you have something draining the battery? IPOD, cell phone?
Could you have something that is puncturing a hole in the bottom of your batteries?
I would suggest investing in a jump starter. Particularity if you could be caught in an unsafe area.
Or since you already have AAA have them jump start you.
A cheap volt meter will tell if once running the alternator is charging the battery.
Sears or Auto Zone will tell you if the battery you have is any good.
Must be one of them new fangled cars that the gubmnt is churning out.
Had to get a new battery recently after a cold snap, because I drained it last summer with the lights...
then last week the starter packed it in, but I thought it was the battery at first. Symptoms can be confusing, but if the lights work, and don’t dim while cranking, it could be a bum starter. I made my mechanic very happy this Christmas.
Check the water level in the battery if it is a serviceable type. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen batteries with little to no water having hard starts.
In my car it was the starter ... I was told a bad winding. It acted like a dead battery - sometimes it would turn over real slow like a weak battery - starter replaced, problem solved ... you might want to check that out ....
Just made a mechanic happy with an electrical problem in my truck so I feel your pain.
No new battery will work if you have a problem such as this. This sounds like an alternator problem, where the alternator is not producing full voltage due to a weak armacher or brushes.
Have these checked before you get another battery replacement. The new battery is likely o.k. and just needs to be fully charged. If a battery does not freeze due to a weakened charge, it is fully recoverable.
It may not be a battery problem. If your terminals are corroded, the charge generated by your car can’t get to the battery and it runs down. It may be as simple as giving your terminals and connectors a good cleaning. Many batteries are sold due to dirty terminals when it is not the battery at all. Regardless once they are cleaned, you will still need a jump to get it going again. Good luck.
Sounds more like your starter needs to be replaced. I just replaced mine in my plow truck last week. Even with a dual-battery system, it would barely turn over. Have it checked out.
BUY CHEAP- BUY TWICE
get a good one, unless you plan to seel it in 6 months
Lots of good ideas, but I second the one that says TAKE THE BATTERY.
It is likely way too late to get your money back (if not, then you do have a choice to make). But assuming you can’t get your money back, you might as well take the free battery.
Then, after Christmas, when you have some free time, you can run over to Autozone or Sears or another parts store, and ask them to check the battery.
But unless you can be assured of getting your money back, which is unlikely after a year, I don’t see the point of putting additional stress on yourself.
Plus, no battery, no matter how inferior, is going to go bad after 1 year. THe warranty shows that they expect the battery to last longer, they don’t make money giving you extra batteries after all. So you could have just gotten a clunker.
AAA battery?
I put at least a D cell in my car. :)
:::Snort:::
This is going to sound like I’ve got a screw loose but when I was living in DC everytime it was cold as hell outside and/or snowing, my car wouldn’t want to start. One morning as I was walking out the door to leave for work I heard someone on WMZQ calling in to give a tip that if you would turn your headlights on for 30 seconds prior to turning the key to crank, then the car would start right up! I tried it and yep, it worked (and I mean my car would NEVER start if it were below 32). After that, whenever it was cold outside, I always did this little trick first. Try it!
With recurring battery problems...
...clean your battery cables at the battery terminals. A bad/dirty connection there will cause all kinds of problems. If the cables are old (years and years), replace them.
...go to Advance Auto and have them test your charging system. If there’s a problem there it will cause all kinds of other problems. Make sure your cables are good/clean before you do this.
...make sure you have a good belt running the alternator and the belt is properly tensioned.
It’s pretty rare for batteries to just go bad in a year. I’d say you have other problems.
I always thought Sears brand batteries (DieHard) were overrated. You have to go to the very top line DieHard to get the same CCA ratings as some others like NAPA’s batteries.
Might just be a bad solenoid on your alternator. I drove a heap in school & jumped it with pliers handles until I had $$ for new starter.
Very Imp. Point: make sure transmission is in neutral and brake on.
+1 with the #13 post.
Also, the alternators in the newer cars cannot charge up a discharged battery the way the old cars did. They’re designed to support the vehicle’s electrical load and a trickle to the battery.
solenoid=starter, so sorry
Parasitic draw is simply current being drawn by an unknown source such as a trunk light on or a short to ground in a pinched wire or similar.(Its not some bug that feeds on your cars electricity.NOM! NOM! NOM!)
Get a jump and buy an Interstate Battery.
Your electrical problem could be caused by a number of things, most seem to be already listed within this thread.
One I don’t see listed..... is corroded battery cables. I don’t mean the obvious corrosion on the connections, rather the corrosion that goes on, over time, within the cable itself. This is often missed because it can’t be seen as it is covered by the insulation.
You need to limp that car to a shop that will check out the electrical system.
Since you appear to have burned this battery pretty quickly, I’d check other for problems as well.
Check the terminals and wires connecting to the battery for corrosion, loose connections, or if the terminals are painted (which some places [particularly WalMart] do to differentiate between + and -, but which can screw the connection up). Could also be a bad alternator (not recharging the battery) or a starter or solinoid problem.
SnakeDoc
without knowing anything about the vehicle, sounds like you might have some parasite in the electrical system draining the batt.
Argh! I didn't realize I had to check the car for mynocks.
Sears has that on sale for $40. 10/2/50 amp charger. In New York, anyway.
Click pic for more info/
You can get these at your local AutoZone. They're more expensive, but they are hardy batteries.
A new battery doesn’t have full charge. You need to put it on a trickle charge. You also cannot assume your charging system is working properly. It should be tested.
I’ve had batteries arbitrarily die during first cold snap then once jumped run fine for years afterwards. I’ve had this happen on all sorts of models and manufacturers. Why has this happened? Can’t say, but I can say it has happened.
Most recent time I drove 700 miles home the day before, no issues, and wife drove around all day the following day, no issues, then stopped the car for < 10 minutes to pick up a pizza and it didn’t have enough juice to turnover. Jumped it and its run fine since.
You may wish to check your connectors and make sure that there isn’t a corrosive buildup on your terminals preventing the battery from charging properly.
Its annoying when this happens, but it has happened. I don’t chaulk up shoddy battery when it does happen. If a battery just purely won’t hold a charge at all, and everything else is working fine in under a year, then definately bad battery, but I’ve had a one time die without an obvious reason, (lights left on etc) more than a few times... and it almost always seems to coincide with the first cold snap of the year.
La Lydia:
Lot of good advice here. I would add check your oil. I recommend 5W-30 synthetic oil in the winter. You will get faster cranking.
I recommend Wal-mart batteries, I used them for years with no problem. I have them in 3 cars, tractor and motorcycle.
It could be something as simple as a dirty battery post.
A lot of older batteries will give up the ghost when it gets cold. The car is much harder to crank.
If you think AAA is going to come there and give you a new battery, I am afraid you are in for a bad way.
Battery warranty’s don’t work that way. They are pro-rated and most of the time you are better of just buying another battery.
Get the jump, Go to Sears and buy the battery you want.
Go over to Costco and get one of those starter things that looks like a little plastic brief case. Those work pretty well, but you need to keep it charged. Will start you up pretty quick.
And the idea of a charger/booster is a good idea too. Bought one of those about ten years ago and it sits there all summer. I wonder why I bought it. Then once every year or so it saves my butt. Worth every nickel.
And upgrade your AAA to a decent towing radius. Had to pay $300 for a tow from Hoover Dam to Vegas a couple of years ago. If that doesnt make you want to drink, nothing will.
Last night I discovered I had left the dome light on in my truck for two days. Fired right up. Not even a hint of lag from the battery.
What make and model of car and what year?
I’ve heard of people having this problem where newly installed towers near their home (cell phone or radio) have caused the remote entry system to key up continuously and drain the battery. This usually took a week or more or would happen where someone wasn’t driving their vehicle regularly or for a lot of short trips.
I would look at the cables, the terminals (at both ends), and all of the ground wires to make sure they are in good shape. Usually starting issues like this are caused by bad cables or corrosion on the terminals (at the battery posts most likely). When your starting and charging system have bad connections, that will cause strain on the starter and damage it as well...
Of course if you aren’t comfortable doing these things yourself, then bring it to a mechanic you trust to do the inspection and repairs if needed. Right now in your area mechanics will likely be in high demand, so you may have to wait a bit. If the AAA person that is dispatched to help you with your problem has any clue, they should check the aforementioned items before they do anything else.
Good luck!
Yup. First guess, probably cables.
I replaced both the Alt and the voltage regulator on my Impala and still had trouble keeping a charge.
Tore the connects on the cables off. Never in my life have I seen copper rust, but they were rusted.
Someone told me battery cables are not pure copper, they mix some iron/steel in them to give them tensile strength, so yes, indeed, they can and do rust.
Stripped everything clean, a good shot of electrical grease to keep the moisture out, and back together. Perfect since then.
Absolutely! I have the black and Decker version. Also has a built in tire pump on it. Those things can be lifesavers!
I thought your post was very funny...but I’ll bet the poor guy stuck in the snow didn’t.
depending on the age of your vehicle, a new starter may be in order rather than a new battery...
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AAA drivers get paid to sell batteries , my mother was sold one in the same way you were when the actual problem was a starter that was drawing HUGE amperage...
The batteries AAA sells are probably better than Sears ... “Die Hard” batteries have a weird habit of dying with no warning , most other batteries lose power somewhat gradually giving you a chance to drive to an auto parts store ... if you truly need a battery with a nationwide warranty (the only good reason to buy Sears that I can see) I would buy at WalMart ...
Stay away from Sears Die-Easy batteries, and stay away from Sears service facilities.
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