Wife's Car Went Bye Bye

[cabinetman]

LOML went shopping yesterday, and said when she left the last store (thank goodness), to come home, the car started to click when starting but it did start. She made it home and shut it off. Went to start it and it just clicked.

Sounds familiar to me...dead/bad battery. So, I added a little distilled water to bring up the level (plates weren't exposed). Put it on a charger for about 8 hrs. After that it cranked fine. This morning, it just clicked. It's only one year old, and still under warranty. So, I called the service writer at the dealer, and told him the story, he said...bad battery. Gave me a number to call for a tow truck to flatbed it to the service dept.

I said to him, if that's the deal, why not save the towing money and just send a service truck here with a new battery? He said that's not what we do. Since all this won't cost me, I really don't care how they do it except for the hassle of picking up the car.

I hope the rest of the week has a better destiny.
.

[Uncle Cracker]

With the FL heat, I'm surprised you haven't experienced prior failures in OEM-grade batteries. First thing I do when I get a car is replace the battery with an Optima.

[Ed62]

I said to him, if that's the deal, why not save the towing money and just send a service truck here with a new battery? He said that's not what we do. Since all this won't cost me, I really don't care how they do it except for the hassle of picking up the car.

The problem with that is that somebody winds up paying the towing fee, even if they don't know it.

Ed

[LinuxRandal]

An alternator, not charging, can cause the battery to go bad, A starter can kill a battery (or ANY draw).

Why not just take a battery? Because they will want to check out some other stuff, so this isn't a repeat.

[cabinetman]

An alternator, not charging, can cause the battery to go bad, A starter can kill a battery (or ANY draw).

Why not just take a battery? Because they will want to check out some other stuff, so this isn't a repeat.

The service rep said that if was the alternator, all the dash lights would be on. If it's just the battery, no indication from the dash. There was nuthin' showing on the dash.

I've had a bad alternator on a previous truck and it just died while driving. Called AAA, and they towed it to their AAA repair shop, and tried to sell us a new battery in addition to an alternator. Got a second opinion, and the battery was just fine...just needed a charge.
.

[pelligrini]

They probably want to check the rest of the system in order to warantee a probably dead battery. They might not be allowed to do any work outside of their shop either, for liability reasons.

Bad cables, corroded & loose connections, bad grounds, voltage regulators etc. can cause this type of problem too.

A servicable battery is easy to check for dead cells with an inexpensive hydrometer.

[JimD]

My daughters car required two batteries while she was in college. The first one was a replacement for one we did not know the age of. I tried to get her to go to Advance Auto and have them test it and replace it if it needed it. Instead she went back to her dorm and got her brother to charge it and then try it. Lots of carrying batteries around her way.

The next one was only a few years later (apparently due to high draw for a starter on its way to die). I bought her a battery and then a week later it wouldn't start. She had the battery installed at a repair place within walking distance of her apartment but she wouldn't go there and ask them what was up. She got a ride home for Thanksgiving and then I drive 3 hours to see what the problem was. I pulled the battery and put it on the charger and then looked to see if it has water. One cell was dry. A close look finds a hole in the plastic case. Fortunately the place that sold it was open, I found the paperwork in the car, and they had a replacment. Would have been a lot easier for me if she had walked over there and let them discover the issue themselves.

Knowing her ability with cars, I bought darling daughter a new car so she can do what you did and just call the dealer. For 5 years, she'll have somebody else to call.

Jim

[LCHIEN]

for one thing, on warrantee work, the dealer does not pay for anything, they get to back charge everything to the manufacturere, probably plus markups. So they charge the mfg for diagnosis, towing and the cost of a new battery. If they simply sent out a battery, well, just charge them for a battery. Dealers charge higher for hourly rates (factory trained, you know) etc, part of their ability to do so is that they have the manufacturer captive, plus those who keep bringingn their car back after teh warrantee is up so they can get that superior dealer service.

[lago]

If/when you buy a new vehicle, check the mfg. date on the sticker posted in the driver's side door frame.

If finally dawned on me several years ago....If the vehicle is fresh from the assembly line, you can get 4 or almost 5 years on the battery. If it has been sitting on the lot for 6 months or more, you will be lucky to get 1 year, maybe 2 if you are lucky.

This is based on the vehicles I or members of the family have purchased over the past 20 years.

If your battery is 4 years old, get it replaced before you have a problem and need to call for road service.
Ken

[dbhost]

With the FL heat, I'm surprised you haven't experienced prior failures in OEM-grade batteries. First thing I do when I get a car is replace the battery with an Optima.

Funny you should mention that. I owned a 2000 Ford Ranger from October 1999, until April 2006. I put the first and only replacement battery in it in Feb 2006. My 2004 F150 still has the OEM battery...

I am not saying anything against Optima batteries, to the contrary. I absolutely love those things... But honestly. The Motorcraft batteries Ford equips their vehicles with from the factory are rather impressive, especially since I live in such a hot climate...

Of course, when I finally toast my current battery, I am grabbing an Optima as a replacement...

[25]

Funny you should mention that. I owned a 2000 Ford Ranger from October 1999, until April 2006. I put the first and only replacement battery in it in Feb 2006. My 2004 F150 still has the OEM battery...

I am not saying anything against Optima batteries, to the contrary. I absolutely love those things... But honestly. The Motorcraft batteries Ford equips their vehicles with from the factory are rather impressive, especially since I live in such a hot climate...

Of course, when I finally toast my current battery, I am grabbing an Optima as a replacement...

I agree. I've had the same experience with my F-150.

[Uncle Cracker]

But honestly. The Motorcraft batteries Ford equips their vehicles with from the factory are rather impressive, especially since I live in such a hot climate...

Have had 2 Fords and a Lincoln, beginning in 1990. None of the OEM batteries lasted more than 18 months.

[shoottx]

Have had 2 Fords and a Lincoln, beginning in 1990. None of the OEM batteries lasted more than 18 months.

It's not the heat, it's the humidity

[Uncle Cracker]

It's not the heat, it's the humidity

Shouldn't affect a sealed battery (or perhaps that was a joke... )

[shoottx]

Shouldn't affect a sealed battery (or perhaps that was a joke... )

Perhaps