john@hp-pcd.UUCP (john) (09/20/84)
The next time that you clean out your glove compartment you may want to throw out the 60 month warrenty card for the battery. Its about as useful as a cas- sette interface on a CRAY-1. Suppose your battery dies tommorow. Do you think that Sears will replace it if they think that its your alternator? Unless the battery cracks or refuses to take a charge you are probably stuck with it. BTW 20 amps is normal for most cars. I dont know how low it would have to be before you see trouble. You have to be careful with warrenties for for things like batteries and tires. Quite often a 60 month warrenty means that if it fails after 48 months then they will give you 20% off the cost of a new one. It becomes a way of getting you to by your next battery from them. It is then to their advantage to make the warrenty time GREATER than what they expect the item to last. The worst part is what if your alternator were really bad and you were buying a new battery because you had trouble starting your car in the mornings? They could have tested it first and suggested that you may not need to buy a battery after all. John Eaton !hplabs!hp-pcd!john
warren@ihnss.UUCP (Warren Montgomery) (09/24/84)
Years ago I had a sears 48 month battery in my Toyota, with mixed results. Naturally I bought it on the first cold day of the year and wound up putting it in myself rather than waiting 2 hours, after discovering that they would not take a check or a major credit card, only their own or cash (and they were none too keen on cash). The battery lasted it's rated 4 years and died a slow death, though it may have been aided by a failing alternator. Determined to try something new and looking for a bargain, I bought K-mart 4 year battery the next time around. They checked the car out thoroughly and didn't try to stick me with anything. I was really that happy with the battery, which was a maintenance free type. (You can't tell if the thing is properly full, or what the state of the charge is without special instruments. I never did mind filling one every once in a while, and it was reassuring to know that it was full and the acid was the proper density.) In 2 years it got hard to start the car in the cold, and I took it back. They checked the car and battery, finding nothing but tightening the alternator belt as a precaution, but they took the battery and recharged it, leaving me a loaner for a week while they did it, at no charge (cost). After some independent testing, I decided that my voltage regulator was on it's last legs, and replaced it. (The old one was a mechanical type and somewhat eratic, but didn't put out enough under heavy load). After another 2 years, it was again getting hard to start, so I took it back at the first sale of the fall, thinking I would buy a new battery. Before they would sell me one they tested the car and reported the alternator was bad. I didn't believe them, having tested the voltage myself, but the mechanic was happy to show me what the trouble was on his scope, It seems that I had a failing diode or two, which meant that the peak voltage was just fine, but I was only getting it on one phase, which showed quite clearly on the scope. The peak, however, was good enough to fool my voltmeter and the regulator and guages into believing that everthing was fine. They indicated that they thought the battery would go another couple of years. They didn't have the proper alternator, and sent me home with no charge for the diagnosis. I bought my own rebuilt alternator and put it in, and the car ran fine for another 2 years until dying a rusty death. Normally I wouldn't dream of recommending K-mart to anyone for auto service, and I suspect that what you get depends more on the local operator than on K-mart policty, but these folks were clearly out to provide good service. (I also once bought tires from them for the same car, wanting only something that would hold air for another year or two, and though I came in for their current bottom of the line tire, they found a couple of tires left over from a previous supplier which were better quality that he would sell to me for less money. A bargain for both of us, since they were only taking up space in his shop). The bottom line is that it pays to find someone you can trust and stands behind the product. -- Warren Montgomery ihnss!warren IH (8-367) x2494
jimb@amd.UUCP (Jim Budler) (10/17/84)
. . . > Determined to try something new and looking for a bargain, I bought > K-mart 4 year battery the next time around. They checked the car > out thoroughly and didn't try to stick me with anything. ... > years it got hard to start the car in the cold, and I took it back. > They checked the car and battery, finding nothing but tightening the > alternator belt as a precaution, but they took the battery and > recharged it, leaving me a loaner for a week while they did it, at > no charge (cost). ... > After another 2 years, it was again getting hard to start, so I took > it back at the first sale of the fall, thinking I would buy a new > battery. Before they would sell me one they tested the car and > reported the alternator was bad. I didn't believe them, having > tested the voltage myself, but the mechanic was happy to show me > what the trouble was on his scope, It seems that I had a failing > diode or two, which meant that the peak voltage was just fine, but I was > only getting it on one phase, which showed quite clearly on the > scope. The peak, however, was good enough to fool my voltmeter and > the regulator and guages into believing that everthing was fine. > They indicated that they thought the battery would go another couple > of years. They didn't have the proper alternator, and sent me home > with no charge for the diagnosis. ... > Normally I wouldn't dream of recommending K-mart to anyone Why not??? You just did. > for auto > service, and I suspect that what you get depends more on the local > operator than on K-mart policty, but these folks were clearly out > to provide good service. (I also once bought tires from them for > the same car, wanting only something that would hold air for another > year or two, and though I came in for their current bottom of the > line tire, they found a couple of tires left over from a previous > supplier which were better quality that he would sell to me for less > money. A bargain for both of us, since they were only taking up > space in his shop). > > The bottom line is that it pays to find someone you can trust and > stands behind the product. > > Warren Montgomery My mother (76 years old) being a prime candidate for shady mechanics to rip off, has had very much the same experience at the K-mart in my home town. I had exactly the same experience concerning tires here in San Jose. Maybe, just maybe, K-marts' control of their auto service is a little better than Wards and Sears. Unlike Wards and Sears a majority of employees seem to be experienced. -- Jim Budler Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (408) 982-6547 UUCPnet: {ucbvax,decwrl,ihnp4,allegra,intelca}!amd!jimb Compuserve ID: 72415,1200 ********************************************************** * Advanced Micro Devices is not responsible for anything I * * say here and probably wishes I wouldn't. * * I'm not responsible for typos and homonyms. * **********************************************************