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Dec 22, 2015 | 12:15 PM

#16

Bonanza35

Lead Driver

Joined: Sep 2005

Posts: 9,399

Likes: 188

From: Norco,CA

Next time tell them the manual says both batteries have to be replaced. Most places will honor that.

Dec 22, 2015 | 12:52 PM

#17

GEugeneS

Laughing Gas

Joined: Mar 2004

Posts: 789

Likes: 16

From: West Coast/L.A. Area

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bonanza35

Next time tell them the manual says both batteries have to be replaced. Most places will honor that.

AutoZone wouldn't give me two as I asked and even complained. I didn't ask Costco. I guess I should have. Next time.

Dec 22, 2015 | 02:25 PM

#18

Gatordog

Senior User

Joined: Jun 2015

Posts: 284

Likes: 0

For 60 bucks each you can go to a wholesaler that has Optima's. The ones you get for 60 are refurbished. I have Optima red tops in my VW TDI, my Ranger and my 2000 F-350. They will last for years and years. They were 40 bucks each, but the price went up a few years ago. All mine came from Continental Battery in Harlingen, TX. They get them on Tuesday, and will sell out quick. They also have blue and yellow tops.

Dec 22, 2015 | 04:48 PM

#19

F250_

Hotshot

Joined: Nov 2006

Posts: 11,286

Likes: 263

From: North of Greenville

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bonanza35

Next time tell them the manual says both batteries have to be replaced. Most places will honor that.

I would honestly be surprised that any company would care one iota about what the Owners Manual says about changing both batteries, especially if only one battery goes bad. It is the owner's choice to select and operate a vehicle which requires two batteries, and therefore the owner assumes the risk in keeping the batts properly paired.

Again, I also use the motto that it never costs anything to ask, and sometimes you'll get a pleasant surprise in getting what you ask for. I just don't walk around assuming that the supplier is going to do what I believe to be the right thing, even though I try to do business with only the ones who have the rep for doing the right thing anyway. I always ask them to, like I said, but they don't always do the right thing, and in the case of these paired batteries, I can see their business position of just saying "no".

I just faced a similar principle with my front cryo'd powerslot rotors, except in my case, the manufacturer would not even own up to there being a rotor problem on the one which was bad (it was NOT slide pins, caliper pistons, or pads by any stretch of the imagination). I ended up getting "forced" into purchasing two new rotors from Napa to replace the pair of cryo'd PS rotors even though one of the two was virtually perfect.

It happens.

Dec 22, 2015 | 05:14 PM

#20

dougger222

Laughing Gas

Joined: Mar 2004

Posts: 751

Likes: 11

From: May Township, MN

All but one of my diesels have Kirkland batteries in them which had a 3 year full replacement warranty. One set failed at just over 3 years so it was prorated. The others have all failed under the 3 year warranty. Right now at almost 2 years old the set in the F250 seem really weak. Hate to say it but the Kirkland batteries are JUNK!!! Glad to see they now carry Interstate the vehicles will have all Interstate batteries from Costco in the next year or two. Costco is really good about returning bad batteries...

Dec 22, 2015 | 05:31 PM

#21

Walleye Hunter

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Joined: Mar 2014

Posts: 10,750

Likes: 1,065

From: Douglassville, PA

Quote:

Originally Posted by GEugeneS

When I bought my truck in '07 it had a almost new pair of AutoZone Gold batteries in it with as I remember, a 36 month replacement guarantee. But at just about 2 years one of the batteries dies, only showing about 10.5 volts after charging. I went back to AutoZone to see if I could get a replacement without a receipt and they said they had to find where the battery was originally purchased. They tried for about 1/2 hour and we gave up. Since I don't like to have an old and a new battery hooked together, I bought 2 of these "Golds". Two years later one of them again died with the same symptoms, only holding 10.5 volts. I got a new one but felt uneasy about having a new and old battery together. After another two years, I replaced them both with Costco batteries. Shortly thereafter, I found out that Interstate made both AutoZone and Costco batteries. And guess what. Two years later one of the batteries died again, showing only 10.5 volts when charged.

Costco cheerfully replaced that battery with a new one, only now they say "Interstate" on them. So once again I have a new and an old battery hooked together which I don't like much. I only drive the truck to pull my trailer, so I keep a Harbor Freight trickle (smart?) charger on it and they stay about 13.8 volts. If I don't, they tend to lose voltage and in a couple weeks will be down below 12.5.

So I am not particularly a big Interstate fan, but I do love Costco, their prices and their warrantees.

Just a side note, my Ford Expedition seems to lose voltage too and I have a almost 6-year old Costco (Interstate) battery. I don't drive it much and keep a Harbor Freight charge on it as well. I am a bit nervous as you might imagine, but it has a 100-month warranty on it so I will hang in there for another year or so and of course, make sure my roadside assistance insurance is paid up to date.

Was it the same battery each time? Where does that battery minder sit in the picture? I'd be suspect of an issue somewhere if it's the same battery every time.

Dec 22, 2015 | 05:46 PM

#22

binuya

Fleet Mechanic

Joined: Nov 2008

Posts: 1,573

Likes: 4

From: Seattle

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougger222

Hate to say it but the Kirkland batteries are JUNK!!!

I have not had the same experience. This spring will be 7 years for the pair of Kirkland batteries I have. They still load test strong. Come to think of it, I still haven't even popped the caps off to check fluid level.

Dec 22, 2015 | 06:24 PM

#23

CampSpringsJohn

Hotshot

Joined: Dec 2006

Posts: 14,069

Likes: 17

From: Melbourne, Ky

A word of advice about those trickle chargers. You get what you paid for. My Father-in-Law is a huge fan of a cheap discount place that sell crap. He loves the "deals" he gets there for tools and junk. He had a trickle charger that was over 5 years old that he kept plugged into his motor home. Two weeks ago, it shorted out, and now he's looking for anther motorhome. The fire marshal said it was the trickle charger that started fire.