Battery Question

[redtigerrocks]

I have a question about Battery life. My Gen 3 sits outside in the heat (over 102+ Fahrenheit) and in the cold (around 32 to 50 Fahrenheit) and I already replaced the battery and starter a little over a year ago. I took my car for an oil change and the battery/voltmeter test shows that my battery needs to be replaced already. I have a 60 month Toyota Truelife Battery (Red label). Should I take it back to the dealer and have them change it out? Should or will they do it for free?

[dorifuto.boi]

it has a 60month warranty ? yuur gonna have to take it to the dealership and have them check it. if they check it and their equipment says that it needs to be replaced, they'll replace it for free.

[redtigerrocks]

Yeah it says 60 months on the battery label...?

[ricamryman]

Thats why I bought an Interstate MegaTron Battery!!!

[abew330]

not sure in texas or rhode island but costco (socal) i bought a Optima yellow top 180 and they will replace it for as long as i own the battery

[rusty9]

oil change places love doing this. how is it "bad"?

[redtigerrocks]

On the battery receipt, it says the output (not sure how to word it) was 430 CCA and the rating value was 539 CCA?

[rusty9]

i wouldnt worry about it. thats normal if the battery is hot. if it give you peace of mind and its free for the dealership to check it out, by all means

[redtigerrocks]

I just wanted to verify but with the 60 month warranty on my battery, does that mean if my battery goes "bad" or needs to be replaced within those 60 months, they dealer will replace it free of charge?

[dorifuto.boi]

Originally Posted by redtigerrocks

I just wanted to verify but with the 60 month warranty on my battery, does that mean if my battery goes "bad" or needs to be replaced within those 60 months, they dealer will replace it free of charge?

yup
...or yuu could call service and ask them just to make sure so yuu don't have to drive all the way there just to find out they won't.

im pretty sure they will cause its a toyota battery and yuu got it put in at the dealership initially.

[djb2]

The true test is if the place telling you that the battery is bad would do a no-cost warranty exchange with that same reading.

The answer is usually "no".

Battery warranty terms are usually pro-rated off of the original part price, with an exchange discount off of full price. Just like a tire warranty. If you buy a 60 month warranty battery that lists for $120 on semi-permanent sale for $90 and it fails 20 months early, you don't save anything on the replacement battery. (The shop will usually adjust the numbers so that you have a token savings.)

[93celicaconv]

Right. Usually a 60-month pro-rated warranty battery will have a 12-month full replacement warranty as well.

Just because your volt meter says the battery voltage is low doesn't mean the battery is bad either. It could mean the battery is under-charged. This could come from a faulty alternator or something draining the battery down when the car is not in use. I'm thinking this is more likely than the battery going bad already. Put a battery charger on it and see if the battery charges up. Then take it to an auto parts store that does a full car electrical test to see what the condidition of the battery and alternator is (they do this for free).

[LynchburgCSI]

Call the dealer.
Talk to them.
Decide if you should go in and have it tested.
Go in, if necessary.
Have battery replaced, if necessary.
Complain about warranty, if necessary.

/Thread

[Mike Gerber]

Take your car to a parts store like Autozone. They will test your battery and charging system while still on the car for free. If you don't have Autozone in your area call around to other auto parts stores and ask if they offer this free service.

Mike

[redtigerrocks]

Is it normal for a battery to have a 439 CCA rating after a year and a half of use?