Purchased a "new" battery that was already a year and a half old!

[comfun1]

I needed a new battery so I head to Walmart with my core and buy a new one. I get home and start to install it and it has a sticker indicating the month and year. It was 3/14. So I take it back, get a refund and go back and look through there batteries. Behind a number of 3/14 batteries were a couple dated 7/15. So, I bought one of them.

Now I'm wondering, it wasn't long ago when you bought a battery they just punched out the current date. So you really had no idea how old the battery is that you purchased. I'm guessing many stores are still punching out the current date. So buying a battery is similar to buying a tire that has been sitting in the rack for several years. This explains why some of my batteries last a year and a half and some go as long as seven. There was a time when the batteries were filled with acid at the time of purchase, then the age of the battery didn't matter. Today when you go into a store for a battery they are already filled and ready to go. But how old, who knows?

Has anyone else noticed this?

By the way I'm not knocking Walmart, at least they have a sticker indicating the date.

[Herk7769]

Once the battery is filled; it is "in service" as you noted. The store must punch out the date that it was filled so you know what you are buying.

Caveat Emptor

Caveat emptor is a Latin term that means "let the buyer beware." Similar to the phrase "sold as is," this term means that the buyer assumes the risk that a product may fail to meet expectations or have defects.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by Herk7769

Caveat Emptor

Caveat emptor is a Latin term that means "let the buyer beware." Similar to the phrase "sold as is," this term means that the buyer assumes the risk that a product may fail to meet expectations or have defects.

No need for me to look that up now. [emoji12]



TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "11 nights"

[mud yapster]

LOL thanks ( CAVEAT EMPTOR ) at all times is the case today. People buy stuff use it and return it and if you are looking close you just bought the used item.

[cdangel0]

I was always under the impression that regardless of how long the battery has been sitting on the shelf, the warranty starts on the day you purchase the battery and any replacement would be discounted accordingly. I thought this was why they punched out the purchase date when you bought it.

Obviously, it pays to check the manufacture date prior to purchasing so you're not left 50 miles in the woods with no battery.

[jtesta1]

Batteries will stay dormant for years .they only start their life at first use.

[Ridenfun]

True for the standard lead acid vented type, but what about the newer sealed batteries,(ie filled at manufacture I guess?) and AGM and/or gel types, which are also manufactured as sealed units?

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by jtesta1

Batteries will stay dormant for years .they only start their life at first use.

What source are you using for this?

Does it apply for all battery types?

Inquiring minds and all...

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by cdangel0

I was always under the impression that regardless of how long the battery has been sitting on the shelf, the warranty starts on the day you purchase the battery and any replacement would be discounted accordingly. I thought this was why they punched out the purchase date when you bought it.

Obviously, it pays to check the manufacture date prior to purchasing so you're not left 50 miles in the woods with no battery.

Warranty and service life are not the same. You can buy a 2 year old "new" car with zero miles off the lot and it still has a one year warranty.

BUT, it is still a 2 year old car. The rubber hoses are at least two years old, the tires are at least 2 years old, etc. Those maintenance items will need to be changed based on their manufacture date and not the "bought by" date.

[youroo]

Very Good Point Herk, My (BEER) has a (Born On Date) as Well! Youroo!!

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Ridenfun

True for the standard lead acid vented type, but what about the newer sealed batteries,(ie filled at manufacture I guess?) and AGM and/or gel types, which are also manufactured as sealed units?

Factory sealed batteries only have a manufacture date.

Most batteries with fill caps are designed to be filled when sold which then becomes their "in service" date. Batteries that are bought "Off the shelf" like at a auto store or chain store were typically filled in the store on stock arrival and then can sit on the rack "filled" for years till sold.

They are supposed to punch out the fill date and your receipt is your warranty start date.

Why is this an important distinction? Because filled lead acid batteries "self discharge" during storage and unless the batteries "on the shelf" are maintained with a 4 stage maintainer, you will be buying a product with a reduced life expectancy. The degree of which will be dependant on the time it has been sitting there. OLD "new" batteries that have been allowed to die on the shelf may be so sulphated that they won't even take a charge.

[SpringerPop]

Originally Posted by Herk7769

What source are you using for this?

Does it apply for all battery types?

Inquiring minds and all...

I wish to know the answers, too, as this runs completely contrary to everything I ever learned about lead/acid "wet" batteries, the kind one finds in RVs most commonly.

jtesta1? Can you be more detailed?

Pop

[GL1800Rider]

My understanding is wet cell batteries will lose their charge in storage over time. Here is a chart for a deep cycle which is supposed to be used on travel trailers and fifth wheels. Figure #1 shows 0% capacity remaining after 19 weeks of storage.

When we bought our Flagstaff a bit over a year ago the lp/co detector was going off when get got home from the dealer. Hooking up to shore power stopped the alarm. It did this on our first two trips so I figured there was something wrong with it. On the way home in November we stopped to spend the night after a 4-5 hour drive and the battery was so dead I could not run the furnace unless on shore power. Turns out the dealer installed a "new" battery that was over 3 years old!! and would not take a charge.

Here is the link http://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/WP_...orage_0512.pdf

[j2detroit]

The battery's that we sell at the parts store I worl at are rotated out of stock and returned to the manufacturer after 1year of sitting if not sold all of our batts gon pre filled and ready to go some sealed no caps some refillable every bat we sell has a manufacture date on it and when we sell it we pop the numbers out for the customer our batteries hav 3year warrants full replacement cost and are pro rated after that depending on the size and type warranty does not start until date of sale when you buy a battery ask questions don't just assume anything ask your sales person questions if they can't answer or won't walk away our battery's are not walmart cheap but you will get a good one when you buy one or we will make it right😀

[riverrat958]

I buy from interstate dealer or an auto parts store-I dont trust walmart for something like that, would rather pay a few dollars more at a parts store- had a battery in my truck for 10 months- it died - took it back to napa to get the prorated price- they replaced for free.

[Ridenfun]

Just bought a motorcycle battery from Walmart. It comes with the acid contained in a separate container, which you then fill yourself to activate it. NOT sure if this same approach applies to their deep cycle or standard car batteries though.
So for the motorcycle battery, it is shipped "inactive" and stored "inactive" until the user initially fills it to activate and then charges it fully.

[Roganravenwood]

When I worked at Walmart, our auto dept mgr had to check & charge the batteries as part of a weekly check list. The batteries however could sit there from a couple weeks for the more common ones, to a few years for the less common. They all had manufacture dates, and warranty applied from date of purchase, regardless of battery age. Having changed jobs recently; I'd recommend spending more at a good parts store that has a good reputation in your area. If your from out of town, then the warranty at a big box store may be more convenient; ie: if you bought battery in Vancouver, drove to Ottawa & had problems, then warranty still good across large distances, vs: good parts dealer that's only good locally.

[Flybob]

Originally Posted by jtesta1

Batteries will stay dormant for years .they only start their life at first use.

Only if they are not filled at time of first use. If they are filled and sit on the shelf they self discharge and if not maintained, will loose capacity after a time.

[Thurman]

For the record: I worked for a major battery manufacturer (owned by an auto manufacturer with two letters) and I do not agree with some of the statements made. For one: At the time I worked at the battery plant I learned that there were five (5) major battery manufacturers in the U.S. All of these put a date of manufacture in each battery. This would be an alpha-numeric code burnt into the plastic case somewhere. Ours was always in the lip the battery tray hold-down clamped onto. Both the lead-acid and gel batteries received these. We made both auto/truck and marine batteries. All batteries we produced were filled with acid and fully charged at the plant. Actually all batteries were super-charged in only three hours and with the top of the battery off. After charging all batteries were run through a machine which turned them upside-down to drain out the acid after the charging sequence. This removed sulphates during the initial charging process. All batteries were then filled with acid again and full charged again. After the second charge all batteries were tested and if passing the test they went to have the top installed. So all batteries made by this company were filled and charged at the factory. Who was our biggest customer? Wal-Mart by far, along with Pep-Boys, Advance Auto, and other parts companies who would contract with us for batteries. We also supplied auto assembly plants for years until they contracted with another company which is better known for air conditioner control units. My understanding is that the seller of a battery would take out the date-of-sale stickers to only show what date the battery was sold, not the manufacture date. Motorcycle, ATV, and specialty batteries will not follow these rules.

[aceinspp]

Herk7769

Originally Posted by Herk7769

Warranty and service life are not the same. You can buy a 2 year old "new" car with zero miles off the lot and it still has a one year warranty.

BUT, it is still a 2 year old car. The rubber hoses are at least two years old, the tires are at least 2 years old, etc. Those maintenance items will need to be changed based on their manufacture date and not the "bought by" date.

Not quite so. Cars are different than say campers where each item is a different manufacture warranty. Cars are done where it is covered completely by the manufacture of auto for 36 months tires and batt may be the exception but will be covered if failing within that 36mo from date of sale. It will based on date of sale of vehicle if sold as new. How many of you have bought new vehicles off the lot and it was already 8months old? Later RJD