Halfords battery testing

[television]

2½ years ago on the way home from an airport, my battery failed, being 7pm the only place open was a Halfords, I bought one of their 4 year guarantee batteries, two weeks later it failed, and was replaced, two weeks again and it failed. After a fight they gave me a Lucas, that failed this week, I had to charge it 5 times. Go back to Halfords, out comes the little spotty faced junior with his battery tester (flashing LED unit) and says it only wants charging, told him charged all night and driven 25 miles, sorry cant change it.
OK I said then I park across your doorway until you do. So he gets the manager who says, take it to the lucas test center and if they say it is faulty we will change it, so off to Lucus and their tester says replace. Back to Halfords where the only thing that they could offer was one of their specials. I said no thanks I will have my money back, cant do that he says, so OK I park across the door,and hey presto I get my money back, and bought one from Lucus.
Halfords man tried to fob me off, saying the car was faulty, and it needed a new alternator, I feel sorry for anyone who does not know about batteries, and their rights.

Malcolm

 

[mioba]

Seems strange so many new batterys are failing, are you sure they are charging in the car and there is no leak.

 

[jberks]

Coming from anyone else, I'd have my suspicions - but if Malcolm says its duff, thats good enough for me!

 

[davebox]

Trouble with spotty faced junior is that he does not know any better. Companies like Halfords using these crappy tools, not knowing how to do the job properly or not bothering are run by corporate types that now nothing of the real world. There is a company that has a lifetime guarantee, I'll mail my mate to ask who it is and let you know.

 

[Richard Moakes]

Crikey, I wouldn't let a Lucas or Halfrauds battery near my Mercedes.

Last time I went to a specialist battery place, I was offered an Oldham battery, I departed in disgust, my parting words were "its a Mercedes not a Morris Marina"

Got myself a nice Bosch Silver one from GSF in the end

Richard

 

[johnnycapone]

I go along with jberks, that it does seem unusual for so many batteries to fail, but I have read so many of Macolms threads that I am sure he is right.
Regards
John

 

[davebox]

When buying Batteries in the past, I've used my local factors. Just asked for a quality one and thats been that. The last time was on my Sierra - Oh how time goes - and the lady that baught the car from me (and drives it to this day) is running the same battery.
I have asked my mate where his lifetime ones came from and as soon as he gets in touch I'll post the place, price etc.

 

[television]

I am not very good in getting things accross, the battery failure I could cope with. the fact that cars run from the alterator, and not the battery, showed that there was no fault with the car, also, since the failure of the first two, there has been no problem since after 2½ years. On trying to charge the last one, it would take 8 amps for ½ an hour, then drop to 3 amps where it would stay for ever. After the last charge I drove ½ a mile for MOT and the flashers were left on for 5 mins, and then went out.The main snag with modern cars is that they run on 13.8 volt, so under any condition you can never charge at more than that.
My main point of the thread was the fight to get it changed. Re makes of batteries, it is impossible these days to know who makes what.

Malcolm

 

[Richard Moakes]

Re makes of batteries, it is impossible these days to know who makes what.

Malcolm

Thats so true Malcolm, Johnson Controls makes most car batteries these day. Me, well I am just a badge snob ! ;-)

Richard

 

[davebox]

Unipart Batteries are the life long ones, so I am told. Expensive but worth it if you are going to keep the car a while.

 

[lameraven]

Oh oh, I just bought a Halfords Battery ...

 

[television]

Oh oh, I just bought a Halfords Battery ...

Halfords is a big outfit, and most of the batteries should be OK, the main thing that bugged me was the row on getting it replaced.

malcolm,

 

[Bobthebuilder58]

davebox]Trouble with spotty faced junior is that he does not know any better.

I took one of my lesser cars to Halfords a short while ago to take advantage of one of their special offers on alloy wheels,the deal included free fitting.I parked my car under the halfords tent in the car park and waited for my wheels to appear.When i clocked the young lad carrying them out i just knew he had never fitted a wheel in his life(CRIKEY)I thought.The first set he tried were to big,so he fitted me some smaller ones and announced thats it job done I checked the front wheel and it was catching on the suspension leg!!!! he just stared at me as if to say so what!!!I made him take them all off and went on my way with my old wheels on.....not many people would have checked that,they would have just driven off!.
Spotty faced junior probably slagged me off to his mates as a time waster.where have all the fully trained or competant staff gone?????

Bob.

 

[z3i]

Most of the guys working at Halfords take home the minimum wage, and have very little experience to boot. They are very short staffed, and managed by people who have little training. Just bear this in mind when shopping there. They are ok for take away items, but dont rely on technical expertise as you would expect at a MB dealer. Be prepared to look over their shoulder, and even help!

 

[EvilEd]

Optima Yellow top Starter Battery Mount it upside down if you want. Factory fit in the Chrysler PT Cruiser. Am really suprised the Mercs don't use them.

Swear by them myself.

Saying that, can't knock a lifetime guarentee, unless it lets you down in the middle of nowhere with kids in the car !

 

[television]

Optima Yellow top Starter Battery Mount it upside down if you want. Factory fit in the Chrysler PT Cruiser. Am really suprised the Mercs don't use them.

Swear by them myself.

Saying that, can't knock a lifetime guarentee, unless it lets you down in the middle of nowhere with kids in the car !

They are used on the new SLK and AMG cars.

Malcolm

 

[Wil]

My battery is starting to fail, what's the best to go for then and how much compared to a Genuine Merc or one from GSF outlet?

 

[television]

We have learnt here that a battery from the MB commercial side (lorry) is very much cheaper than the car outlets, you can go to firms like "Parts Co" and the like and buy a bosch at trade price, Exide ,Lucas etc are all good.

malcolm

 

[turnipsock]

My last vist to Hellfords was to look at batterys. A chav came marching up to me and asked where he would find a horn. I resisted saying "In the middle of the steering wheel" but informed him that I didn't work here.

I'm not sure if this was an insult or a complement.

 

[conington]

Changing the Battery

I'm always reading these threads with interest and just, out of curiosity, had a question ...... I've never had a battery "die" on me but wondered, if it did and I bought a replacement would, whilst removing the old one, I lose any settings (engine management, service intervals, radio codes etc. etc.) ?