NEVER BUY WALMART'S BATTERIES OR YOU WILL BE SORRY

"A jumpy battery will cause the fuel pressure to fluctuate because the fuel pump depends on a constant flow of current."

You do realize that the main function of the battery is to start the vehicle, after that, the alternator takes over to power all electrical items and recharge the battery. So I don't see what you're saying, unless the voltage regulator is starting to go.

I've been using batteries purchased from Wally world for the last 5 years and haven't had a problem. When 1 crapped out, I took it in for the pro-rated warranty and got a replacement. I do my own voltage checks & repairs, so I just get the battery there for the convince. I used to go to Sears but they're 4 times the distance away and there's always a lengthy wait, either in the sales line or the pick-up line in the shop.

"I later discovered that my other battery in my car is fine", maybe you should have checked the charging system 1st, before deciding to purchase the battery. Who would you be complaining about if you had decided to purchase a replacement alternator 1st, then found out your battery or starter was the problem. Most auto-parts stores I go to have a no return policy for electrical items unless they made the error. Then you'd be stuck with an alternator you didn't need. That's why I always pull the defective part and take it in for a side by side comparison to make sure I get what I need. The main point here is to check things 1st, before committing to the purchase.

if you know so much about batteries then why didn't you check your own ???? you're a fruitcake

Wasn't the engine running while you were testing the battery? It has to be a defective voltage regulator that is causing this problem. A defective voltage regulator can cause the voltage to vary as you describe.

A battery can't do what you describe on it's own with the engine not running. About 13.2 volts is the most you can get out of a car battery unless the engine is running.

The guy's either dolt or a troll. A car battery will not read over 13.5 volts, it's not possible really given the number of cells. It had to be the voltage regulator in the car itself.

Second, all WalMarts will prorate a battery for return. Once that battery was wetted and charged, (which it had to be to be tested) it cannot be returned for a full refund unless defective. Clearly, it was not. The man is a weenie. Oh, and a marginally literate one at that.

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on 10/16/2007 12:32 AM Tom said the following:

matter what!! Plus 75% of their batteries will cause your car to have faulty Fuel Reading. clipped

I love it when someone has a problem with anything, and then tries to convince everyone not to buy it, or from whom. Never buy anything from anyone, because at one time or another, some person had a bad experience. That leaves pretty much everything. :-)

"Yes, I tested the Wal-mart batteries while the engine was running on the road."

How did you test the battery on the road? Were you running along beside the car with the voltmeter clipped on? And how did you test the current flow? How many amps did it put out? Do you know the difference between volts and amps?

"Plus 75% of their batteries will cause your car to have faulty Fuel Reading" .... " their EverStart batteries (black color) had jumpy Current flow"

There are three primary makers of batteries in the US. All of them make Everstart batteries for WalMart. You are saying that nobody makes good batteries.

You don't know what you're talking about. And as someone else pointed out, there are no, repeat NO, returns on used electrical components. You made a mistake. It cost you the price of a battery. If you want your money back, put a classified ad in the local paper and sell it.

Larry In the back yard, under the oak.

on 10/17/2007 3:30 PM Larry Rogers said the following:

I'm coming to see you. A 12 pack enough????

Bill says.... "I'm coming to see you. A 12 pack enough????"

For me, yes. But what are you going to drink?

Larry In the back yard, under the oak.

ha!

There's a reason that some batteries have a handle built in!

I don't know about 'jumpy', but my wife's car (RX300) went into the body shop after she let her sister drive it. The new Interstate battery must have been discharged, because they stuck a 'W' battery in it.

I did not notice until later.

Less than a year after, I ended up buying another Interstate (no commission (sic) here) battery.

No problems now!

(It's no fun flying back from out-of-town to find the battery is dead in rental parking with no electrical accessories left on. It tested bad on a Midtronics tester!)

Gah!

Hah! There's a handle on those things for a reason!

I can buy one good one for less cost/hassle/total cost for that!

(and wife won't have to call me for something dumb like that)

Hey, It's YOUR family who's depending on the car to start! Go be a hero and jump 'em off.

No battery will cope with the car being left for a long time without the engine started. IIRC BMW only warrant this for a couple of weeks.

Yeah yeah... I don't know what I'm talking about but I beat many scientists/engineers out there. Two years ago, I was the one who doubled my Mercedes E320 45-MPG, and my Infiniti's 50-MPG. I am laughing at you men of arrogant. Don't you know I got speedy tickets because I abused the free energy I got, Yup! free energy for me, big bills for you arrogant.... Thanks to God for his generosity, I will let you suffer from your oil thirsty.

BTW - I changed my name to Mickey Mouse so you can laugh at me further, ok?

If you are so smart, why didn't you check the charging system before you bought a battery? And now you bitch about not being able to return the battery? And you want me to think you are smart?

Just how did you double the mileage of your cars? The same way you checked your battery? I would like to see your math on how you figured the gas mileage.

Larry In the back yard, under the oak.

That was the easy bit - change the odometer reading to Km instead of Miles.

Well, perhaps that explains what happened to me. I purchased a WalMart battery, it was sitting on the shelf apparently fully charged. This Walmart did not have a service garage, so I installed it myself. The next day, my car engine started miss firing, stalling and was hard to start. It had to be towed. The mechanic found that the fuel was not making it to the engine. He changed the fuel pump and it ran ok for a day or so. Then the electrical devices started acting intermittent and the engine missing started again. Long story shortened, I replaced the battery with another brand and had no more problems with the fuel or with the electronics (over a year now). If I hadn't read this posting, I would have never suspected the fuel pump wasn't bad as well as the bad luck to have had a bad battery.

Dave

matter what!! Plus 75% of their batteries will cause your car to have faulty Fuel Reading.

one of their managers tried to point out to me that there is a No-Return policy, I was surprised, later you read it, I did not see any where did it say "No return". They just made up their policy as they go these people.

nor used it. I later discovered that my other battery in my car is fine, something was wrong with my car's charging system. Any way, I thought I wouldn't be needing this new battery, now I am stuck with their battery.

jumpy Current flow, its Current+Voltage will jump from 12.80v to 13.76v, also to

15.45volts, Wal-mart batteries will cause your Fuel Gauge to move up and down like crazy. Why?75% of their batteries won't give you a constant current flow. How do I know this? I put a current & volt meter on their battery and that's how I know.

pump depends on a constant flow of current. Do not buy Wal-mart's EverStart battery (black color).

batteries, then they will surprisingly tell you "no return" policy. It took me two mistakes to finally decide to analyze their batteries. This costs me more troubles than good. Be ware.

I have used their batteries for years with no problems. In FACT, there are only a few batery manufactuers and they just slap a marketing label on the things.

- Never ever assume that a shelved battery is fully charged. All batteries should have charge levels checked before installation.

- Never check a battery with a volt meter. Batteries need a load put on them to measure ampheres. Nearly dead batteries could still muster

12V.

I have returned batteries to Walmart, if the posts look like they have been clamped, it is now a used battery. This guy said that he tried it on the car, then said he never used it. Which is it?

Walmart batteries are fine. Guessing shade tree mechanics are not.

Batteries are pretty simple devises. Where people get into trouble is when the either buy a battery too small for the operation or they buy one that is already old. The first issue is easily prevented by reading the owner's manual carefully and then purchasing a battery that fits the manufacturer's specs. That's pretty plain and simple. If possible, I usually try and exceed the rec specs by as wide a margin as possible. Frequent trips to Montana in the winter as well as the brutal summers here in the high desert country of SoCal really test a battery's "cajones". Going light is no bargain.

The second issue is a little harder. Consumer Reports publishes a list of battery maker's codes. With this list in hand, one can sort through the batteries being offered and get one that is less than a year old. This is the place to start. Some outfits will sell batteries that are two and three years old off the shelf. Of course, that translates into far less service life to the consumer.

At present I have a three year old 72 month Wal-Mart battery that I use only occasionally in my RV. It sits 9 to 10 months of the year unused and off line. Each year I hit it with a charger the night before I need it and so far, it comes to life and holds a charge. To date, I've never had a 5 year battery last less than 4 years or more than 5, usually they go about 4 years and crap out. Life-time batteries have proven to be 4 year batteries and no more. Even the venerated Die-Hard goes 4 years and no more.

I get my batteries at either Pep Boys or Wal-Mart. Each has a pretty good deal. I have used Sears in the past but fail to see any real benefit in doing so now. Their batteries and prices are no better and often worse than either of the afore mentioned retailers.

One thing I will not do is use the dealer. Damn, that is just plain foolish. They have a huge mark-up on the battery, and charge a usurious installation fee. Worse, truth be told, their batteries are bottom line spec only. So you end up paying out a huge sum and getting only mediocre value for the money.

on 10/20/2007 1:39 PM Blake Dodson said the following:

I bought a Sears Die Hard a few years ago. Got it home and installed it on another car. No good. Returned it, and they said it was dry! Got another. OK with that one.