Advice on getting car battery replaced?

EdGasket

straighttalker wrote: »

There is absolutely no way any garage could justify an hours labour to fit a battery. Go to your local motor factors and they may well fit it for free if you ask nicely. Alternatively, they'll charge a nominal amount but the battery will probably be cheaper than any from Halfords.

They can quote what they like. After all they have to faff around getting the car in, do the paperwork, maybe deal with corroded terminals. If one hour is their minimum charge then it is quite reasonable.

Heliflyguy

I does make me smile when folk say how easy it is to change a car battery as they have obviously never had to change one on a Vauxhall Corsa - C.
That cant be the only car where its a POS job to do.

WellKnownSid

Halfords fitting service is rubbish.

They once refused to replace the battery in my car because the computer said they didn't have the right battery - claiming it needed an AGM type battery, one that wasn't even available when the car was new.

Although I ended up buying a battery off the shelf that matched BOTH the battery in the vehicle AND what it said in the handbook, because their computer said it needed a different part they refused to fit.

So, stranded without a toolkit on the way to catch a ferry I asked to borrow the tools to fit it.

For health and safety reasons, they were unable to offer the loan of any tools either. Idiots...

I think it's the same in most places where the entrance qualification is no common sense. A friend of mine can't get the tyres replaced on his car because there are no torque settings for the wheel nuts. He has attempted to explain that torque wrenches weren't around when his car was built but it's like trying to explain to a cardboard cutout.

reeac

I think it's the same in most places where the entrance qualification is no common sense. A friend of mine can't get the tyres replaced on his car because there are no torque settings for the wheel nuts. He has attempted to explain that torque wrenches weren't around when his car was built but it's like trying to explain to a cardboard cutout.[/QUOTE]

That's a mighty old car!

Norman_Castle

The torque wrench was invented by Conrad Bahr in 1918 so it certainly is an old car.
What car is it?.

Clive_Woody

Norman_Castle wrote: »

The torque wrench was invented by Conrad Bahr in 1918 so it certainly is an old car.
What car is it?.

In racing green. One horse power.

molerat

Heliflyguy wrote: »

I does make me smile when folk say how easy it is to change a car battery as they have obviously never had to change one on a Vauxhall Corsa - C.
That cant be the only car where its a POS job to do.

New beetle. :mad:

Ectophile

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Batteries normally give a fair bit of warning that they are failing. I've never known one just stop.

Strangely enough (and despite what I said in my last post) I have.

Was leaving work one day. Started the engine and was maneuvering around the car park. But then I stalled the engine. Tried to re-start it again and it was dead. The dashboard lights glowed dimly and went out entirely when I tried to start it.

I got a push, and there was enough power to re-start it. But the battery was still dead after a long drive home.