OT: Simple Car Battery Maintenance, Not So Simple Anymore (and some other car stuff)

dbCooper

The backstory, kinda long to get to the battery... last Fall a couple intermittent TPM sensors on the '06 Impala SS were replaced at Costco.  Seems they do a basic vehicle critique while they have the it in the shop.  They noted my approx 4.5 year old Michelin Pilot Sport AS/3's should be replaced due to sidewall cracks.  They also basically evaluated it to be "field car" status...

Curiously the Impala has none of those listed cosmetic issues, I even triple checked for the dented RF fender!  As for the tires, good news is Michelin has a six year warranty, bad news is Costco won't honor it unless you purchased from them.  They were purchased from a regional tire shop that has multiple locations in Lincoln, so off I go to one of them.  First place says yep, tires are bad and that Pilot Sport A/S 4's (A/S 3 being discontinued) are out of stock, offers me a Cross Climate model at his cost.  They have this funky "V" tread pattern and do not come in the speed rating specified for the Impala.  No thank you, off to a second store of this chain and they say the tires are fine.  Huh?  Next went across town to the shop the tires were purchased from.  After a quick visual check and they agree tires need replaced, want me to come back in two weeks so they can measure tread depths and then contact Michelin for pro-rated replacements.

At this point I'm not a real happy camper.  Get home and call Michelin, tell then I don't wish to deal with vendor tires were purchased from, ask for other vendors in the area that will honor their warranty.  They give me a couple options and end up choosing a Chevy dealer I have experience with.  Tread measurements are taken, Michelin is contacted and they offer to put on four A/S 4's at 50% of the price A/S 3's sold at before being discontinued.  Fair enough as that's about 40% what the A/S 4's are going for.  While waiting at the dealership I see they have a decent sale on batteries, with free installation.  I'm in the market for one as mine is getting near the manufacturer end of life and that is when I generally replace.  Also, free installation is attractive as it's a bit of work to change out in that Impala, might as well let someone else save me the hassle, so I have one installed.

Fast forward to this Fall, last weekend I'm getting vehicles ready for winter weather.  Checking/cleaning battery connections I notice the positive terminal is loose, oddly it won't tighten up.  The battery clamps on a number of GM vehicles is Rube Goldberg inspired, a cone nut acting on a slotted inclined plane.  I see a washer under the cone nut and one side of the slotted plane is missing.  Obviously the dealership did this and never said a word to me about it.  I pay them a visit on Monday and get nothing but flat out denials, "no way any of our techs would do that", just flat out lies.  Then they offer to sell me a new cable assembly for $150. and install it for $225. as the clamp and clamp parts are not sold separately.  Goodbyes were said quickly.

First thought was to put a traditional clamp on the cable, except it has no free length to work with and would end up too short.  Bit of Googling led me to Dorman products, got a package of two cone nuts and two slots for under $10., in stock at Car Quest.

Here's the "repair" that someone mysteriously did..

Had to pry up on the tab to remove the broken slotted part, was worried about snapping it off so pried slowly and gently...

All repaired and good, I did not bend the tab back down...

WeberWho

It's sound similar to Blackstones warranty. No fun. I'm glad you found a nice cheap alternative for your battery. Nicely done!

Canugghead

dbCooper said:

Glad you fixed it for peanuts, relatively speaking. FWIW I seldom take my cars to stealers, and always inspect their work when feasible. Reminds me of my match stick behind the doors experience. 

GrateEggspectations

As per the previous post, I like to do as much of my own work as possible. My only limitation, aside from my skillset (🙃), is my complement of tools. But even in my relatively short exposure to the evolution of automobiles, they are getting harder and harder to work on at home. 

dbCooper

Canugghead said:

dbCooper said:

Glad you fixed it for peanuts, relatively speaking. FWIW I seldom take my cars to stealers, and always inspect their work when feasible. Reminds me of my match stick behind the doors experience. 

@Canugghead - What is this "match stick behind the doors experience" you speak of?

lousubcap

Way to keep pushing @dbCooper .  Glad you were able to enjoy success albeit with you having to correct a stealer's work.  Nice deal on the Pilot Sport 4A/S's. 

Canugghead

I do my own simple maintenance…oil change, fluid changes, tire rotation, lubrications,…
There was this one time I was busy and decided to drop it off at the stealer for their loss leader oil change package that supposedly included fluid top ups and door hinge lubrication. Well, before dropping off I inserted a match stick between the gaskets of each door and the frame. At pick up time hours later I went “show me how you lubricate the hinges with the doors shut”  

GrateEggspectations

@Canugghead

Sounds like we perform nearly identical routine tasks. For me, the biggest advantage is convenience. Do it on my own time without the hassle of waiting during the appointment. 

Nice trick you used. Curious as to the dealer’s response after you called them out. 

RRP

The mention of battery caught my eye. Not sure how many older Corvettes had this design screw up…but, to replace the battery in my ‘95 I have to remove the lower portion of the front fender! There is no other way to get the old battery out and the new one in due to structural design. (Picture is with the hood lifted, but not with the lower portion of the front fender removed.)As a younger man I refused to pay the horrible price my Chevy dealer wanted PLUS to just put in a cheap crappy Delco 3 year battery! So I learned how to do it myself. Now at age 79 laying on the cement floor and replacing that battery is nothing I look forward to. I have a terrific battery minder…not some cheapie, but a $150 unit which I trust will continue to maintain my Interstate battery until I croak from not being able to replace the battery or not being able to get up off the garage floor!  

Botch

I do my own simple maintenance…oil change, fluid changes, tire rotation, lubrications,…

Just a more general comment on today vs. decades ago...
I did all that kind of maintenance from age 15 to about age 40, and harder things: I've changed out my own muffler (entire exhaust system in one sad incident), my own rear shocks (never again), rebuilt and tuned carburetors (that was actually fun) and changed out the roller bearings in the U-joint of my rear axle.  My current autos don't even have grease zerks.  Before I was "flush with cash", when I changed over to snow tires, I took the summers off the wheels with a screwdriver, and put the snowtires onto the wheels with a hard swing, vise-grips, and a sledgehammer (loooong afternoon).  The last major maintenance I've ever done was on my motorcycle, and can't really even do that anymore.  
The Owner's Manual of my current car (Audi) doesn't even tell me where the oil drain plug is, in fact it doesn't even have a dipstick (other than the one behind the wheel); you check the oil level thru the "info-tainment system".  wtf.  
Back then you could have your car "rodded" by by a burly guy in a rolled-up plaid shirt with a heart/Mother tattoo on his bicep; nowadays a guy named "Tim" comes out and plugs the cable from his iPad into your dash, and presses a few buttons.
Sigh.  

Ozzie_Isaac

Botch said:

I do my own simple maintenance…oil change, fluid changes, tire rotation, lubrications,…

Just a more general comment on today vs. decades ago...
I did all that kind of maintenance from age 15 to about age 40, and harder things: I've changed out my own muffler (entire exhaust system in one sad incident), my own rear shocks (never again), rebuilt and tuned carburetors (that was actually fun) and changed out the roller bearings in the U-joint of my rear axle.  My current autos don't even have grease zerks.  Before I was "flush with cash", when I changed over to snow tires, I took the summers off the wheels with a screwdriver, and put the snowtires onto the wheels with a hard swing, vise-grips, and a sledgehammer (loooong afternoon).  The last major maintenance I've ever done was on my motorcycle, and can't really even do that anymore.  
The Owner's Manual of my current car (Audi) doesn't even tell me where the oil drain plug is, in fact it doesn't even have a dipstick (other than the one behind the wheel); you check the oil level thru the "info-tainment system".  wtf.  
Back then you could have your car "rodded" by by a burly guy in a rolled-up plaid shirt with a heart/Mother tattoo on his bicep; nowadays a guy named "Tim" comes out and plugs the cable from his iPad into your dash, and presses a few buttons.
Sigh.  

In my former life I was involved in factory calibration of an internal electric oil level sensor for a transmission and also for the manual dipstick.

This was a surprisingly difficult thing to do, and I much prefer the manual dipstick.

lousubcap

It's one thing to run out of fuel with the electronic gauge but a whole 'nother level of pain to run out of oil if the sensor craps out. 

alaskanassasin

Nice rubber on that Corvette @RRP

fishlessman

Takes 15 to 20 minutes to read the electronic dipstick on the screen.....so much better

fishlessman

Botch said:

I do my own simple maintenance…oil change, fluid changes, tire rotation, lubrications,…

Just a more general comment on today vs. decades ago...
I did all that kind of maintenance from age 15 to about age 40, and harder things: I've changed out my own muffler (entire exhaust system in one sad incident), my own rear shocks (never again), rebuilt and tuned carburetors (that was actually fun) and changed out the roller bearings in the U-joint of my rear axle.  My current autos don't even have grease zerks.  Before I was "flush with cash", when I changed over to snow tires, I took the summers off the wheels with a screwdriver, and put the snowtires onto the wheels with a hard swing, vise-grips, and a sledgehammer (loooong afternoon).  The last major maintenance I've ever done was on my motorcycle, and can't really even do that anymore.  
The Owner's Manual of my current car (Audi) doesn't even tell me where the oil drain plug is, in fact it doesn't even have a dipstick (other than the one behind the wheel); you check the oil level thru the "info-tainment system".  wtf.  
Back then you could have your car "rodded" by by a burly guy in a rolled-up plaid shirt with a heart/Mother tattoo on his bicep; nowadays a guy named "Tim" comes out and plugs the cable from his iPad into your dash, and presses a few buttons.
Sigh.  

They suck the oil out thru the oil fill now.  No drain, sludge stays in the motor. Not worth it to me, mine only takes one kind of oil and I can only find it online.

Canugghead

@GrateEggspectations Exactly, no waiting or second trip to pick up. 
IIRC I called them out in the busy waiting area, they quietly dispatched a guy with a can of spray lubricant.

dbCooper

RRP said:

@RRP - Looks like we both have the same brand of battery disconnect switch.  My older vette doesn't have the design flaw of yours, it's in a dedicated box above the rear axle to maximize front/rear weight balance.  A battery change can be done in under 10 min, once I converted the terminals from the hard to access side posts to top post connection.

Canugghead

My first Optima red top lasted over 20 years! Apparently they don't make them like they used to?

dbCooper

My first went at least 10 years, have to look back and see for sure how long.   This one is about five years or so and going strong.  Both had/have a maintainer on them during down time.

RRP

alaskanassasin said:

Nice rubber on that Corvette @RRP  

Thank you! of course that was merely a front tire. By comparison the rear wheel tires look like steamrollers!