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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!alice!wookie
From: wookie@alice.UUCP (Keith Bauer   White Tiger Racing)
Newsgroups: net.auto,net.consumers
Subject: Re: my Die Hard battery died young
Message-ID: <2656@alice.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Mar-84 18:17:15 EST
Article-I.D.: alice.2656
Posted: Thu Mar 15 18:17:15 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 16-Mar-84 03:01:03 EST
References: <2065@ihuxf.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 54

My father purchased a Die-Hard battery for a Cadillac
back when the top of the line Die Hard was the only
Die-Hard available and was warrented for the life of
the car (not transferrable to subsequent owners).  The
battery lasted 16 months when it started to show signs
of its demise.  One cell had shorted out as could be
told by the specific gravity and the color of the plates.
I stopped in at my friendly Sears Auto Center who assurred
me there was no need to go shopping in the mall as this
would only take a minute!  (HO! HO!)After an hour
and a half of going around in circles they finally 
agreed that the battery was dead and brought out a new
one.  I started to walk away with it to install it in
the car when the  guy said that will be $28.00 please!
"For what?" I asked.  Well it seemed they had dropped
the old lifetime bit to 5 years which it is now for the
top of the line Die Hard.  I was a little torqued but
what can you do??

My next experience was with a Sunbeam Tiger I bought
which had a J.C. Penny lifetime battery in it from
the previous owner.  Since the car was in need of repair
the battery was allowed to sit discharged for about a
year and when the owner decided to sell he charged it
up with a high current charger (A DEFINITE NO-NO).  This
no doubt led to the batteries failure soon after.  I went
to the J.C. Penney store (remembering my luck at Sears)
and told the story of the battery.  The lady asked for
the owners card, filled out some papers, then called
someone.  After a total of 4 minutes she said "you
may pick up your new battery at the back loading dock".
NO CHARGE    NO HASSLES   NO HOUR AND A HALF!!!!!!!!!
That was in 1978......the battery is still going just
fine starting my 66 Pontiac V8 in the coldest of winter.

By the way........my dad repeated his trip to Sears NINE
MONTHS LATER to get a new Die-Hard for tthe Cadillac.
That replacement lasted about 21 months when my father
gave up in disgust.  By the way there was nothing wrong
with the electrical system in the Cadillac as confirmed
by both Sears and myself.

The JC Penney deal is one I would like to repeat.  I use this
battery in my race car during the summer because it's the
only battery I have used that can get the race car through
a whole weekend event without needing a recharge (we don't
run alternators because of the added weight and
power consumption).  So you can see I have abused this
battery and it just keeps on ticking.  Now after 6 years
of this abuse, I expect it will need replacing soon
and I only hope I can find one as good!!!!

				Keith Bauer
				White Tiger Racing