Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site alice.UUCP 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