Brother, I managed a tow company in the 80's, we were a AAA approved tow. They had many standards back then, if you violated them they'd yank you from the system in a heartbeat. I'm guessing that has changed.
Check out this AAA scamming attempt
- Thread starter Bailey28
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Scam? Maybe but very possibly not. Possibly just a guy with a long list of waiting calls who took a quick reading and made a comment/offer based on same. I won't go into the long version of thoughts so as to not offend as much as already done.
Here is a suggestion for those of you that have AAA coverage for towing, etc. Install and use the AAA app on your Smartphone. Use the app to request roadside assistance instead of calling in on the phone. AAA's latest setup allows technology to expedite the response time significantly. Your phone will geolocate your vehicle via GPS and your location and contact information is automatically shared with the closest AAA contracted tow truck service for dispatch. The dispatch confirmation and ETA are displayed on your phone and the tow truck driver will call you to confirm your location and provide an ETA update.
I have used many different apps and can attest the AAA roadside app is very well thought out and intuitive to use.
I have used many different apps and can attest the AAA roadside app is very well thought out and intuitive to use.
Since the driver does not know why the battery is dead they likely recommend a new battery with every jump start. People are dumb sometimes.
If a battery is failing they ignore it often needing a 2nd or ever 3rd jump.
If a battery is failing they ignore it often needing a 2nd or ever 3rd jump.
I agree, how was the driver to know you left the lights on all night? Also how was he to know it was a 1 year old car? He offered, you passed - no scam that I see?
I replaced my AAA years ago with a jump box and a free uber account.
I replaced my AAA years ago with a jump box and a free uber account.
There are people out there who would turn the car back off and return to their business after getting jumped. I've seen it.
Maybe he was ensuring you would be good to go no matter what happened. You did say you were on travel.
Maybe he was ensuring you would be good to go no matter what happened. You did say you were on travel.
Not a scam, more like an oversell attempt. Some people bite, some people don’t.
GON
$150 Site Donor 2025
"Scam" worked with my Wife.
I opened her RDX hood to check the oil and a visual inspection after returning from working OCONUS. Saw a AAA labeled battery, instead of the Acura OEM battery I had installed prior to leaving OCONUS. Wife said AAA guy told her she needed a new battery. I suspect he resold her nearly brand new OEM Acura battery after.
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GON
$150 Site Donor 2025
Years of buying salvage cars from auction, I learned that batteries that are 100 percent discharged and sit discharged for extend periods of time are at risk of not being able to hold a charge. Batteries that are "dead" from lights be left on, etc- more likely than not does not impact the ability of the battery to hold a charge and be useable.
GON
$150 Site Donor 2025
How do you measure the amperage of the vehicle running without specialized equipment or pulling off a battery post and using a meter with low gauge wire (that can handle the amps) to measure amps between the positive cable and the meter?
Maybe there is a tool out there that does this, but I have never seen it. One can measure voltage at the battery before the car is running and after the car is running. One can load test the battery. But I have never seen a mobile diagnostic tool that can measure a battery's ability to accept amps, and the number of amps, while installed in a running vehicle.
GON
$150 Site Donor 2025
Learned my lesson on car batteries and commissions to the person selling a car battery 44 years ago.
As a very poor high school kid in 1980 with my $225 USD 1971 El Camino I had a dead battery. Sears diagnosed the no start condition on the El Camino as a bad battery and replaced the battery. Sears service writers at the time made a three percent commission on parts. A few days later the El Camino didn't start (again). The problem was a loose alternator belt not turning the alternator. A quick check with a meter likely would have identified low/ no voltage from the alternator. A visual inspection likely would have identified a loose alternator belt. But no commission if a battery was not sold.
Was it an independent or actual AAA truck who did this? I love the $250 service honestly as they do in driveway and save time and hassle for daughters. For myself I DIY.
The standard probably includes running a battery test to be "thorough" and documenting it. Otherwise the
When I worked at the tire store we did the 84 point check of stuff like tire tread and battery health when we did our loss leader oil changes. Of course it was for upsales but it helped a certain portion of the population who liked having "a mechanic look over their car" every six months.
For some perspective the larger AGM batteries new cost around $250+ alone, unless buying from Walmart, Costco or Sams. I always keep my battery on a trickle charger while parked in the garage for a week or longer. Seems all newer cars have a parasitic draw that will eventually deplete the battery. (They should be able to go into sleep mode automatically or manually; perhaps on some vehicles they do?) No idea how long they can last without the trickle charger but the AGM H8 49 in my 2016 Beemer still has the original Varta AGM battery but is starting to show signs it's getting tired with the first start of the day on cold mornings.
I see no discharging of the smaller AGM on my older Triumph motorcycle comfortably sitting for my wake-up call in the Spring.
I see no discharging of the smaller AGM on my older Triumph motorcycle comfortably sitting for my wake-up call in the Spring.
Many good perspectives presented above. But to the OP, it's just a scam. Most alternators can hardly output 100 amperes, let alone 180. How did he know it was charging at 180 amperes? Did he attach a DC clamp ammeter? If he did not, then it's obvious his declaration of 180 amperes is intended to scare you into parting with your $240.
Probably got confused about "cold cranking amps" but doing it on a just-jumped battery is a poor test as well, and the battery guy should know better.
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Our '22 Yukon won't auto stop start after sitting for a week. After about 20 minutes of driving, it will resume the normal start/stop cycling at stop lights.
We had the OEM battery die after 2 years - after getting it replaced, I realized that it had just stopped auto stop/start for quite some time as the original battery began failing.
It's a great metric for battery health.
The Dealership told me the car will not auto STOP/START if the battery is <75% charged.
Mine was checking at 67%.
According to the readouts on my 'digital' battery tester.
100% .... 12.6 volts or more
50% .... 12.3 v
0% .... 12.0 volts or less
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
Same “clue” I got with my JEEP which ultimately led to me pulling the lawn mower battery and bumping a size on a single AGM …
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