Costco doesn't have Group 51 battery? Deka 551MF?

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
Looks like the East Penn from Lowe's is the way to go here then.. Strange how they did not have the 51 size. That's a common size in the sense there's a decent amount of Hondas on the road I would think.

I see a lot of cars just like my wife's Civic. Our neighbor has a Civic 2 door of the same generation.

I'm not desperate since the current kind of works as long as we don't use the battery with the engine shut off. But after over 7 years it seems like a good idea. So yeah I ordered it. However, I kind of picked an oddball location since none are really that close to home or work right now. Home Depot is everywhere (and they only stock Exide). The two closest Lowe's (San Francisco or Vallejo) would require bridge tolls along with some pretty nasty traffic. I picked one location where I might be able to do some other shopping.

Another thing is that I don't want to have to return for the core deposit (only $7). I'm wondering if they'd object if I installed it in the parking lot.

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted By: y_p_w


Nope. It's strictly the Audivox setup. The other problem is that the buttons fell off one of the remotes and we can't really even find a salvage part to just replace the buttons. It's really odd too since there's no brand name at all on the remotes, even though we know they're factory ones. This was strictly because the battery is weak and I was listening to the radio. I also tried restarting the engine a few times thinking it would recharge the batteries, but that might have just made it worse since all I was doing was idling.

If they were factory Honda ones, they would be made by Alps or Omron - the FCC ID number reveals all. If it was me, I'd rip the KARR system out and get rid of one contributor to battery drain. Honda remotes are oblong, KARR ones are egg-shaped.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: nthach
Originally Posted By: y_p_w


Nope. It's strictly the Audivox setup. The other problem is that the buttons fell off one of the remotes and we can't really even find a salvage part to just replace the buttons. It's really odd too since there's no brand name at all on the remotes, even though we know they're factory ones. This was strictly because the battery is weak and I was listening to the radio. I also tried restarting the engine a few times thinking it would recharge the batteries, but that might have just made it worse since all I was doing was idling.

If they were factory Honda ones, they would be made by Alps or Omron - the FCC ID number reveals all. If it was me, I'd rip the KARR system out and get rid of one contributor to battery drain. Honda remotes are oblong, KARR ones are egg-shaped.

It’s an Audiovox ELVAT1E remote. It’s got an alarm, but definitely a factory alarm.

 

[y_p_w]

Follow-up - apparently Lowe's has it now and I just need to pick it up. I couldn't get an answer if I'd get in trouble for changing it in the parking lot. I really don't want to make another trip to get my core deposit back.

 

[WhyMe]

i was at Costco a couple of days ago and checked out to see if i was wrong about them having a 51. they had both. item number was 850248 $72.99.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: WhyMe
i was at Costco a couple of days ago and checked out to see if i was wrong about them having a 51. they had both. item number was 850248 $72.99.

I know it's in their catalog, but they haven't had any Group 51s in my area for a long time. I got a Kirkland Signature battery for my wife's Civic maybe early 2009. When it started flaking out (due to way too many jumps needed) I went back to Costco and they didn't have any, although I did get a full refund (might have been less than $50?) after I installed a Die Hard from Sears (paid $55 online). At that time our local Costco didn't have it. I've been thinking about it and been watching for it on the battery racks at our local Costcos, and they don't have it. It makes absolutely no sense, but in the San Francisco Bay Area, out local Costcos all have 51R, but not 51.

However, I thought that East Penn has a better reputation than JCI.

 

[DuckRyder]

I would think you could have it changed before they had a chance to give you trouble about it...

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: DuckRyder
I would think you could have it changed before they had a chance to give you trouble about it...

I don't really want to test it out. Of course Lowe's isn't an auto parts store, so they probably don't have signs warning against working on a vehicle in the parking lot. However, I have seen where one guy was changing motor oil in the parking lot next to an auto parts store. I think he'd been warned by the employees but ignored them. The cops arrived and were undoing their holster snaps and had hands on their sidearms ready for this guy. However, I think they did that because the guy was wearing a revolver on a belt holster - while he was changing his oil.

 

[y_p_w]

So I found a reason to go down there earlier than Saturday. I don't think they get a whole lot of people picking up car batteries at Lowe's. When I asked if I'd get in trouble for changing the battery in the lot they said don't worry about it.

However, I brought the old battery and they said they had no way to take it back. It seems to be required by California law though since they sold it to me and charged me the California core charge fee ($7) which is supposed to be refundable by returning within 45 days. The employees said they've never taken an old battery in, and the manager said that they had no way to take it in since they're not an authorized recycler. It's only $7 and I know where I can legally dump it for free. A local recycling center has a pallet for used lead-acid batteries, but I went through all this trouble of installing it in the parking lot. The manager did ask me to please not leave it in the parking lot, as the local police have dinged them for customers dumping hazardous waste there.

This is the law on a requirement to accept returns:
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/...tionNum=25215.2

However, the battery is fine. It was in fact a Group 51 Deka battery rated at 450 CCA (the Die Hard Weatherhandler was 425). The date sticker was 02/18, so I'm guessing it was ordered directly from the manufacturer. It's got the maintenance-free flush top similar to the AAA branded East Penn batteries that my parents got for their cars. I kind of messed up the initial installation. I parked under a lamp and I aligned it so I could read the label from in front of the car (just like every other battery I've seen for it), only the terminals were on the wrong side. The mounting clamp also didn't fit tightly. So this label was the reverse of every other label I've ever seen on a Group 51. Also - the start was much better than I remember in a long time. That Die Hard had been through 7.5 years of jumps, recharging, maps lights left on for days (before I installed LEDs), etc. I'm frankly shocked that it could still start a car, although I found out it needed to be replaced when I couldn't start after listening to the radio for 25 minutes.

I don't know if it was worth all this, but we had a fun time out and did some other things tonight. We also stopped by a Walmart, and the only Group 51 they had was a Everstart Maxx for about $106. The thing was less than half the size of some of the $75 batteries they had. I don't get where the price comes from.

 

[y_p_w]

Another follow-up. I sent a message to Lowe's and just got a call from the manager of the store saying that they refunded the core charge to my credit card and that I should just recycle it wherever I can. I know a place where I can take it so everything should be fine and legal.

I'm wondering how they normally handle lead acid batteries. While they normally don't sell car batteries (their online selection is limited) I'm pretty sure they sell stuff like riding mower and other power equipment batteries subject to the same refundable core deposit fees.