New battery freshness?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Mar 24, 2010
Messages
419
Location
Houston
I'm picking up a new Autocraft Gold for the F150 from AAP today. I've read several threads on this site referencing freshness but am unsure what is considered fresh and what is not.

What should I look for? What is acceptable or unacceptable? How old is still considered fresh? How old is too old for a new battery?

Larry
 
The AutoCraft batteries have a "round sticker" on the top of the battery with the date of mfg...i.e., 08/14

There is a good turnaround with AAP's batteries so, they should be fresh within the past few months. Over 1 year old would be considered too old IMHO but, it's still warrantied for the specific length of time from purchase.
 
They have a better time on the shelf than they do under the hood. IE they age slower.

If you buy it online (with coupon) I'd be curious if they dug around for the oldest one they could find, as compared to what's accessible to the consumer on the shelf.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
i rarely see a new battery on the shelf thats over 2 months old


I agree! Chalk that up to lower inventory these days.
 
I remember back in the 90s, when I was working at a boat/marine supply store, the manufacturer would take any old stock that was past a certain date and replace them. I don't remember how old they were allowed to get, however, before they were replaced.
 
I was in AAP #1 yesterday and found they had 2 silvers for my application dated 3/14.

went to #2 found one dated 1/14 and another 8/14.

I guess not many people get the silver batteries cause they said they don't see that part number come up often which surprised me since my application is for Silverado truck.

I personally wasn't happy with the 6month old batteries at store #1. No idea how much it really would have mattered but I drive by both stores daily so wasn't any inconvenience to stop in both.
 
The batteries usually will not sit there long enough to go bad unless they are a very rarely used kind/size.

Something that could come back to bite you with an "older" battery though: warranty replacement discrepancy between born-on and purchase date.

If you have to make use of the warranty to get a replacement sometime in the future, they will pro-rate the price of the new one based on how long since you purchased the battery IF you have the original receipt.

If you do not, they use the battery's born-on date for the pro-rate calculation, which could add up to a sizable difference if you happen to buy a battery that has set on the shelf for a few months.
 
Thanks everyone!

I did buy it online using a code for a $44.00 discount. Total out the door after tax & refund of core charge will be @ $116.00 for a group 65 Autocraft Gold.

Based on the feedback in this thread I'm going to look for something made in the last 3 months. There are at least 4 AAPs in a 10 mile radius of me so should be no problem.

Thanks again,

Larry
 
Fresher is better. But even more important is making sure that the battery is fully charged before installation. I find that most new on the shelf battery take at least an hour on a smart charger to be fully charged. I believe they bulk charge them at the factory, maybe to 90%. But batteries last longer if they start with a full charge. YMMV.
 
Originally Posted By: bornconfuzd
I'm picking up a new Autocraft Gold for the F150 from AAP today. I've read several threads on this site referencing freshness but am unsure what is considered fresh and what is not.

What should I look for? What is acceptable or unacceptable? How old is still considered fresh? How old is too old for a new battery?

Larry


Six months is the max I would accept, but would prefer 2 or 3.
 
I know if the date code is over a year old AZ sells them as used at a decent discount, but. I've had AAP try to give me one over a year old before (on an online order where they pull it). Problem is they don't charge them on the rack & they will start to sulfate sitting there.
 
Thanks again to everyone for all the feedback!

Turns out, when I got there they had already pulled a battery for me and Mfg. date is 9/2014!
grin.gif


I feel better now though, knowing what to look for next time, and as we all know there WILL be a next time!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top