I parked the car for about two hours today about 350 miles from home. Just before leaving, I thought I would raise the rear sunshade, black car and all, trying to keep down some of the inside temperature, and put up my windshield sunshade. I got in the passenger side, turned on the ignition, but did not start the engine, raised the rear sunshade, got distracted, and did not turn off the ignition.

I could not figure out why the car was beeping at me, so I just left anyway because I was late.

I come back and the battery and tried to start the car only to find the ignition is in the on position, and the car will not turn over. Damn, stupid thing.

Called AAA, and they sent out a guy within 45 minutes and his diagnosis using a meter he hooked up on the battery is: (I have the print out)

BAD CELL - REPLACE
Voltage:10.85
Measured CCA:----
Rated CCA:550
Temperature: 93
TC: some long alphanumeric string.

BAD CELL-REPLACEMENT RECOMMENDED

So not knowing if I was about to be taken, but knowing I had to be back, that I would have to start and stop the car several times, before getting back home, knowing the electronics on this car with a low voltage battery, I bit the bullet and bought a new Group 34 battery that was in the service truck.

Car started like a champ first time, had to reset the Nav and Radio codes, and a lot of other things we did along the way at other stops...

Cost $161...ouch, although I took the old battery with me and paid a $10 core charge within the total price, cause theoretically, the battery is still under warranty. Acura replaced it less than a year ago under the 48 month warranty in hopes I might get something back...

The AcuraCare service line was not that helpful, and AAA response was promised in a much quicker time.

So, was I taken? I know I was on the price, but the labor was included, as was the emergency call.

Was the "Mobile Battery Service Computer" a sales gimmick?

Opinions, cat calls and other comments welcome.

PS My wife was surprisingly calm and collected as we waited by the roadside in the hot sun, and very matter of fact about the whole thing.

 

Considering the position you were in (i.e. stranded), I think that was a fair price. There is a little more involved in changing the battery on the RL (just removing the shroud) plus the cost of the battery and the convenience of having it taken to you. I doubt the test was BS, but I do have a cynical and suspicious streak in me, too.

 

it's just a battery, there are worse things in life, glad you're ok and nobody got heat stroke or anything.

P.S. car beeping at you means bad.

 

I know you already admitted to it being a stupid mistake, but after all of the informative posts you've made, I would have thought you knew the car better than that. Seems like you know the car inside and out.

What do you think caused the battery to die so quickly? Was the A/C on?

 

Considering you replaced the battery less than a year ago, I doubt the battery is bad. They diagnosed a reversed cell because the voltage was so low at 10.85V and partly as a scam and partly as a safety net so you don't blame them if they let you drive home on your original battery and you end up stranded somewhere else again.

The voltage was that low because you had a continuous drain on it for so long. But I bet if you hook it up to a battery charger and let it fully charge (prob take at least a good 5-6 hours), it'll be fine. Or if the AAA guy would have just jumped you and you drove at highway speeds for a few hours without shutting off the car, you would have been fine. A battery that is less than a year old can usually take 3-4 or more complete discharges and still be revivable, so I think your old battery is still good.

In any case, you already paid the price and everything is done. That price is steep, but like others have said, they came out and swapped your battery for you. If you factor that in, and the price of a new battery, and the fact that he got you out of a jam in a bad situation, the price is fair. And now you just might have an extra battery!

 

I'm glad you're ok and like you said "lesson learned". If you get replacement battery from Acura try selling the one AAA sold you and get back part of the money you spend. I agreed with Megatron, if AAA driver would just jump start the battery it would be fine.

 

Screw the $161. That wife makes you a winner.

 

CAA batteries are pretty good, at least the ones here in Canada. car start better in winter with caa batteries for me compared to oem. it also reports higher voltage according to my scangauge 2. i think 14v at idle.

 

and considering it was the dealer that replaced the battery before, it was probably an OEM branded battery, made by johnson controls, makers of interstate batteries (same truck alot of time deliveries the batteries), so more then likely a good quality batter, compared to that AAA pos battery
but anyhow, if you discharge a battery enough, you can still take it out in one shot

as far as driving for a couple of hours to charge the battery, don't forget that can also take out the alternator, if made to do too much work, over a period of time, and a battery is a whole lot cheaper then replacing an alternator