The Professor

I have been getting "Replace Battery" messages, off and on, for the last two weeks. It's a 2012 TL, SH-AWD so it's still under warranty.
If it's replaced under warranty do they cover parts AND labour?

I took the car to the Kingston Acura dealership and they said that it was the key fob battery, so they changed that battery. I thought that was weird because the dash image showed a full size car battery in the warning... but the warning light was off when I picked up the car. Next day the warning light was back on saying "Replace Battery". When I celled the dealership they said "Oops, sorry, the technician goofed". Now I need to make another appointment and drive an hour each way to get it re-tested (and hopefully have the battery replaced).

kcarr91

I am interested in this too, i have heard some stories on here that people were able to get it replaced by the dealer. Although the dealer around me isn't the best and i doubt i will have that luck but would like to hear other's experiences.

Not to hijack this thread but do you think i need to replace my battery if the warning only comes on when it is really cold out (colder than 32 and car has been sitting over right) or is the only way to know by getting it tested? I have read that these batteries are not the best that come with the TL.

Last question is there a type of battery that you all recommend? i searched around a bit and nothing jumped up. I am from the DC area so i experience all seasons but nothing like the real cold up north.

aleo12

From my experience, they cover parts and labour to replace the battery, but they need to do a load test to make sure the battery crapped out, they normally charge 50 bucks to do it, if the battery fails they waive the fee and replace the battery for free, if it passes the test they charge you the 50 and no new battery. If it passes they may need to start to do diagnostics to figure out why the light is coming on, not sure if they charge as I've never had to take it that far.

carbonTSEX

If it's a part that has issues. They will replace it and pay the labour. I would take out the battery myself and take it to an auto parts store where the test it for free and see what they say. If it's bad, take it to the dealer for replacing. If it's good and you have the light on. Take it to Acura and tell them that.

echodigital

I had battery replaced by dealer under warranty right close to the 4 year make. Try not to run the radio or nav when the engine is not on. It will use a lot of battery up. The newer ones TLs (2012) have a battery management system so it will warn you and you won't get stranded. i.e. Engine won't start.

When it's under warranty, they will charge you anything.

The Professor

You are right about the cold temperature, it's usually when it's really cold that I get the "replace battery" warning message... and that's when I need the most reliability, because I don't want to get stranded somewhere with a dead battery.

I'm going to take the TL to a different dealership next week and see how their service is, I've had poor service and poor follow-up with the current dealership. It's been really disappointing; when you buy a premium vehicle you expect premium service, but this has not been my experience at all. My old Honda dealer had way better service and staff.

SilverJ

I had this happen on my MDX. It came on one time and hasn't come on since so I kind of ignored it. Some dealers are interested in earning your business down the road and wont charge you just to look at the car. Other ones want to charge you JUST TO LOOK AT a car that's under full warranty for a test that literally takes them a few minutes. These are the dealers I stay away from. For whatever reason they don't see beyond their monthly quota of cash. I personally think as a business that's a dick move, but they can run their service department however they want. I wont bring my car there.

JTL12

went in for an oil change a few months back and they replaced my battery free of charge as well. It shouldn't be an idea is the car is still under warranty.

kcarr91

I just called my local Acura dealership where i bought my 2012 CPO TL from (radley acura VA which i dont trust at all after the way they treated my car when it was in for service before [scratched my hood]) they said the battery is covered but there is a $130 diagnostic fee.

so i ask the guy whats up with that, he basically said if the if the battery needs to be replaced i dont get charged the fee. i kept asking him and he skirted around the answer that they were trying to screw me. $130 for a battery test? C'mon man

Called my old trusty hometown dealership, Chriswell Acrua in Annapolis (which i recommend highly [along with accurate auto in Annapolis for out of warranty work] and i now have an appointment on Saturday with zero fees.

JTL12

its crazy how these assholes work man. there needs to be better laws for shit like this. gets me so angry.

'99-6SIC6

Come in to Pohanka Acura if you want the best service experience. We pride ourselves on delivering amazing service to our clients, day in and day out. I promise you will not be disappointed. I worked there for 7 years and am now in charge of our brand new Honda store in Chantilly. Tell them Greg from Acura parts sent you.

Pohanka Acura
13911 Lee Jackson Highway (Route 50)
Chantilly, VA. 20151
703-968-6600

SilverJ

130.00 fee. What a joke. Thanks. Let me add Radley ACURA as a dealership I will never ever bring my car to.

'99-6SIC6

The $130 they quoted you was that dealers diagnostic fee. It's what they charge EVERY customer to look over the vehicle and diagnose the problem based on what the initial complaint is. It's either put towards the cost of the repair if you choose to go that route or refundable if the car is covered under warranty. Technicians don't work for free, they use their tools and knowledge to complete repairs. The diagnostic fee varies from dealer to dealer. That said,
Come in to Pohanka Acura if you want the best service experience. We pride ourselves on delivering amazing service to our clients, day in and day out. I promise you will not be disappointed. I worked there for 7 years and am now in charge of our brand new Honda store in Chantilly. Tell them Greg from Acura parts sent you.

Pohanka Acura
13911 Lee Jackson Highway (Route 50)
Chantilly, VA. 20151

old coastie

I had the battery go out on our 2010 ZDX last June. No warning on the MID. The car wouldn't start and couldn't jump start it. Called Acura of Memphis and they sent a tow truck,picked up the car and then replaced the battery at the shop. No charge for anything, they said there was a TSB on the battery. The ZDX is a 2010 model,purchased on Jan 1, 2011 and had 63xxx miles at the time. I was pretty happy with the dealer's response.

'99-6SIC6

Glad to hear Acura of Memphis took care of you.

-greg

kcarr91

Ya i understand they need to charge a diagnostic fee but i feel it should be somewhat in the range what the problem is. When you need to look at something more serious i understand the $130 but when i am getting a warning for a replacement battery and all i want is the battery tested (and possibly replaced under warranty for free) i feel l shouldn't pay over $50 for that service. This is also complicated by the fact that one dealership charges a fee and another one (which i didn't buy the car from or even knew who i was when i called to ask) charges zero.

All that being said i will give props to Pohanka Acura Service department as they were the first ones (at least on this form) to diagnose an external transmission failure which was very helpful to a lot of people on here including me. I did visit that dealership when shopping for a TL but they were unable to get me the price i wanted on a TL.

Reorge

It has been my personal preference over the years to just replace a 2+ year old original battery myself. It's not worth fighting with the stealership service reps and idiot techs. Battery in the FOB, LMFAO. I also get a battery with a new warranty. Some autopart stores will install for you; Advanced Auto for one.

There is a TBS (12-013) that updates the software for the battery sensor. I would assume (wrongfully so) that they updated the software the first time you brought it in; if it applied to your car. It did not apply to my car which I bought Sept 2012 so I assume it was for early 2012 model year production.

TSB 12-013 Applies To:
2012 TL 2WD – From VIN 19UUA8...CA000001 thru 19UUA8...CA008239
2012 TL SH-WD – From VIN 19UUA9...CA000001 thru 19UUA9...CA002516

'99-6SIC6

That's quite understandable from a consumer's prospective and I agree with you. Your vehicle is telling you what's going on primarily and foremost in your Multi Information Display and you're bringing it to the dealer because it's a possible warranty issue and makes the most sense. The diagnostic fee remains the same regardless of the supposed issue because of what other time and efforts may need to be put into determining the repair, if the issue isn't just a simple replacement of the battery. Something obviously caused the battery voltage to be at a level requiring attention. Bad cell, low cold cranking amps, etc. But perhaps it was the positive and/or negative cables that caused the problem. Maybe it was the battery management system. Further inspection of related components, a conclusive answer and fix to your problem and a guaranty of the quality of work performed is what that fee is for. It's hard to find a reputable repair facility that DOES NOT have diagnostic related fees, I'm not sure if any even exist. It could be a more complex issue other than just a simple replacement, that's all I'm saying.

I'm glad that we were able to help figure out that transmission issue you mentioned as well. We have some of the best, most qualified and trained technicians in the region. I cannot comment regarding the sales aspect of your visit as I am only on the parts and service end.

-greg

real_mckoy

when i went in for service before the warranty ran out they tested my battery, said it failed though nothing was wrong from my experience the car started everytime but they gave me a new one with no charge for parts or labor or anything and at the sametime they had also change my multifuction switch(left stalk) at no charge my mileage was 49998 mi at the time 2 miles before my warranty run out.

NBP04TL4ME

I've never had a warranty repair that didn't cover everything. Zero out of pocket cost.

SilverJ

I hear what your saying but to charge 130.00 to check the battery on a car(on a car that your customer may have dropped 40 grand on at your dealership and is still under warranty), which any 16 year old who works at autozone can do in 5 minutes is insane. I'm pretty sure the Acura Techs don't get paid 130.00 for 5 minutes of work. And if they do, I want to be an Acura Tech
I have a couple dealerships near me, any ones that would charge a fee for something so minute I would never bring my car into.

'99-6SIC6

No offense, I don't mean any disrespect to anyone on this forum but you obviously missed the point of: "it may not be a simple battery check issue". 5 minutes to test the battery equates to what in the eyes of a typical consumer? $5? $10? Let's say you get charged a flat fee of $8 to have the vehicle brought into the shop, have the battery tested for correct voltage/function and you get a print out stating that your battery needs to be replaced and most importantly WHY IT NEEDS REPLACEMENT. Simple enough right? 5 minutes and $8 spent. (which you wouldn't pay anyway if the car was under warranty) But something caused the battery to fail...what could it be? What other components had to be checked out to determine the cause of failure? Is $5 or $10 or $50 enough of a price to just slap a new battery in and send you on your way without any further diagnostic or peace of mind that they fixed your issue? Sure sounds like a deal if you don't care about the quality of work performed or the guarantee of trained Honda/Acura professionals doing their job for you. I've changed plenty of batteries in my time and IT IS SIMPLE WORK. But I know very little about anything other than disconnecting the cables on the old and reconnecting them on the new. Sure, I'll take $8 for that any day.

-greg

SilverJ

OK so they would check the battery(3 minutes) and maybe the alternator(maybe another 3 minutes with a millimeter). Which is going to be the problem MOST of the time.
Maybe its a rare case where there's an electrical problem or something else. But Acura is not Audi and that would be a rare case(for acura).

I think the issue here Greg is as complicated as you may make it sound, at the end of the day most of the time its either a bad battery or a bad alternator. If that weren't the case, then ALL of the dealers would be charging 130.00 "diagnostic" fee. The fact that some charge that fee and others charge nothing tells you its not a labor intensive test to do.
As a business, I feel if your interested in repeat customers, you shouldn't nickel and dime them for simple work and some things should be done as good will.
Because here's the thing, suppose the OP went the the dealer that wanted to charge him 130.00 and his battery didn't meat the "bad" criteria ?
So he's out 130.00 for them to do a two minute test ?
Fortunately I've had some good service departments that I've dealt with and the ones that mention fees on a car that's 100% under warranty, I will not bring my car to. I have no interest in having that battle, as there's plenty of other dealers who charge nothing.

'99-6SIC6

Which dealers are you aware of that charge 0 diagnostic fees?

SilverJ

I purchase my TLS from Sussman Acura in PA. They never charged me a cent to look at anything on my car, and replaced my navigation system without even a smidge of resistance under warranty. Prior to me bringing it in, they didn't say"oh if you want to have us look at it its 130.00 and if we don't deem it an issue we keep your 130.00." I would bring my car back to them without hesitation. Does your dealership charge a 130.00 diagnostic fee for cars purchased from their dealership still under warranty ?

'99-6SIC6

No, it's never our intention to come across to ANY client like that, and I would hope that could be said with all dealerships, but I know that's not always the case. There are some shady businesses out there, no question. But it's not "oh if you want to have us look at it it's $130.00 and if we don't deem it an issue we keep your $130.00".

We charge $109.88 as our diagnosis fee and if the problem is straight forward and it takes the technician 10 minutes to determine what's going on then no, we don't charge our clients ANYTHING. It doesn't matter if the car is under warranty or not. Then again, if like I said - the problem turns out to be more complex and requires further diagnosis then that's where our $109.88 factors in. It's not always the full amount either, it could be half that amount depending on how in depth the technician had to get to come to a conclusive answer and repair. Also something else to take note of, ALL diagnosis fees are relayed to the client before repairs are completed - just as they should be. We don't charge our clients ANYTHING when their vehicles are here under warranty - just as it should be. The technician takes a look at the vehicle, determines the problem, relays that information to the service advisor then asks for a specific labor time to complete the repair based on that particular technicians hourly flat rate.
What I'm saying is that technicians don't work for free and while it may just be a simple battery replacement job under warranty - we still need to pay them for the work performed. That includes the diagnosis, the repair and the guarantee of professional service from our dealership.

-greg

SilverJ

I don't think anyone's asking the techs to work for free. But lets be real here, the techs get paid whether you charge a 109.00 maintenance fee or not. I can reiterate, not all dealerships charge diagnostic fees for possible warranty work. Furthermore, not all dealerships charge diagnostic fees TO CHECK if something is covered under warranty. They just don't.
IMO its a turn off to a customer just like the OP. That first Acura dealer he went to will probably NEVER get his business. The second one will probably ALWAYS get his business. So the question that the dealerships decision makers at various Acura dealers need to ask themselves is...
"is it better to charge a possible diagnostic fee for possible warranty work or is it better to think of the customer as a long term investment who you don't want to drive away before they even get in the door."
I'm pretty sure when a 1000.00 plus repair job is needed down the road, the OP wont even think of going to that first dealership.
I know you work for a dealer Greg, but think of it from a consumers point of view.
And to be clear, I know you said you don't charge for warranty work, no one does. But some dealers, (and I am unclear if yours falls into this category) like the one the OP mentioned, charge a fee just to LOOK at something that MAY (or maybe not) be warranty work.

'99-6SIC6

I'm not saying that the long term investment of a potential client isn't the top priority here. I'm also not saying that dealerships MUST charge any money to look over a vehicle. All I'm saying is that if a vehicle requires maintenance and/or repair, that it doesn't matter who's footing the bill - the vehicle still needs maintenance and/or repair. I understand that every situation is different and that warranty covers some things but not everything. If a vehicle is covered under warranty, by all means - use every bit of it. That's what you're spending your 40K on. I'm lucky to work for a company that services our clients the way we do, the way we ALWAYS put them first and foremost. I can't speak for other dealers but I guess I'm just trying to defend the one I'm involved in. From a consumer's point of view, yes I understand everything we've discussed here. I've been trained to exceed my client's expectations. Perhaps being on this side of the equation has jaded me a bit, but I still feel as though some of us in this industry are doing our best to attract and retain clients.
I feel as though we've gotten off topic here.

-greg

SilverJ

no disrespect Greg. I'm sure you guys do a great job. I've worked as a service advisor many moons ago for goodyear tire, so unfortunately I have seen first hand what goes on behind closed doors(for the worse). I know there's good and bad in any business. I just wish that stuff like diagnostic fees was consistent across the board.
Either let it be zero or let it be 99 dollars or whatever. Its confusing to consumers when one dealership charges nothing to look at a possible issue and another one does.

SirCarroll

Acura of Johnston have never mentioned one word of a diagnostic fee for my 2012 but I suppose its because my car is still under warranty. If it were not under warranty I would EXPECT to be charged some fee (If I could not produce the issue right then and there). If my vehicle is under warranty and I bring it in for a issue and the dealer tried to push the "diagnostic fee" on me I would say no thank you and never look back. Its just comes off a little shady because THE CAR IS UNDER A WARRANTY..period. It would make me think the dealership is only about money and will do whatever it takes to nickel and dime me. This to me seems like a no brainer. Now I will say that the times that I have taken it to them I always go for a drive with the tech so they can observe the issue and if a drive isn't needed I have had great success producing whatever this issue is at the shop. At the end of the day you are trying to build a good positive respectful relationship with your customers. It's like the many great companies out there that believe in the "experience" as well as the service. Do that and you just can't lose.

C8N

^ Same here and my dealer is Open Road Acura of Wayne.
I am pretty anal when it comes to my car and I have taken my car for any noise I hear or if something feels odd. There are times when they tell me they cannot reproduce and to bring it back if and when it gets worse. I have not been charged a cent so far. Last time I was in for my T/C, they tested and replaced the battery under warranty without me even asking for it.

SilverJ

Agreed. If my car were not under warranty. I get it, charge me a fee. But if its under warranty, I don't even want to hear mention of a diagnostic fee, I don't care if its something that's determined NOT to be covered under warranty or not there should never ever be a charge to look at something if its under warranty. And lets be real here, if the car is under bumper to bumper warranty, than I take that literally. EVERYTHING that happens to the car that you didn't specifically damage due to abuse or whatever or normal wear and tear should be covered 100%.

kcarr91

Update, went to Criswell Acura in Annapolis today, paid zero fees, they never asked for a diagnostic fee or anything like that, and the battery failed the load test. They replaced the battery under warranty no questions asked, i have always had great customer service there. I wouldn't have known/thought the battery was under warranty without this forum so thanks!

Extra piece of info, the technician was worried that my battery might pass inspection because i drove over an hour today before coming hence charging the battery. So a little heads up if you plan on going in for this dont drive your car a lot before hand. My car sat for 30 mins in the cold because i got there early so that might have helped.

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

I don't expect to ever pay a diagnostic fee for a car under its original or CPO manufacturer warranty. Glad you got it taken care of.

The Professor

Well I got the answer to my original post. I took the TL in last weekend and they put in a new battery for me, no charge for anything. The "replace battery" warning light was still coming and going, especially in the cold so they tested it and replaced the battery - problem solved. Thanks Acura Kingston (especially Tony).

While I was there they gave me a new MDX loaner for the morning, it has a nice comfy ride and great seating position, but I still like the TL acceleration better.

SilverJ

Great to hear. I like the new MDX myself, but certainly not over my TL. I also prefer the 2G MDX over 3G. Glad to hear Acura of Kingston treated you right, and you didn't have to deal with the potential of any diagnostic fee nonsense for your warrantied TL.