Warranty replacement for a agm deep cycle battery

[DaveH]

So my Duracell agm grp 31 trolling batteries have started lasting half a day compared to a full day on the water.
Ive had them 17 months now and the Sam’s club warranty is 18 months replacement.
So now the fun begins, they want test the battery’s and will come back and say it’s tests okay but they don’t have trained techs to test for reserve capacity!
So how would they test for it ? The batteries give me 4 hours of use instead of 8 .

[billnorman1]

If one battery is weak, or defective the system will fail prematurely. One cell in one battery can ruin the whole shebang. If you excessively discharge your batteries it can lead to premature failure, so can not charging immediately after you get home or a bad charger.
Let's hope you take all 3 to Sam's club after recharging and they have a load tester there. It's odd but not impossible to have 1 or 3 go bad.

If they are not sealed batteries have you checked the electrolyte level?

[Rip Bass]

Don’t charge it before you take it in. I had one fail once,took it back after charging and they said it was good. I ran it down,took it back then and they replaced it. They were only checking it for a charge,I think.

[haus9393]

probably depends on who you get at the counter. I just brought one in and the lady did nothing with the battery, it was absolutely cooked at full charge 11.2 volts but she didn't try to test it at all. Id bet just one of the batteries it fried.

[wmitch2]

Sams has a tester that will test and give you a print out of the condition and capacities.

[JohnnyO]

I had the same issues with the Sams Duracell AGM, however mine made it 19 months. They offered 25% off the replacement but would not replace. After all the good things that were said with regards to the battery, needless to say I went back to good ole WalMart,

Run the batteries down and then take to the store

[Lou r Pitcher]

By charging fully, resting overnight a voltage check will confirm that all cells are working and contributing and battery is not self discharging. That tells you nothing much about capacity, A healthy voltage test often triggers the often unwelcome but somewhat accurate 'battery is working' diagnosis as CCAs and RC minute values are not always warranted,

When you say not lasting a full day, how did you determine that? Hopefully you were not allowing a battery to become over-discharged.

[KandKKustomz]

probably depends on who you get at the counter. I just brought one in and the lady did nothing with the battery, it was absolutely cooked at full charge 11.2 volts but she didn't try to test it at all. Id bet just one of the batteries it fried.

did she give you a new one Haus?

[haus9393]

Yea without a question.

did she give you a new one Haus?

[DaveH]

By charging fully, resting overnight a voltage check will confirm that all cells are working and contributing and battery is not self discharging. That tells you nothing much about capacity, A healthy voltage test often triggers the often unwelcome but somewhat accurate 'battery is working' diagnosis as CCAs and RC minute values are not always warranted,

When you say not lasting a full day, how did you determine that? Hopefully you were not allowing a battery to become over-discharged.

Well what I mean by all day is with normal use is 8 hours on the water, of course that's not 8 full hours of my foot on the pedal on high.
In the first year and a half I've been real happy with the Duracell, I run a 24/80 ultrex and they really manage the batteries well. after every trip the batteries are plugged into a two year old Dual Pro professional charger
So I'm a guide and I'm out on the water 4 to 5 days a week, 8 hours of shoreline runs and sitting on anchor, Spot lock with no real draw down.
So in the last week I've been feeling the batteries getting weaker though out the day than they previously had.
So a year half of use on my boat is probably 3 on someone who's not out 5 days a week.
I feel that most counter people at the chain stores don't have the knowledge on testing deep cycles.
So how would they test reserve time ?
Just don't want them to come back saying well they test 12Volts so there good!

[DaveH]

I had the same issues with the Sams Duracell AGM, however mine made it 19 months. They offered 25% off the replacement but would not replace. After all the good things that were said with regards to the battery, needless to say I went back to good ole WalMart,

Run the batteries down and then take to the store

Luckily I'm at 17 months and that usually doesn't happen for me... will see how it goes, don't know if I should bring them in charged up or down ?

[haus9393]

I’d bring them dead if you are worried about a test.

[DaveH]

I’d bring them dead if you are worried about a test.

My concern is they can't test real time conditions we have out on the water.
And I get a Sam's club hero that thinks he's going to save the company by sending me away!
Oh well gotta be positive, not negative.. Lol

[mxmike]

Before I yanked those heavy ass batteries out of the boat and hauled them back to Sam's. I would first test your charger to see if both banks are charging correctly.

All bass boaters should own a multi meter and a load tester.

[DaveH]

Before I yanked those heavy ass batteries out of the boat and hauled them back to Sam's. I would first test your charger to see if both banks are charging correctly.

All bass boaters should own a multi meter and a load tester.

yes on the multi-meter after 24 hours charge all 3 batteries are 13.15 and differ by 3 or 4 I’m going to let them rest off the charger for a hour and check again.
i know some say that the professional 15amp per bank charger is lil hot and some think the 10 amp is the way to go but I’ve always used the pro and trust it.
And yes I’ll be reaching for the montrin afterwards

[Lou r Pitcher]

Well what I mean by all day is with normal use is 8 hours on the water, of course that's not 8 full hours of my foot on the pedal on high.
In the first year and a half I've been real happy with the Duracell, I run a 24/80 ultrex and they really manage the batteries well. after every trip the batteries are plugged into a two year old Dual Pro professional charger
So I'm a guide and I'm out on the water 4 to 5 days a week, 8 hours of shoreline runs and sitting on anchor, Spot lock with no real draw down.
So in the last week I've been feeling the batteries getting weaker though out the day than they previously had.
So a year half of use on my boat is probably 3 on someone who's not out 5 days a week.
I feel that most counter people at the chain stores don't have the knowledge on testing deep cycles.
So how would they test reserve time ?
Just don't want them to come back saying well they test 12Volts so there good!

You seem are confirming recent over-discharges were allowed last week.
Your feeling of getting weaker is possibly the significant slowing of your trolling motor indicating you have allowed the battery to become over-discharged. It is getting more permanent damage.

Just my view, but if after all those cycles ( over 340 by my guess count) of use and the battery voltage checks ok at full charge overnight , it is then showing all cells are good with each accepting and holding its charge. That confirms that the battery construction is good. The manufacturer seems made a good battery.

If the capacity is suddenly unacceptably too low, the likely causes are either sulphate coated plates or a significant amount of plate material has been consumed during heavy use.

The sulphation could be an inadequate charger or more likely is inadequate charging in a history of poor maintenance in allowing the battery to become over-discharged.

The loss of plate material is not typically a manufacturing defect either , it is unavoidable being a normal occurrence of a battery end of its normal life.......will occur much sooner when batteries are not being properly maintained such as by boaters that do not use a voltage gauge to advance indicate when it is proper time for the to stop and recharge.

Any case, good luck with the warranty; expect you will succeed to talk way into at least some warranty .....most batteries with longer warranties are 'no warranty hassle priced' as the buyer has actually already paid for one replacement. Counter people as you correctly implied don't really understand testing of a battery but then there is not much need for them to.

[DaveH]

Thanks Lou, You pretty much nailed it... Been a good batteries for the money, got a ton of cycles out of it, I average 250 days a years on the water, and the battery in the last week is showing its age. They still could last a guy who fishes one or twice a month for years. so the Duracells are Guide test tough !
Seems like the average time frame that batteries last me, doesn't matter whether there high end or midrange priced batteries. I'm ready for a new set.
Just so happens there still under Sam's warranty period so I'll see how that works out for me, regardless I'm needing new ones, warranty or buying new.

[billnorman1]

You can't say you haven't gotten your money's worth. You put them through a very rigorous test.

[DaveH]

You can't say you haven't gotten your money's worth. You put them through a very rigorous test.

Yes Sir guide tested... I ended up having the one test bad and the other good, it was 50/50 so exchanged one and bought the other��