Strange start after battery died during oil change, video included

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

OP
OP
Dustin Jackson

Dustin Jackson

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Posts
1,544
Reaction score
1,741
Well boys today was a tough one, wife called and said she broke down in the pickup with the kids. I go to hop in the Tahoe and Tahoe's too weak to start and of course the jumper cables were in the truck my wife was broke down in... luckily we have a 3rd car. thank ******* goodness.

The AC compressor on the pickup has been seizing and when she turned on the defroster it stalled the motor at a red light. When I arrived I got the motor to start but heard the belt squealing and I knew what the problem was and immediately turned off the heater and the pickup ran like normal again. I unplugged the AC compressor connector so that we can run the heater through winter without the AC clutch getting in the way of anything.

I think it's time for a new battery in the Tahoe, I want to run a couple tests and make sure there is no unreasonable power draw when its turned off.
 
OP
OP
Dustin Jackson

Dustin Jackson

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Posts
1,544
Reaction score
1,741
Dealership tested the battery and the battery failed so I got a free battery under warranty but.. Charged me $25 fee to test the battery and a $25 labor fee for installation of the warranty battery.

They installed the battery backward in the battery tray so the cables are all over the place..
 

Trey Hardy

8” fabtech icon coilovers uniballs 24x14on35/15.50
Joined
Jun 12, 2020
Posts
3,336
Reaction score
8,906
Location
Eastern North Carolina
Dealership tested the battery and the battery failed so I got a free battery under warranty but.. Charged me $25 fee to test the battery and a $25 labor fee for installation of the warranty battery.

They installed the battery backward in the battery tray so the cables are all over the place..
Glad you got it fixed man. When my battery was on its way out it caused all sorts of electrical gremlins as well it was very frustrating. My biggest pet peeve is whenever my battery dies or is unhooked it resets my ac temp doors and without recalibrating the driver will blow hot passenger side is cold.
I plan on upgrading to lithium ion cells on this next go round as they have a quick charge/discharge supposed to never really die with proper care and last 10+ years. Also it makes my boom booms go BOOM even louder due to the voltage increase. Of course I have to rewire the whole setup for them over other agm replacements that can just bolt under the hood
IMG_4141.jpegIMG_3578.jpeg
 

Fless

Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Apr 2, 2017
Posts
11,896
Reaction score
24,220
Location
Elev 5,280
Dealership tested the battery and the battery failed so I got a free battery under warranty but.. Charged me $25 fee to test the battery and a $25 labor fee for installation of the warranty battery.

They installed the battery backward in the battery tray so the cables are all over the place..

Take it back and have them install it properly. No excuses, especially since you paid for the install.
 
OP
OP
Dustin Jackson

Dustin Jackson

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2018
Posts
1,544
Reaction score
1,741
@Fless At this point I'm just going to move on, that battery warranty was the last reason I had to ever go to a dealership again.

I work in IT and I only learned to work on my vehicles myself because of shit like this, the service industry has been in a massive slump since COVID and you can see it across the board not just the auto mechanic industry. Nobody gives a shit these days and it sucks. I think everyone's just unhappy with the conditions of life, you have to break your back working and things cost so much money you get very little in return for selling the years of your life to the rat race. And it's just getting worse every year, corporate profits break new records and the price of product goes up but our salaries do not.
 

Fless

Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Apr 2, 2017
Posts
11,896
Reaction score
24,220
Location
Elev 5,280
IMHO and FWIW this is one reason we continue to get shoddy work from some of these places; we simply accept it. They probably think they did a great job but likely installed the wrong battery with incorrect post orientation.
 
Top