interstate batteries U6TL lame warranty

[Big Mike's Motor Pool]

im not sure if this is in the right place or not, but feel free to place it somewhere else if need be.
well earlier about 2 weeks ago or so i posted a question about chargin my batteries. well, i spent alot of time charging and took all of other members input and nothing was coming out the way it should. i finally tested each cell in my batteries with a refractometer and found that about half of the cells were bad. my batteries were not even a year old, purchase date on my sales invoice was march first 2007. i call interstate and explain my problem they tell me sorry, your warranty was only 6 months and up in september. what a rip off. i pay $310.19 for some quality batteries, get maybe 40 starts out of them and they are junk. i asked if there was anythign they could possibly do, maybe stretch the rules or re arrange some dates for me and they basically said sorry, your beat. im pretty mad about this and i dont think i will be buying anymore products from this manufacturer. i should have bought the hundred dollar neverstarts from wally world. atleast they have a better warranty
sorry for ranting on, but maybe this will save someone some hard earned money in the future

 

[Recovry4x4]

I feel your pain Mike (kinda). I've take RAM's advice many years ago and buy Sams Chinamart cheapos. Out the door with 2 batts less than a C note. The ones in my M275A2 have been there since 2003 and starts it without fail. If I were going to do any fording I think I'd buy Optimas or the like! Side note, with 2 el-cheapos in the battery box it gives me extra space for a few quarts of gear oil or the like.

 

[Big Mike's Motor Pool]

im deff goin with the cheap ones this time kenny, atleast when i take these batteries to the scrap yard i'll get double the price cause they are large truck batts

 

[CCATLETT1984]

OMG $300 for a 6tl. I just got one for $140 (NO CORE CHARGE) and it was not a blemish (i asked, they were out.) Also my deka 6tl has a 1yr (might be 2yr i dont remember.) warrenty.

 

[Big Mike's Motor Pool]

oop, i should have said the price was for 2 batteries

 

[acetomatoco]

If you are in a cold climate...get the group 31s from a good mfr and get the 7 year warranty and two year free replacement. I still use the wally world batts in my stuff with one year free replacement even if they freeze up during the winter here in VT at 40 below Solargisers on my stuff too... even the crown vics THEY WORK

 

[halftrack]

I also bought the 6tl's from Interstate battery and they lasted maybe 7 months. I was told the locad NG units get their batteries from the same place. No wonder why I see all the deadline vehicles in the armories, they have crap for batteries. I paid about $135 a battery. What a hunk of junk. The cheap ones are the way to go.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Costco has some 900cca batterys for just over $50 each.

 

[emmado22]

That sucks.. My 6TLMF's are 4 years old in my M35, and still going strong. My humvee's 6Tl's are 2 years old, and the same... I have a Solargizer on each vehicle. I know that helps.. Try another Interstate dealer....

 

[Autocar]

There are only two major battery manufacturers in the US anymore and they make all the private label batteries for eveyone else. One is Interstate and the other is Johnson Controls. About 5 years ago, Interstate starting building crap batteries right across the product line. When buying batteries, see if you can find out who the actual manufacturer is of the batteries. I know that Costco uses Johnson(good!). My compnay manufactures race car electronics and nobody we know in racing uses Interstate.

 

[JDToumanian]

There are only two major battery manufacturers in the US anymore and they make all the private label batteries for everyone else.

There's certainly more than two... My 6TLs were made by US Battery at their plant in Corona, CA.

http://www.usbattery.com/pages/12vmilitary.htm

US Battery is one of the largest makers of lead-acid batteries in the US, and they're the #1 supplier of 6TLs to the military (That's what they told me at least).

Jon

 

[sprucemt]

6tl

Excide, East Penn-DEKA, Optima, Bren-tronics.

 

[jatonka]

RE: 6tl

My experiences with Interstate are not good. Exide is a major manufacturer of batteries in the US. They sometimes make Napa batteries. Walmart is helping to destroy middle America(thats us) I never buy their batteries anymore, in fact, I never go to Walmart anymore. I get stuff at True Value, Tractor Supply Co. and Ace Hardware. I shop K-Mart and dollar stores. I don't need no stinkin" Walmart. They are destroying the true American small town way of life, think about the stores that aren't in your own town anymore. JT out

 

[clinto]

RE: 6tl

Walmart is helping to destroy middle America(thats us) I never buy their batteries anymore, in fact, I never go to Walmart anymore. I get stuff at True Value, Tractor Supply Co. and Ace Hardware. I shop K-Mart and dollar stores. I don't need no stinkin" Walmart. They are destroying the true American small town way of life, think about the stores that aren't in your own town anymore. JT out

Couldn't have said it better.

 

[Big Mike's Motor Pool]

RE: 6tl

i emailed interstate about my issue on monday at their customer service email address on their site. i stated my problem in a polit manner and simply asked for some possible assistance. they didnt even have the common courtesy to write me an email back. even for them to tell me sorry im beat would have been better than to ignore me.

 

[WillWagner]

RE: 6tl

Give them time Mike. I have had good luck with Interstate in my Suburban, pick-ups, trailer and Honda. The batteries in the deuce are 6tls with an '85 date code and still going strong...knock on wood! They will get back with you.

 

[m.walker]

RE: 6tl

My interstates work great , but they were blems only $35 each . They ran down after 1 week , I put in a battery cutoff switch and now they can sit for months and still fire up ! I didn't pay much , if I had they would have been crap . It's usually like that with me .

 

[ARMYMAN30YearsPlus]

RE: 6tl

I stand by my Exide batteries I bought at the PX they have a ten year guarantee and a jump start policy for a free jump during the warranty period. I do have solarizers on mine and 24 volt charger invertor on the duece. My boys were supposed to start all my trucks at least once a month while I am here in Korea but I heard from my daughter they have both failed thier duties. If my father in law dies I will have to do damage control when I get home for the funeral.

 

[cranetruck]

RE: 6tl

I went with commercial batteries since day one for economical reasons, but would like to have a good set of 6TLs for the 757 as soon as funds are available.
My "Champion Trailblazer" 65-2A have served me well for over seven years now....

 

[jwaller]

RE: 6tl

I think your biggest problem is the dealer you have. I had several of my blem 6tl's go bad and all I have to do is show up with them and they swap them out for me. I'm nobody special and they dont know me from adam but they do want to have a good name.