One really cold morning, my truck wouldn't start. Thought I'd get a jump and drive straight to the dealer for a warranty replacement battery, but alas, the dealer was obliged by law and/or policy to fix every outstanding recall--and therefore they couldn't get to the dead battery for 2 weeks.
Called around the old standbys: Sears Tire and Auto (wouldn't answer the phone), every dealer in town... Then, when it looked like I'd be stuck in Somebody's Auto Parts parking lot with a new, chintzy socket set, scrambling to get my own battery out of this truck and a new one in it before half a workday was lost...Interstate! They rate pretty good on Yelp, and Interstate makes a descent battery, at least according to a Leading Consumer Magazine. Why not? Get a jumpstart, drive there, and hope for the best.
They're the best!
For starters, they said: "Come on down! We'll hook you up with a new battery NOW."
Came into a waiting room with two seats, zero of which were occupied. Two seats, one for each bay of their battery installation operation. Greeted immediately on arrival by knowledgable staff who sold me on the cheaper of the two Interstate batteries available for my truck (non-AGM), with zero pressure to buy their shinier fancy-pants battery (AGM). Paid in advance, sat in one of the chairs while my $10 installation fee materialized a new battery in my truck, and a few minutes later, voila! New battery!
The "waiting room" is the only room, overlooking both the sales folks/cashiers and the installation bays, so if you're one of those paranoid types that likes to keep an eye on folks working on your vehicle, you'll love this setup.
While there, I noted a few things not particularly relevant to myself, but maybe you, dear reader, care about these things. First, yeah, you can buy a battery without paying $10 for installation--have fun! Second, if you run a used car lot, and/or you're trying to sell a car on eBay, you can buy a "certified" used battery. While I waited--ever so briefly--for installation, a used car dealer's vassal showed up to buy a used battery for a VW something-or-another for Somebody's Used Car Sales, and the Interstate salesperson described the certification procedure for used batteries: charge it, test it on a load, let it sit for two days, charge it, then test it on a load...something like that. Sounded reasonable, for the used car lot and/or eBay crowd. As for this author, dear reader, I'm inclined to pay the Big Bucks for avoiding battery discussions altogether, for as long as possible. Lastly, they cautioned me over the phone: if the battery installation requires extensive effort, they can't install it. After seeing the lengths to which they went to install my battery, I assume this means: if you cannot find your battery when the hood is opened, don't expect Interstate to install one for $10. They had to work for that $10 installing my battery (I watched the process), and by Jove, they worked hard for the money!
Here's the nut of it: this is Interstate, selling and installing Interstate batteries. They have a vested interest in getting you a Nice Battery and sparing you any thought of automotive batteries for as long as possible, after which they'll sell you another battery that won't leave you stranded for as long as possible.
As for my truck and those recalls, fear not, dear reader: I've scheduled those appointments with the dealer, two weeks hence. In the meantime, I'm driving to work.
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