Auto Zone fails battery installation

[MtnMan]

I was on a paddling trip once, and a girl in our group couldn't get her car started after we took out. I wasn't directly involved cause she was primarily with a different sub group than I was in. I can't remember the exact symptoms, but 'jump starting' was agreed to be the next step. I didn't think that was the issue, but usually doesn't hurt. They're hooking up cables, and one guy in the group says to cross wire it; red-black. Someone else balked, I'm thinking "Umm...", and he pulls out his dick, and says 'I'm an electrical engineer, and I know what I'm talking about!'. Car never started. I occasionally wonder how much it cost to get it driving again :^D

I had a neighbor that was an engineer. He could fuck up an anvil with a rubber hammer with very little effort.

 

[Captante]

Spare goes under the axle til the wheel's off, then a quick swap and put the good wheel on. It's the difference between a pissoff and a disaster if the jack fails.

You and I learned to drive when tires were NOT like they are these days and changing a tire was a regular occurance.... many people these days are literally stuck waiting for help from a flat tire.

Conversely I carry a wheeled floor-jack and a large X-wrench next to the donut in my Honda. (and I check the pressure!) No room for a full-size spare wheel sadly or I'd carry one of those too!

While not as potentially lethal as jump-starting a car done wrong (which I've witnessed!) changing a tire can easily lead to getting hurt if one is not careful.

 

[Exterous]

BTW, that start/stop feature is super annoying and wasteful. They need to cut that shit out.

I think it's the garbage (cheap) way many manufacturers implemented it. I have it in my Camry and it's incredibly smooth. Occasionally I can feel the engine kick back on but 98% it's unnoticeable by me or my passengers

 

[pauldun170]

Anytime anyone touches one of my vehicles, I inspect the work in the parking lot before I leave the premises.
If they changed the oil, I pop the hood and check the oil.
If they do some sort of repair under the hood, I pop the hood to review to check if anything isn't right.
Change the tires, I check the lug nuts.

Even the best shops have the low man on the totem poll who is just starting out and working at the autoparts store has a low barrier for entry.

 

[lxskllr]

I always have plugs and a handpump in my vehicle. I'd love to have a floorjack, but I haven't had space in the last couple vehicles. I didn't even have a spare in my last truck. The hanger rotted off the bottom, it didn't come with one, and I never bought one. Amazingly, the seven years I drove it, I only had one flat, and I fixed it with a plug. That's driving on construction sites, and off road.

 

[Captante]

I think it's the garbage (cheap) way many manufacturers implemented it. I have it in my Camry and it's incredibly smooth. Occasionally I can feel the engine kick back on but 98% it's unnoticeable by me or my passengers

While normal rules of "wear & tear" don't really apply to any Toyota, and especially a Camry (lol!) for other folks with "mortal" vehicles, all a "start/stop" feature is, is one more thing that WILL wear out. (and WAY sooner than a normal starter motor would)

Fine in something you lease.... not so great if you own it long-term.

I always have plugs and a handpump in my vehicle. I'd love to have a floorjack, but I haven't had space in the last couple vehicles. I didn't even have a spare in my last truck. The hanger rotted off the bottom, it didn't come with one, and I never bought one. Amazingly, the seven years I drove it, I only had one flat, and I fixed it with a plug. That's driving on construction sites, and off road.

That was my point... it's been several years since I changed a tire. (although I've just doomed myself!)

 

[MtnMan]

30% of new cars do not come with a spare tire.

Many new vehicles do not have a spare tire

According to AAA, 30 percent of new cars don’t come with a spare.

www.newscentermaine.com

Also...

 

[Torn Mind]

My Sebring battery is in the left front wheel well. Ain't no poppin the hood to get to it. You almost have to pull the wheel.

If the customer knew how to do it themselves then they would do it themself.

Do you expect the cashier at the market to be a chef?
Do you expect the cashier at Home Depot to be a (good) carpenter?
Why would you expect the parts guy to be a mechanic?

If the parts guy was a mechanic then he'd make a lot more money working as one.

It appears Autozone doesn't do "fancy" installs that involve disassembly or more involved work. They limit themselves to batteries bought from them that can be dropped in and fastened.

So the "work" of fastening both connectors for an Autozone guy is so rudimentary and basic that any "reasonable" monkey can do it, especially since said employee see tools every day.

Does AutoZone offer battery installation services?

Answer (1 of 6): Yes, in most cases. There are times when a location may not be able to offer the service for specific vehicles, or because there are other major concerns. If a battery installation is particularly involved, a store may refuse to perform an installation. In most cases it’s refus...

www.quora.com

Does AutoZone Install Batteries? Your Complete Guide to Hassle-Free Service | Vehicle Answers

Are you wondering if AutoZone installs batteries? This simple question is crucial for many drivers facing battery issues. In this article, we delve into

vehicleanswers.com

And what % of the female population does that would you say?

 

[Torn Mind]

Pffft.

Change enough tires and you WILL run into situations where Popeye the sailor man couldn't get that dang lug off even after his freaking spinach! (no tools and you ARE NOT changing that tire)



Seriously ESPECIALLY with larger vehicles a smaller person (or a self-described weakling like you lol!) can easily find themselves physically unable to remove/replace a wheel even if they know what they're doing. Frankly so can the STRONGEST of large burly men!

Further even though it can seem "routine" changing a tire can be EXTREMELY dangerous on a roadside in close proximity to speeding traffic AND with a crappy OEM jack. (the weight of a car falling off that jack will crush your arm/leg in an instant)

So, am I to infer the majority or at least a substantial proportion of 18-33 year old women drive a Hummer, Chevy Express Van, or an F150, with a CDL for her work tractor trailer? In that case, they probably have a dad who already taught them the ropes and they got farmgirl strength and kinkiness.

A reminder that I am 6ft, 125 pounds, 98% sedentary and though my mom's Matrix wheel is heavy, I can still get it on, although my clothes might wind up dirtier than a stronger man with stronger arms. I've also replaced the tires on a Chevy Van G20, a greater struggle, but seriously, I still got it done.

 

[Captante]

I see women driving Chevy Tahoes, Escalades and other full-size SUV's with massive/heavy wheels every single time I'm on the road.

Changing a tire/wheel on one of those things can be quite a project even for me and I've done it many times, quite a few of those in seriously hairy conditions and/or shit-weather. (it's far easier in controlled conditions)

As for the vehicle.... at one point on my old 2005 Corolla the driver-side front tire effectively fused to the axle with corrosion and frozen road-crap. (I'd had a flat on I-95 in heavy snow)

The tow-guy and I together had to remove it by taking turns going at the inside with a huge mallet.... took like 10 minutes and we both got soaked with mud. (again this was only a stock-size wheel on a Corolla)

 

[MtnMan]

Part of the problem is that a tire replacement person might overtighten them with an impact to some massive torque that a typical tire iron or 1/2 ratchet cannot handle.

But a breaker bar and appropriate socket should remedy the extreme torque situations. I've got less muscle than most women but I've never had a problem removing lug nuts not overtorqued.

Maybe some people don't want to get their hands dirty, but muscular strength is a doubtful impediment, especially if the woman lifts at the gym to get "toned".

I use Discount Tire for all my vehicles. Many reasons, price, selection, service, guarantee, etc., and the fact I have watched as they mount tires on my and other vehicles, they pull out a torque wrench and torque the lug nuts. Every time I get a copy of my paperwork, the correct torque for the vehicle is listed on the paperwork.

I do carry a 4-way lug wrench out of habit, as many years ago I couldn't get a lug nut off, but someone with a 4-way stopped to help, and we got it off. Today, I carry it in case I can offer the same help to someone in a similar situation.

 

[MtnMan]

I got a car for my daughter when she turned 16. I taught her how to check tire pressure, change a tire, check the oil, jump start, etc., plus put a set of air pressure gauge, jumper cables, spare oil, etc. in the trunk.

 

[yottabit]

Do you lot not pay for roadside assistance? AAA or through your auto insurance company.

I can change a tire and do most repairs but I’d rather not do it at night on the side of a highway

 

[lxskllr]

Sometimes 'roadside assistance' leaves a bit to be desired, and if you just did it yourself, you'd have been home an hour ago. Aside from that, I consider it a matter of personal pride to unfuck myself out of a situation.

 

[highland145]

Spare goes under the axle til the wheel's off, then a quick swap and put the good wheel on. It's the difference between a pissoff and a disaster if the jack fails.

This.

 

[pcgeek11]

I almost had Advance Auto do it for my dad's minivan recently, but decided I would be more competent in turning bolts and putting things back together 100%. Even if they did it though, I would've brought it and watched them.

BTW, that start/stop feature is super annoying and wasteful. They need to cut that shit out.

I haven't had a vehicle that did that, but I think it would cause me a lot of anxiety. I'd probably do what I could to get rid of that feature.

It may work but it wears out the starter solenoid contacts pretty quickly.

 

[Captante]

The last vehicle I drove that had start/stop was a 2015-16 rented Chrysler Pacifica and it allowed that "feature" the be turned off in the "settings".

It was one of the first things I did even though I only had it for a week.

 

[Moonbeam]

Just bought an Optima Yellowtop for my F-150 at Auto Zone. Was a job because the bolt on the bar that locks the battery in place was rusted solid and broke. Had to remove the battery platform and find an alternative nut and bolt but finally got-r-done. I bought a car long ago for a third of what the battery cost.

 

[AMCRambler]

I will be a bit sexist here, but some of those lugnuts would be impossible for a person of less strength/weight to pop off while on the side of the road. I had trouble with one in the past too and we needed a long bar with a lot of leverage.

If I had a daughter, I'd make sure they knew HOW, but would have doubts about them doing it physically, at least not without struggle.

Stand on the handle. Bounce on it if you need to.

 

[NutBucket]

I carry this in every vehicle: http://www.gorilla-auto.com/lug-wrenches

Relevant anecdote I guess. About a month ago one of my staffers asked if I knew how to change a tire (guy is under 30). I said sure and went to the parking structure to help (grabbing a portable compressor and tire gauge from my car along the way). Anyway, proceeded to help him put on the spare and inflate it (had about 30 PSI). Then I asked if he had a tire pressure gauge. Guy said no so I handed him mine (yes I have two more in the car LOL). Really good engineer...but some stuff I think you just learn during the course of your upbringing whether through parents, family or friends.

 

[MtnMan]

Stand on the handle. Bounce on it if you need to.

You can do that with a breaker bar with a socket, but for the average crappy OEM lug wrench, it won't stay on the nut. That's why I have a 4-way lug wrench in the car.

 

[Captante]

Stand on the handle. Bounce on it if you need to.

Right up until the lug snaps off .... which I've seen happen more than once.

In a smaller vehicle with less than 5 lug-nuts holding the wheel on this most likely means you'll be getting a tow.

 

[pcgeek11]

You can do that with a breaker bar with a socket, but for the average crappy OEM lug wrench, it won't stay on the nut. That's why I have a 4-way lug wrench in the car.

This is what I use. Compact 4 Way Lug Wrench.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015DJ8A40/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[WelshBloke]

BTW, that start/stop feature is super annoying and wasteful. They need to cut that shit out.

First thing i did when i got my Mini was get that disabled.

 

[MrSquished]

First thing i did when i got my Mini was get that disabled.

From what I understand it is to get part of the fleet under certain emissions standards by having the car turn off when stopped. It's a little trick to get around actually being more fuel efficient.