Battery Replacements and Warranty Claims

When testing or charging a battery in a vehicle that is in for service or is part of the dealership’s inventory, it’s critical to get an accurate diagnosis of the battery’s state of health before making a determination about replacing it. (Fig. 11) If a battery must be replaced, there are a few items that are needed in order to complete the warranty replacement.

 

Fig. 11

 

Refer to the latest version of Bulletin #03-06-03-004 – Battery Testing and Warranty Replacement Requirements outlining the testing process and warranty claims.

Following are some battery testing and battery replacement tips from the Warranty Support Center (WSC) that may be helpful when performing a battery replacement and the subsequent warranty transaction submission requirements.

 

Warranty Requirements

Enter the VIN – It is important for service consultants to enter the VIN into Investigate Vehicle History (IVH) and validate an applicable warranty prior to work being performed. Batteries are a covered component under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.

Testing Equipment – The EL–50313 Midtronics GR8 or new EL-52800 DCBS Diagnostic Charge Battery Station must be used to test a battery. The test needs to be set up as “out of vehicle” — which means either outside of the vehicle or with the positive/negative battery cables disconnected — in order to ensure a proper test and accurate result.

Correct VIN and RO — The correct VIN and job card number (repair order) should be entered by the technician when performing the battery test. This information allows the battery test printout to serve as the appropriate supporting documentation for the warranty transaction.

Warranty Code – When a “replace battery” result occurs, the tester will supply a Warranty Code on the test result printout. The printout must be attached to the job card and stored in the dealership’s vehicle history folder. The code must be entered by the warranty administrator in the “Battery Tester Code” Field of the transaction.

Replacement Details — The Cause and Correction comments on the job card and submitted with the transaction must indicate why the battery was replaced.

For additional information, refer to Bulletin #03-06-03-004 or contact your WSC Specialist.

 

– Thanks to Troy Henige and Patti Marino