The battery is the heart of your car’s electrical system. It provides the necessary power to start your car, keep the air conditioning on, and the headlights lit. For this reason, an automotive battery needs to be reliable, durable, and always in perfect working order. However, not all batteries are perfect when they make it out of the factory gates. Due to manufacturing defects, some batteries will end up not charging, no longer holding a charge, or not working as intended.
ACDelco batteries are one of the most popular batteries on the market and are well-known for their reliability, ruggedness, and longevity. ACDelco backs their batteries with 12- to 42-month warranties, well within the average lifespan of most batteries. ACDelco batteries are sold all over the world, but most of the ACDelco batteries sold in the United States are manufactured in North America.
If you are having problems with your ACDelco batteries, have it checked at their service and retails centers. There may be a material or workmanship defect on your battery that warrants replacement.
What are battery date codes
Battery date codes are used by manufacturers to indicate what when and where the batteries were manufactured. It also allows you to determine the age of your battery and whether it is still covered by the warranty.
A typical car battery lasts between two to five years. If your battery is old, it may no longer hold a charge like it used to and needs a replacement. Also, it may no longer be covered by a warranty since the coverage period was way past.
When buying a replacement battery, a newly manufactured one, needless to say, is better than old stock. Before purchasing a new battery, however, it is important to determine whether your old battery is still covered by the warranty to avoid unnecessary expenses.
Where to find the battery date code
The battery date code on ACDelco batteries is in the alphanumeric (consisting of letters and numerals) format. The code is usually printed on the battery tag placed on top of your ACDelco battery. The date code can be a bit hard to find especially when other codes such as model and serial numbers also printed on the battery tag. What sets apart the battery date code, however, is that it usually starts with either the letter “P” or “S”, followed by three digits, then end with another letter.
What do these codes mean
The first characters indicate the series of your ACDelco battery. The letter “P” stands for the Professional Series, “S” stands for the Advantage/60-Series, “H” stands for Heavy Duty, “K” stands for Voyager/Marine, while “M” stands for Maintenance Free.
The next three digits indicate the month and year the battery was manufactured. The first two numbers indicate the month while the third number indicates the year. January is represented by “01”, February by “02”, up to December which is represented by the month code “12”. As for the year of manufacture, only the last digit of the year is included in the code. If your battery was made in 2019, only the number “9” is included in the date code. This may cause confusion between batteries that were made before 2010 since a battery made in 2019 may be confused with one made in 2009. If you are unsure what year your battery was manufactured, seek help from your ACDelco service center or retailer.
The last character is the plant code which indicates where your battery was manufactured. This part of the code is most likely used by ACDelco to trace the origin of your defective battery. Please see the image below from ACDelco for reference.
How to read the ACDelco battery date code
To illustrate how to read the battery code on your ACDelco battery, look at the image below. This battery has a battery date code of “P039R” (highlighted in red) on its tag. This means that this ACDelco battery is a Professional Series battery manufactured in March 2019 at ACDelco’s plant “R”. (Grabbed image, replace if necessary)
How does ACDelco’s warranty work?
ACDelco provides a limited No Charge Warranty on their batteries. This means that ACDelco will replace your defective battery with a new one free of charge if it fails to hold a charge within the provided warranty period. ACDelco’s warranty period can range between 12 months and up to 42 months depending on the battery series. The warranty period is reckoned from the initial date of purchase of the replacement battery.
If your ACDelco battery is the original battery that came with your new GM vehicle, it is covered by a limited warranty of three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first, for Chevrolet and GMC. For Cadillac and Buick, the limited warranty is 4 years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. In both instances, the original battery must be taken to the GM dealership for replacement.
Things to know before claiming warranty
It is important to remember that not all damages to your battery are covered by ACDelco’s warranty. The battery warranty is limited to material and/or workmanship defects and does not include damages arising from, but not limited to the following:
- Improper use of the battery from its intended purpose or specification;
- Deliberate abuse;
- Normal wear and tear;
- Negligence, alterations or accidents;
- Prolonged storage or minimal use resulting in battery discharge;
- Electrical faults such as short circuit, excessive load, and faulty wiring;
How to claim under the warranty
If you wish to have your warranty-covered battery replaced, you must return the battery together with your dated sales receipt to your ACDelco service center or retailer. ACDelco technicians will check your battery for material and/or workmanship defects and identify the problem with your battery. If the battery is found defective, ACDelco will provide you with a new battery of comparable performance free of charge.
Will the new replacement battery covered by a warranty
The new battery will receive the remainder of the original warranty. This means that in the event that the second battery fails, the original date of purchase will be used as the reckoning point for the warranty and not when the original battery was replaced.
