Bought an 8mo old “new” battery that only got me home before dying and needing to be charged up. I knew from re key service, who said current battery was fine and any problem had to be the ground wire or alternator. CL said no it was simply the battery and replacing the battery they guaranteed would fix the problem. I accepted their insistence to know that a new battery was all it needed to run so I bought what they called a new battery… but over 6mo old.
I took car to parts shop, said battery appeared used. I took a picture of it for google, who stated “ High Resistance: The brown/grey buildup on your terminals acts as an insulator. This prevents the alternator from charging the battery properly and stops the battery from providing a steady flow of power to the car's computer.
Voltage Drop: When connections are dirty, rusted, or loose the system voltage drops. Sensitive safety systems like Traction Control (TRAC) are often the first to fail when they don't get exactly 12.6V, which triggers dashboard light to come on and power to fade. If the alternator can't push power through those corroded clamps, your car is essentially running on "emergency" battery power until it eventually dies (fades) while you're driving.
What a Proper Job Looks Like;
When a mechanic installs a battery, the terminal clamps should be scoured to a shiny silver finish using a wire brush. The fact that yours look dull and dirty suggests the shop simply swapped the battery without cleaning the essential connection points.“ I’m a lttl aggravated

Jason a. from CL Tire and Automotive Repair responded on 03/26/2026 06:40 AM

We clearly requested that the vehicle not be driven when you came to pick it up, as you had declined the necessary repairs at that time. The battery was installed only because you insisted on driving the car home, and it was not brought in for a scheduled battery service. The battery was installed at the last minute due to your insistence, and as such, we were unable to perform a comprehensive battery service, which would have included thorough testing, cleaning of the terminals, and the replacement of any damaged or worn-out clamps, if necessary. Regarding the key service that you mentioned, the vehicle was brought to us without a functional key, which prevented us from conducting a proper battery test before the key replacement was carried out. The individuals at the key service stated that the battery was functioning correctly simply because the newly made key started the car; however, they did not perform any actual battery testing or examination to confirm its condition.

Furthermore, considering that the vehicle had been left unused for an extended period, the tires, belts, hoses, and battery were not in the best possible condition for safe operation. These vehicle components do not maintain their performance and structural integrity when they are not used regularly.

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