THE PARTS BIN
LEAD ACID AIRCRAFT BATTERY WARRANTIES I
can just about guarantee that anyone who has purchased aircraft batteries on a regular basis has either processed a warranty or has looked at the warranty terms and condi-
tions. Many mechanics cringe when they hear the phrase “battery warranty.” To be honest, I don’t necessarily enjoy processing battery war- ranties myself for our customers. We process these warranties because we want to help our customers — plus it is the right thing for us to do.
My intent in this month’s column is not to discuss the
merits of either Teledyne Gill or Concorde batteries. They are both good products, and the companies have employees who care about customer satisfaction and quality. Instead, the goal of this article is to make sure you understand the warranty process for both manufacturers.
WORD OF WARNING Before I get into the warranty process for both batteries, I want to recommend that you NEVER purchase batteries through a mail order house. Most of them are not autho- rized to process warranties, no matter how big they are. If you have a distributor you use for batteries, they will often provide you with a replacement battery right away. This minimizes downtime for you, and will improve your aircraft
09.10 2009
40
THE PARTS BIN Norman Chance
availability. Just about every week, I get calls from people who bought batteries from a mail order house because they were “cheap.” They want us to process the warranties for them. We have learned to decline for two reasons. First, we have no trace- ability to where those batteries came from. Sec- ondly, this normally happens because the end users go around the back of the FBOs or professional maintenance technicians to save money. In their effort to save money, they are now forced to pay
to ship that expensive and heavy battery back to the mail order house. They will also be without a battery because the mail order house won’t provide them another battery upfront. That really does not sound like Mr. Joe Retail saved any money or time, did he?
BATTERY WARRANTY DO’S Concorde Battery manufactures two main types of batter- ies — the “CB” series which is a flooded battery (you add acid), and the “RG” series which is sealed. Both types of batteries are available for both piston and turbine aircraft. In the unlikely event of a failure within the first 180 days of installation, or within 300 flight hours, Concorde will pro- vide you with a full replacement through your distributor. This policy is true for both types of powered aircraft. When you get past the 180 days or 300 flight hours, the warranty
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