How to identify your Delco-Light Plant by serial number. Automotive Battery Part Numbers and Date Codes. Sometime the number may have an S at the end. AC Delco/Global date code.

I understand that AC Delco encodes the month of manufacturing a car battery using two digits and encodes the year by one digit. The battery I just purchased, for example, is labeled P124R, which, IIUC, means that it was made in December 2014. I'm puzzled by this ambiguity regarding the decade of manufacture.

How does a buyer rule out he's dealing with an exceptionally unscrupulous retailer who put on the market 10+ year-old stock? Just as importantly, how can a manufacturer of AC Delco's renown make the date this ambiguous? Is it, for instance, the case that a battery that has been sitting on a shelf for 11 years will be so unusable that it could not possibly be sold as a one year old battery? NOTE: Much of your question seems to be a rant, so I will answer the last part, which seems to have gone unanswered to this point. According to the, a typical lead acid battery will lose about 5% of its charge every month (whether this means 5% of of the total charge when completely full - ie: 5%, 10%, 15%, etc, or 5% of the remaining charge - ie: 5% of 100%, 5% of 95%, 5% of 90.25%, etc, is unclear). This means if a battery sits on the shelf too long, it will need recharged after a period of time to be fully operable in a vehicle.

That is for a battery which is stored wet (with acid in the cells). A dry battery (one without an electrolyte) will maintain on the shelf indefinitely.

Como Actualizar Software Motorola Milestone 3 Symbols here. Once the electrolyte is placed in the cells, the process begins. There is another factor which will make a battery go bad. According to the same website: With usage and age, however, the flooded lead acid builds up sludge in the sediment trap, which causes a soft short when this semi-conductive substance reaches the plates.

This can cause issues when the battery gets old. I assume it happens at a slower rate while on the shelf, but will still happen over time as it becomes aged. What this means is, a battery with acid in the cells can only sit on the shelf for so long before it must be recycled or it will not work right. Have no fear, though, lead from batteries is one of the most recycled things we humans pull out of the ground.

A battery which has sat on the shelf for too long, while it may not provide you good usage, will still be able to be exchanged for a new one under the normal battery warranty programs. I'm sure batteries are sold beyond their expiration dates, but they are also easily replaced.

AC Delco's website addresses this: How do I read the warranty date code on my battery? The warranty date code is located on the top label of the battery. The first character is either a P or S. The next two digits determine the month, the third digit is year and the fourth digit indicates the manufacturing plant. For example, P 094N means the battery was made in September 2014.

() See the answer below for more information about battery life. Either way, the warranty period for your battery starts from the time of purchase.

I just bought my 2000 used and I'm going through all the normal checks. I discovered quickly that the coolant probably hadn't been changed.ever by the looks of it! I addressed that issue yesterday. I suspect the battery might also be eight years old. If so, then I might replace it in the next few months.

How do I tell the age of an AC Delco Battery? Mine is marked: AC Delco 78-6YR Serial Number: 833571 There is also a P followed by a stamp that reads 056N Edit: Nevermind. I found the answer. If anyone is interested. Looks like my battery was made in May of 2006.

How do I read the warranty date code on my battery? The warranty date code is located on the top label of the battery. The first character is either a P or S. The next two digits determine the month, the third digit is year and the fourth digit indicates the manufacturing plant. For example, P 094N means the battery was made in September 2004 in the New Brunswick factory.