How to tell the service date on 6V Duracell Batteries (Sam's Club)

[baloo]

I got the message from other iRV2-ers not to buy batteries that have service dates stamped more than 3-4 months ago.

I went to Sam's club, where they are only carrying Duracells. The 6V "golf car" (not "cart") batteries had one of two numbers starting with "21" and "32".

Does this mean 21=FEB 2011, and 32=Mar 2012??

I didn't buy out of concerns that these batts were over one year old.

I checked the Duracell website for their service date keys, but no luck.

Anyone know how to interpret the service codes for Duracell? Is the date buried further in the number/letter stamp?

Appreciate any info.
Thanks.

[autofish]

think those numbers are the week of the year 1-52

[Barlow46]

I believe that the Duracells sold by Sam's are made by East Penn Battery. East Penn Releases New Duracell Automotive Batteries
Check their web page and see what the codes are. Also you might be seeing manufacturing date codes and/or charge date codes.

[baloo]

Thanks all.
I emailed East Penn. Doubt if they will answer, or will get an administrator who knows nothing. But we'll see.

[Gary RVRoamer]

There is no standard for a battery date code, but the most common one is two alphanumeric digits, with a single alpha for month and a single numeric digit year. For example, A2 = January, 2012, B8 = February, 2008. The two digits may be the first two in a 3 or 4 or 5 character string. I don't know if East Penn (Duracell) uses that scheme of not, though.

Sometimes the code is stamped into the case near a corner; others may stamp it into the positive or negative post. The date may be a build date or a ship date and some manufacturers put both on, e.g. one on the positive and the other on the negative post, or on different corners. The build date is "dry", meaning no electrolyte in a flooded cell, while the ship date reflects when electrolyte was added and the battery shipped to a distributor. I believe AGMs and Gels are built "wet", though.

[baloo]

The Duracells at Sam's CLub had numbers and letters stamped into the side of the lip of the top battery cover. Nothing was stamped on the terminals.

Anyone?

[Stano]

Call Sams Club!

Stano

[Gary RVRoamer]

And what were those letters and numbers? Besides beginning with 21 or 32?

[baloo]

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

And what were those letters and numbers? Besides beginning with 21 or 32?

OK Gary,
Here are the codes from one of the batteries:
EGC2AGM
Numbers stamped on the side lip read:
1177F28-29
and 11598CPj2E-0497

What you make of this?

[baloo]

I got a reply back from Duracell (East Penn). I had sent him the following codes from one of the batteries:
EGC2AGM
Numbers stamped on the side lip read:
1177F28-29
and 11598CPj2E-0497

See the below reply:

--- On Tue, 1/8/13, Spencer DeTurk <sdeturk@dekabatteries.com> wrote:

From: Spencer DeTurk <sdeturk@dekabatteries.com>
Subject: RE: Contact Us Form
Date: Tuesday, January 8, 2013, 9:49 AM


Thanks for the information, it’s very helpful.

Based on the number 1177F28-29 I am able to determine that this battery was formed on the 177th day of 2011. The first digit in this sequence is the last digit of the year and the next three digits are the day of the year.

Regards,
Spencer DeTurk
East Penn manufacturing co., inc.
Lyon Station , PA 19536
(610)682-4231x2993

[baloo]

Well,
I went back and asked East Penn a further question -- WHAT WAS THE DATE THE BATTERY WAS PUT INTO SERVICE (THE ELECTROLYTE ADDED TO ACTIVE IT)?

They came back and said that, indeed, the date stamped in the side lip of the battery was the activation date: 177th day of 2011!

FURTHERMORE, there was a little paper sticker on the battery saying "G2" -- which, according to the Sam's Club rep, meant that it was activated on the 7th month ("G" being the 7th letter of the alphabet -- and "I" is not used) of 2012.

This means that the factory's actual activation date differs from the little sticker that I have always used as the date the elctrolyte was added! In fact, it differs by almost ONE YEAR.

BOTTOM LINE: use the date stamped on the battery case, NOT the paper sticker date.

Below is the email from East Penn.
----------------------------------------------------

From: Spencer DeTurk <sdeturk@dekabatteries.com>
Subject: RE: Contact Us Form
To: "'sy'" <sy14051@yahoo.com>
Date: Tuesday, January 8, 2013, 10:23 AM

No, the 177th day of 2011 is actually when the battery was formed with the electrolyte.

Regards,
Spencer DeTurk
East Penn manufacturing co., inc.


From: sy
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2013 10:17 AM
To: Spencer DeTurk
Subject: RE: Contact Us Form


Thank you.
So this would be the manufacture date.
How about the date that the electrolyte solution was added (the "service date" -- the date from which the countdown starts)?
s

--- On Tue, 1/8/13, Spencer DeTurk <sdeturk@dekabatteries.com> wrote:

From: Spencer DeTurk <sdeturk@dekabatteries.com >
Subject: RE: Contact Us Form
To: "'sy'"
Date: Tuesday, January 8, 2013, 9:49 AM
Thanks for the information, it’s very helpful.
Based on the number 1177F28-29 I am able to determine that this battery was formed on the 177th day of 2011. The first digit in this sequence is the last digit of the year and the next three digits are the day of the year.

Regards,
Spencer DeTurk
East Penn manufacturing co., inc.
Lyon Station , PA 19536
(610)682-4231x2993

[Gary RVRoamer]

Thanks for letting us know. As I said earlier, there is no standard and each manufacturer does his own thing.

I'm guessing the G2 sticker was added by Sams Club for inventory management purposes - it's may be the date they put it in stock.