Spring 2003 - InterstateDealers.com

Make More Money
With the
The ED-18 Early Detection Battery & Electrical System Analyzer, with its groundbreaking
technology, is more than a tester. It grabbed the attention of Motor Magazine when they named
it one of their Top 20 Tools for 2002. The ED-18, with its early detection capabilities, is owned
exclusively by Interstate Batteries and available only to exclusive Interstate Batteries Dealers.
How is it unique?
Enables Preventive Service on Batteries. Fast and easy preventive maintenance is now possible on
batteries. So next time you’re inspecting tires, belts, hoses, cables, clamps, connections, wiring, brakes
and steering, take a look at the battery too. With the ED-18, you can estimate the remaining life expectancy
in a marginal battery.
“In the ED-18, the automotive professional has a wear indicator tool for
batteries,” says Gale Kimbrough, Interstate’s technical services manager.
More Sales. This revolutionary tool is designed to help you gain more business from your existing traffic.
With the ED-18, the technician can alert customers to a potential battery failure before they get in trouble,
allowing them to make an informed decision regarding preventive battery replacement. Checking every
vehicle that comes through your shop gets you under more hoods where you can check, not only the battery
and charging system, but also belts and hoses and other preventive-maintenance items. This will increase
your opportunities for sales.
How do you get the most out of it?
Test every vehicle possible. You will find the ED-18 to
be most beneficial if you test every vehicle that comes
through your shop. Due to its portability and speed, an
ED-18 can be used to test more than 100 vehicles a day.
PERFORM the test.
INFORM the customer.
SALES will follow.
Inform your customers of the results. Simply informing
the customer of the battery’s condition is a very effective
sales approach. Our experience shows that allowing him
or her to make an informed decision regarding preventive
battery replacement will often result in a sale.
IMPORTANT: Interstate Batteries promotes the sale of
new batteries in order to replace ONLY batteries that
have failed or batteries that appear likely to fail in the
near future.
45%
MORE
The ED-18 is available to exclusive Interstate Dealers on
an affordable monthly lease plan. Ask your Interstate
route sales manager about our 30-day trial, and find out
WITHOUT
WITH
for yourself how the ED-18 can increase your customer
satisfaction and sales opportunities. If you’re interested
This chart shows the impact that the ED-18
in finding out more about the ED-18, call 1-800-541-8419, ext. 6759, or has had for the majority of Interstate Dealers
already using this early detection tool.
e-mail [email protected]. We will send you a 4-page brochure on
the ED-18 and inform your Interstate Distributor of your interest.
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interstatebatteries.com
Goes Beyond Testing Batteries. The ED-18 offers
you and your customer a complete diagnostic
analyzer for the electrical system. This includes
a diode test feature and a graphic representation of the starter’s performance during
cranking. It has a single-trace oscilloscope
What’s in it for you?
Satisfied Customers. The ED-18 offers your customers valuable long-term benefits. It helps you alert them
to potentially faulty batteries and electrical systems before they lead to no-starts. This will increase your
customer satisfaction.
April 2003
interstatebatteries.com
The tool determines the battery’s state of charge by a digital voltage reading and compares the battery’s temperature with a conductance reading in order to identify
marginality.
that allows the technician to look at AC and DC signals in real time.
BATTERIES SOLD
April 2003
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Uses Early Detection Technology. Traditional battery testers identify three battery conditions: good, bad and discharged. The ED18 can identify a marginal battery, one that is about to fail. And
what really makes it unique is that it can predict a cold temperature at which the battery may fail to start the vehicle. This
early detection technology is what allows preventive service
on batteries.
A battery’s performance abruptly drops just
before it fails to start the vehicle. Before that
abrupt drop, the battery may start the vehicle
but its performance has begun to decline. It is
said to be marginal. Extreme heat or cold could
cause a marginal battery to fail.
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April 2003
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Left: Bobby Labonte and the team drench the
Winner’s Circle after their first 2003 win, also
their sixth win in their last 14 races at Atlanta.
AutoStock 2003
You know that feeling
you get, the big drop up front,
another in the middle followed by
some loop-the-loops as you gather speed on
that favorite roller-coaster ride? That’s pretty much the
same feeling Bobby Labonte and the team have been
experiencing so far this race season.
(#20 crew chief) and Jimmy Makar — and really the
whole team — are doing things to make the race team
better.” That’s why Bobby is already one top five
away from scoring as many as he did all last season!
Bobby talked about shaking things up this year. “The
past two years after we won the championship, we kind
of got stale there. This year Fatback and Greg Zipadelli
Although they need some consistency, the team’s
confidence and excitement show we should strap in
and hold on tight, ’cause it promises to be quite a ride!
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One-of-a-kind
paint schemes on
our race car are
tied to special
causes and
promotions,
but for us, it’s
easy being green.
This June, Interstate Batteries
gets the best of both worlds
— we’ll be catching some extra
publicity and staying green
while we promote Hulk, this
summer’s sure-to-be box office
hit opening June 20!
Interstate Batteries’ Hulk
car will run June 15 in
Michigan, in the midst of a
huge advertising and promotions campaign. We are very
excited to join with Universal
Studios and Action (maker
of the die-cast cars that allow
these special paint schemes to
live on in various collections)
to feature this popular Marvel
Comics character. We hope fans
will remember that the Hulk is
green and powerful, just like
an Interstate battery!
Michael “Fatback” McSwain took over as crew chief
of the Interstate #18 car for the 2003 season. He
has been a Winston Cup crew chief since 1997 and
arrived in the midst of his recent NASCAR success
with Ricky Rudd and the Robert Yates Racing team.
In almost three years with Rudd, McSwain recorded
three victories while producing two top-five seasons
(fifth in 2000, fourth in 2001) and a top-10 (10th)
in 2002.
Despite his recent success with the Yates team,
McSwain joined Joe Gibbs Racing and 38-year-old
champion Bobby Labonte, placing himself in the
thick of the points chase.
“I don't know how many more years I can do it at
the rate I’m doing it,” said McSwain, who is 36.
“I figure I got five, maybe 10 left in me. So it’s an
opportunity to maybe put some rings on my fingers,
put some more trophies in [the Joe Gibbs Racing
shop]. I just couldn’t make myself pass it up.”
McSwain replaced 46-year-old Jimmy Makar, who
moved into the team manager position to play a
bigger role for Joe Gibbs Racing, ending the longest
active driver-crew chief relationship in Winston Cup
at eight years.
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Easy Bein’ Green
April 2003
April 2003
The win in Atlanta and pole positions in Las Vegas and
Texas have certainly been the highs, with the wreck
in Texas and early crash in Talladega among the lows.
Going into the new season, only one thing was sure:
It wouldn’t be like last season, the team’s worst since
Bobby joined Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of 1994.
Everyone was ready for change.
A
RECIPE
FOR
CHANGE
The new crew chief is quiet but intense. He says
his goal is to “be a team that the other teams
worry about every week.” He helped accomplish
that in the fourth race of the season when he
and the #18 crew guided Labonte to a victory in
Atlanta.
“I am looking forward to working with everyone
to get Bobby and the #18 car back to the head
table in New York.” So far, so good.
The Right Diagnosis Is Critical
Like a doctor performing exploratory surgery, an automotive technician must choose the proper
equipment and have the right knowledge to get accurate results, especially when testing batteries.
Here are the tools of the trade.
Specific Gravity Test
Tool: Hydrometer.
Measures: State of charge.
Advantage: Most accurate hand-held tool for determining the state of charge of a lead-acid battery.
Disadvantages: Cannot be used on batteries without access to cells, requires
1–3 minutes since a reading from each of the battery’s cells must be obtained.
Procedure: Draw electrolyte into the hydrometer from each individual battery cell,
compare the specific gravity between each cell and determine their state of charge.
Open-Circuit Voltage Test
Tool: Digital Voltmeter.
Measures: State of charge.
Advantages: Only way to measure state of charge on a sealed battery, quick, easy to use.
Disadvantages: Not as accurate as a hydrometer, may get a false reading on a batterywith
surface charge, cannot tell you if the battery has an individually weak cell.
Procedure: Connect voltmeter to the positive and negative terminals and measure the
terminal voltage while vehicle electrical loads are off and any surface charge is removed.
Load Test
Conductance Test
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Conductance/Marginality Test
Tool: ED-18 Early Detection Analyzer.
Measures: Same as conductance tester plus battery temperature and long-term performance.
Advantages: Same advantages as conductance tester plus measures battery temperature
and adjusts test accordingly, identifies a marginal (on the verge of failing) battery,
allows preventive service on batteries, has increased accuracy (more than 90%).
Disadvantage: Can get varied results depending on good/bad battery connection.
Procedure: Same as with conductance tester.
Obtaining an accurate diagnosis of a
battery problem means using the proper
tools. Shown here among the medical
equipment are the ED-18 analyzer and
the four most common diagnostic tools:
hydrometer, digital voltmeter, load tester and conductance tester.
The Best Tester
Each tester has its advantages. A shop would therefore do well to be equipped with a hydrometer, a digital
voltmeter, a variable carbon-pile load tester and a conductance marginality tester. To take your battery testing to a new level, consider leasing an ED-18 from your Interstate Distributor. For a full description of the
ED-18, see “Make More Money With the ED-18” on p. 2. NOTE: The ED-18 is designed as a customer service
tool, not a warranty tool.
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interstatebatteries.com
Tool: Conductance Tester.
Measures: Amount of internal battery resistance, battery’s state of charge via a digital
voltmeter, approximate remaining CCA capability.
Advantages: Accurate (up to 87% if battery is fully charged), quick, easy to use, able to test batteries below 75% state of charge, gives easy-to-interpret results (especially with printout).
Disadvantage: Can get varied results on the same battery due to certain factors: good/bad
connection to the battery, battery temperature and battery charge level.
Procedure: Connect tester to positive and negative terminals, enter correct battery CCA rating,
and follow the prompts on the tester’s readout.
April 2003
April 2003
Tool: Variable Carbon-pile Load Tester.
Measures: Capacity performance, long-term performance.
Advantage: Most accurate (95%) test IF procedures are precisely followed and good,
precise equipment is used.
Disadvantages: Takes 1–3 minutes, requires greater evaluation skills, not as accurate as a
conductance tester if the battery is discharged below 75% or if equipment is
not calibrated.
Procedure: With the battery’s state of charge at 75% or higher, apply a current load of 1/2 the CCA rating of the battery for 15 seconds.
Offer Optima Power:
Fits More Cars at a Better Price!
Off-road, rough waters or the potholes
around town — they’re all tough on batteries. Unless it’s an Optima® battery. Now
Interstate is making it even easier for you to
offer Optima to your customers, with new
sizes and a retail price as low as $99.95 for
the SC75U, group size 35/75!
• Lasts up to two times longer.
• Can sit unused three times longer than other batteries.
• 15 times more resistant to vibration than other batteries.
• Nonspillable and can mount in almost any position.
• Constant performance quality (keeps same level of power
even as it’s being discharged).
• Faster starts.
We hope that the increased application coverage will help
increase your Optima sales. Note that the Optima group 25
and 35 batteries will fit better than the group 75 with a height
adapter in certain vehicles, especially in Japanese automobiles.
If you are interested in stocking — or stocking more Optima
batteries, please tell your Interstate Batteries Route Sales
Manager or Distributor.
April 2003
April 2003
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More consumers are learning about
Spiralcell Technology®, which features two
thin lead plates wound into a tight spiral
cell, with an absorbent glass mat between
to hold the electrolyte solution. This
unique design allows for more power and
increased energy, resulting in quick, reliable
starts. And now, with more group sizes to
serve more needs, more of your customers
may be interested in Optima products.
Remember, when compared with conventional batteries,
Optima’s Spiralcell Technology offers these benefits:
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Add Value to Summer Fun
It’s almost time to get out the motorcycles, watercraft and more for spring and summer! With many
consumers becoming more price-conscious, it’s
a great time to roll out a value-priced
line of batteries for battery-powered recreational equipment
too.
Interstate’s own “Mad Mike” rode his 2000
Kawasaki ZX-12R Ninja street bike to the 2002 IDBA
(International Drag Bike Association) Championship.
Mike Harris, 35, made it to nine final-round appearances in 16 events and took seven first-place finishes.
That earned him the top spot in the national point
standings in the Street ET (Elapsed Time) class.
“I’m a speed junky,” said Mike. “Speed gets you
noticed. The faster I go, the more the Interstate bike
gets noticed by everyone around.”
Mike’s bike is one of the fastest out there. In 2002
he averaged 9.6 seconds in the straight quarter-mile
race, which is about 145 mph.
The U6TL, the primary military battery, is a 12-volt, cranking
battery with a lot of reserve. It is used in tanks, Humvees, and
2.5-ton and 5-ton trucks. Much of this equipment has been
shipped to Iraq from the Minnesota and Wisconsin guard units
to assist in the military operation.
The equipment is not all that has been moved. “The people
are gone, and the facility is closed up,” said Distributor Chris
DeSmedt, referring to Wisconsin Army National Guard OMS12 in Hayward, Wisc.
The 24-volt electrical system of the M1-A1 and Bradley tanks,
which use six batteries in series/parallel, rotates the turret and
powers the night-sighting and mapping systems. The ambulance
Humvee also relies on a 24-volt system to operate ventilation,
lighting, and medical and communications equipment.
“We have some Interstates coming in that are six years old,”
said Sgt. Dennis Hale at Camp Ripley, Minn. That kind of
reliability is essential in the desert in enemy territory. But
it is also appreciated back home. “Many of the guys in the
service see the batteries used in the military equipment and
then want to use them in their personal vehicles. The batteries
sell themselves.”
But in the Street ET class, it’s not the fastest bike that
wins; it’s the bike that comes closest to hitting the
estimated elapsed time turned in by the rider before
the race. In estimating their times, the riders consider
a number of factors: wind, temperature, humidity,
altitude and track conditions.
Mike Harris,
known as “Mad
Mike,” won the
Street ET (Elapsed
Time) class of the
2002 IDBA dragracing championship.
Mike’s race team, Mad Mike Racing, promotes the
Cycle-Tron line everywhere he goes, which was at
16 tracks in 2002. In 2003 Mike will be stepping up
to the Street ET class in AMA Prostar, American
Motorcyclist Association, which is the highest
level of all-motorcycle drag racing. This will bring
Interstate Batteries even more exposure.
The Army National
Guard Humvees at
OMS-13S in Cloquet,
Minn., are each powered by two Interstate
U6TL batteries.
Scott Kirley
National Disaster Medical System
Office of Homeland Security
Tampa Bay, Fla.
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interstatebatteries.com
“Mad Mike” ⌦2002 Drag Bike
Champion
Minnesota and Wisconsin Army National Guard units receive
about 1,500 military batteries each year from Interstate Battery
System of Twin Ports, located at the tip of Lake Superior where
the two states meet. Due to the high volume of some locations,
deliveries are often made in pallet quantities.
Dear Interstate®,
Our team is part of a federal
response package tasked to
provide disaster medical care
in all environments. Seventytwo hours before a recent
field-training exercise, we suffered battery failure on two
6.5Kw generators that provide
our electrical needs on a 24hour basis. Downtime is not an
option, and we needed a quick
resolution. John Edge,
warehouse manager of IBS
Tampa, responded with a
solution, and we were able to
fully participate in the exercise, due in part to his efforts.
We needed a small battery
with specific dimensions, and
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Interstate provided us with
what we needed. I will continue
to utilize your services in
the future.
April 2003
April 2003
12
So we’re introducing
PowerVolt PowerSports
batteries, the value-priced line
that complements our premium
Interstate Cycle-Tron® batteries. This
good-quality, ISO-certified product is just
what many customers want.
So, if you are ready to sell more of the popular
motorcycle sizes in greater quantities, you
may want to talk to your Interstate
Distributor or Route Sales
Manager about carrying these
PowerVolt batteries alongside
the Interstate Cycle-Tron
product. Offering both lines
can help you sell more batteries as you capture the attention of buyers who care most
about the product’s price but still
demand good quality. This new battery line
offers overall value, and PowerVolt PowerSports is
Interstate
Proudly Serves
Great American Battery
McAlister’s Shows Their True Colors
They’ll only be going about 15 mph on the historic Daytona track, but at the end of a 14-day, cross-country
rally, these cars manufactured as early as 1909 will all be winners!
Interstate is very pleased to be the “Official Battery” of The Great American Race 2003, America’s longestrunning and richest vintage car rally! From 1982 to 1995, our role as title sponsor of this event helped us to
build national brand awareness one hometown at a time. And in our ongoing effort to drive sales to our
Dealers, our participation in this 21st annual event nicely complements the national scope of Interstate
Batteries’ NASCAR sponsorship program.
Auto industry and racing personality Jack Roush and 10 other competitors/investors have combined their
125 years of experience to form Rally Partners, which now owns and operates The Great American Race.
For the complete route and more details about this time-speed-endurance race, see www.greatrace.com.
April 2003
April 2003
Doug McAlister, owner of McAlister’s Auto Repair, told his technicians it was time to
paint the building. They were kicking around what color to paint it when Bobby Labonte
won the 2000 championship that November. Being Labonte fans, they decided go with the
Interstate green paint scheme the following spring.
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Technicians and Mechanics — Get Trained!
Looking for some high-quality training? Contact your local Interstate Batteries Distributor (no registration
at the door) about attending a 4-hour, Automotive ProClinic that provides excellent training for automotive
mechanics and technicians.
Start: Livonia, Mich., June 21
Finish: Daytona International Speedway, July 5
Racers: Many grandfather–grandson, father–son, father–daughter teams. Participants share a love for adventure and ability to come from as far away as Australia.
Race Vehicles: At least 100 entries including rare and beautiful vehicles like these: 1911 Marmon Speedster, 1925 Rickenbacker, 1924 Buick Speedster, 1925 Pierce Arrow, 1916 Chevy Speedster, 1947 Tatra T-87, 1928 Willys Knight, 1909 Lozier.
Distance: 4,200 miles total
Prizes: $250,000!
Date
May 12
May 13
May 13
May 14
May 15
May 15
May 20
June 17
June 24
Interstate Distributorship
IBS of British Columbia
IBS of Sioux City
IBS of British Columbia
IBS of Sioux City
IBS of Sioux City
IBS of British Columbia
IBS of Greater Buffalo
IBS of California Coast
IBS of Colorado Springs
City
Coquitlam, B.C.
Sioux City, Iowa
Coquitlam, B.C.
Denison, Iowa
Norfolk, Neb.
Victoria, B.C.
Hamburg, N.Y.
Irvine, Calif.
Colorado Springs, Colo.
And we’re offering a Heavy Duty class especially for fleet or commercial mechanics and technicians:
May 14
IBS of British Columbia
Coquitlam, B.C.
Individual distributorship contact information available at www.interstatedistributors.com
®
interstatebatteries.com
interstatebatteries.com
“We certainly got more visibility out of it,” said McAlister, who’s been an Interstate Dealer
for about 20 years and says he’s only had to replace one or two Interstate batteries in that
time. “That’s what I like is the reliability.”
Get ’em while it’s hot!
T-shirts for
Men & Women
On the Back
Description
Men’s white t-shirt
Item#
Price
To Order
Total
C18038101B3 $25.00
Call:
Ladies’ black t-shirt C18031101W3 $23.00
Men’s
Size
Subtotal
Ladies
Size
Qty
MED
SM
LG
MED
XLG
XXLG
1-888-855-8825 or
1-704-454-4000
Qty
Tax (NC only add 6.5%)
Shipping & Handling
Or mail this order form to:
ACTION SPORTS IMAGE
TOTAL
LG
XLG
XXLG
6301 Performance Dr.
Harrisburg, NC 28075
Use IB0403 as the code when ordering.
Call for special Interstate Dealer pricing!
NOTE: For shipments outside the U.S., call or fax for additional
charges. Please include your fax number below.
Ship to: ❑ Residential ❑ Commercial
Fax # (____)___________
Please print clearly
Or fax to:
1-800-650-9854
704-454-4060
SHIPPING RATES
(No CODs Please)
$.00 to $50 - $7.50
$50.01 to $100 - $9.50
$101.01 to $200 - $11.50
$200.01 to $300 - $13.50
All purchases payable in U.S. Dollars. For
returns or exchanges, call 888-855-8825 for a
return authorization number. No returns will be
accepted without an RA#. No returns after 30
days. Returns only accepted due to manufacturer
defect or shipping errors. When paying, refer to
“Shipping Rates” and include freight payment.
(outside the U.S.)
Name_____________________________Day Phone (____)___________
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CHARGE TO MY:
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Check enclosed (Make checks or money order payable to: Action Sports Image)
Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.
INTERSTATE BATTERY
SYSTEM OF AMERICA, INC.
12770 Merit Dr., Suite 1000
Dallas, Texas 75251-1292
Bulk Rate U.S.
Postage Paid
Permit No. 1465
Dallas, Texas