I had a little hassle starting my car, had to crank it a few times. Drove to Autozone to test battery…they said battery bad…so they replaced it with new battery. Afterwards, the lights came one, but the motor does not turn at all , completely dead. They said I have a bad relay switch or starter. I left it there overnight…to decide where to take it tomorrow. Sound strange? Thoughts?
Sounds like something other than the battery failed, keep us posted
are the cables clean and tight? both ends?
was there a check engine light on before? any codes?
did you try to start it in neutral?
have you checked the fuses and relays?
are you getting a click at the starter? or nothing at all?
the more info you give the better chance someone here can help you.
Many cars from that era had aftermarket alarms installed at the dealer. If the battery is disconnected the alarm goes into silent armed/no start mode, need to push the unlock button on the remote. Does your Laser have a red blinking light on the dash?
I do not believe the car had aftermarket alarm, I have owned the car for 30 years and never encounted that problem.
are the cables clean and tight? both ends?
The installer said yes , when I said to clean them.
was there a check engine light on before? any codes? the check engine light has been coming on/off for years when driving. no codes. When I tried to start the engine, the dashboard was completely dark…nothing and no sound. It is only when I turned the headlights on does the dashboard lights up , also.
did you try to start it in neutral? yes, I believe so will check tomorrow.
have you checked the fuses and relays? He checked the fuse, said ok.
are you getting a click at the starter? or nothing at all? Nothing at all
18 months ago, a friend installed an used oversize battery from 550 cca to 700 cca , he said the larger battery would make my alternator last longer and the car to start easier.
The larger battery would not have an adverse effect on the electrical system…would it? ( I had Autozone replace with the larger battery, also)
The higher capacity battery has no effect on this issue.
I’m guessing something got dislodged during the battery change.
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You are right… I checked around and found an additional battery cable hanging below the battery…connected. Car starts. Does Autozone owe me anything in compensation for their failure to replace the battery correctly? What should I ask for?
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If there is a labor charge on the bill, you could ask that to be refunded. Compensatory damages - not a chance.
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Did you pay Autozone anything to replace your battery? I’m going to guess that you did not. If you paid for a battery swap that did not fix your car, then that was a bad move.
Autozone employees are not paid to be mechanics. They are paid to sell parts, and their knowledge level is usually based around selling, not repairs.
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I paid $218 with tax for the battery. Labor was free.
Maybe they will give you an in store credit would be my guess.
Ask for double that labor charge in a refund for your troubles. I’ll bet you will get it. 
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I’d chalk it up to a learning experience, and drive on.
At least you didn’t pay to have the car towed to a mechanic, both of which would be considerably more expensive.
Former AutoZoner here. If you calmly speak to the store manager to advise him/her as to what happened so the employee in question can receive some extra oversight, you may score a little token of appreciation. If you are confrontational or aggressive, you will likely get what they legally owe you, which is nothing.
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You got what you paid for, at least the counter monkey didn’t damage anything.
I have used Autozone for battery replacements, no troubles and nice job cleaning terminals. I asked if they used a memory saver, yes ever since they blew the brains on a toyota that cost them $1100 to repair. Sorry for your troubles, but glad all turned out well.
OP was inconvenienced?
Car would not start left overnight due to unconnected cable and given a feeble response . I say yes.
$218 for a battery? That’s crazy. The labor was not free, it was simply included in the price.
Yes I am sure, windshield wipers free installation competitive pricing, no complaints!