The outside temperature is very cold these days (-10degC today), but the original battery in my 1999 F250SD keeps on starting the engine with no trouble at all. That's a 14 year old battery that came new with the truck.

Now whenever I buy an aftermarket battery as a replacement, I seem to only get about 5 years out of it, and I'm wondering "why?"

It did occur to me my Ford is fuel-injected and starts immediately, so that might makle it easier on the battery, however I did have a carbureted 1982 Toyota pick-up where the original battery lasted about 14 years. One cell eventually went dead and the symptom of slow to no cranking started with the cold weather.

There's also the quality issue of replacement batteries. I have bought top-of-the-line replacements, but they didn't seem to last longer than the cheaper units... always about 5 years; maybe a bit more. Makes me suspect I am paying more for the better warranty than any great difference in price quality.

I admit to never having bought a replacement battery from the Dealer (i.e for example the Ford Dealer or Toyota Dealer), so maybe I would have better luck there.

Have I just had bad luck with replacement batteries over the years, or good luck with original batteries, or are aftermarket batteries really as bad as I have found them to be?

Thoughts?

 

The best I ever got out of a original battery was 10 years.

The aftermarket batteries are hit or miss. Doesn't seem to matter if it is the cheap one or the good one. I get over 5 years out of one, I'm satisified.

My truck does sit around alot though. Only really used on weekends and it's just some short trips.

 

I just replaced my original Motorcraft battery in my 03 Screw last month with a Napa Legend Premium, and I fully expect it to last about 5 years....

Ironically, I had to replace the Napa Legend in my one ton this fall after one of the plate connections broke on my drive out of the mountains. Got home with my load of wood, parked, then 30 minutes later tried to start, and it was completely dead. It was right at the end of it 75 month warranty, so I got $2 off the replacement.

 

There is a reason, and its based on stupid marketing, which the customers buy, because you have no information to the contrary, nor does the person at the store selling it. If you think you are getting a "better" battery because of higher "cranking amps" and a longer warranty, you are sadly mistaken. The "pro rated" warranty makes sure you keep coming back to them for more of the same, and pay them more money. If the battery is truly defective, it will die in the first year or two and you are covered for full replacement.

In order to get more amps out of the same size battery, the plates have to be thinner and have more surface area, so they use a "sponge" lead instead of cast plates with grids. Are you still following me? OK, the delicate plates flake apart and settle to the bottom of the cell. Enough and it shorts out internally.

What you want to look for is Amp-hours or Reserve capacity minutes. CCA in excess of OE requirements is not an advantage. In older Ford and Toyota applications, substitute a 27F for 24F if you want more capacity. I put an Autozone Gold 27F in and it has a very high reserve capacity and moderate cranking amps, more like a marine battery. If not abused, they last longer.

 

I shop for batts based on amp hours, but I'd never heard about the CCA issue.

Thanks,

hj

 

I'm a little confused. I replaced the Battery in '04 Expy about three years ago. The truck calls for a 65 series battery and the 65 series batteries are sold all over the place. I opted for the autozone gold battery with an 8 year prorated warranty. Everyone sells the same basic battery for a similar price. It's the battery that's prescribed for the truck as per the parts catalogs or computer systems.

I'm sure of all the reserve capacity and such but it's basically the same as the OE battery.

BTW, I've never been lucky enough to have an OE battery last longer than five years.

 

You must be shopping for industrial or other non-automotive/light truck applications. Every consumer oriented retailer that sells batteries specifies CCA's as the most important spec, reserve capacity you have to hunt for and in some cases its not even listed. Amp-hours is never listed, even though Ford does list amp-hours in vehicle specs.

 

All a BCI Group 65 means is that the external dimensions and terminal posts are the same. Internal construction can be anything the battery maker wants, as long as it is nominally 12 volts. The computer in the parts store is programmed only for size and CCA's, not amp-hours.

The Exide that came in the Toyota lasted just over seven years. I dont think ive kept a new Ford long enough before trade-in to have to buy a battery, typically 4-5 years.

 

I have one battery that I can't kill. It's been boiled, bounced around, used in three different trucks, left nearly dead for days, frozen in -20 weather, and so on. It's still working after almost seven years. The best part is it's a battery I bought from a little battery shop in Bremerton for $35, and it's heat stamped "RECON" on the top.

Some just last, some don't. Generally, though, the heavier the battery the better it is.

 

Ah, but how many batteries, being sold these days, are actually reman'd/recycled? Exide is probably the top brand to sell recycled batteries without them actually being "labeled" as being recycled - the Wal-Mart "Everstart" batteries are a prime example of this (not the "Everstart Max" as that is actually a fairly decent battery which, from my understanding, is sourced from a different supplier than the regular "Everstart" batteries)...

I have had nothing but bad luck with recycled batteries... 2 brands that I have had decent luck with are the Everstart Max and the Interstate batteries...

 

Interesting, since Exide made the long-lasting Toyota battery, but Im sure those are not remanufactured. This could explain why I kept having to return "Neverstart" batteries that were not available in the Maxx version.

 

Update: I finally changed it on Friday, (27th May 2016). Was the original battery in my 1999 F250SD. It still cranked the engine over, but barely.

Was particularly worrisome last winter. A grunt from the starter-motor, a momentary silence, then slow-cranking was the norm.

Finally, this was accompanied by relay chatter as the voltage fell badly when engaging the starter motor. Too bad; I thought I might get the summer our of it, and maybe I might have, but decided not ot take the chance.

I've always found auto-parts store batteries to be 5-year throw-aways, so I don't expect another 17!

 

Just had to change the replacement battery. 6 years vs. the 17 years from the original. I wonder if I'll have to update this thread in another 6 years.....

 

Lead acid batteries are a crap shoot, you got extremely lucky if you got more than 5 years out of one. My oem battery died within 1 year, the truck was purchased new. Got a little over 4 years on the replacement and still on the 2nd replacement about 5 years. I expect this one to die at any time.

Going on 12 years with the lithium battery in my motorcycle.

 

When it comes to aftermarket batteries I've nothing but great luck with the NAPA better quality, most lasting well beyond the magical 5 years, going onto 7 years without an issue fairly usual.

Considering that experience I never hesitate buying another.