Time for batteries.
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 980
Likes: 1
From: Stuart, FL
Time for batteries.
My 05 diesel is cranking slowly. My guess is the batteries. One is a 3 year old ford batter replaced under warranty 3 years ago. The other is a 2 year old walmart battery. I get 12.5 volts at each battery even with the ground disconnected on one battery.
Should I stick with walmart batteries?
Should I stick with walmart batteries?
Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 829
Likes: 22
From: Florida
Those ford batteries are really good quality! I have aftermarket stuff on all my vehicles...except the Ex...my Ford batteries have lasted 5 years before I replaced them with 2 more Motorcraft....just ask for the Top of the Line Heavy Duty ones.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 133
Likes: 0
I still have the original Motorcraft batteries in my '02 Excursion 7.3PSD, and they just passed cap check, again.. Sitting in a climate-controlled shop doesn't hurt battery life, but when it comes time for replacement, Motorcrafts are what is going back in it. The local dealership will match prices against other dealers i.e. Interstate and Walmart if I show up with a written quote- they do the same on certain brands of tires (in stock sizes).
I think the Ford batteries are as good as it gets for these trucks- see if your dealership will work with you.
I think the Ford batteries are as good as it gets for these trucks- see if your dealership will work with you.
Thread Starter
|
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 980
Likes: 1
From: Stuart, FL
I still have the original Motorcraft batteries in my '02 Excursion 7.3PSD, and they just passed cap check, again.. Sitting in a climate-controlled shop doesn't hurt battery life, but when it comes time for replacement, Motorcrafts are what is going back in it. The local dealership will match prices against other dealers i.e. Interstate and Walmart if I show up with a written quote- they do the same on certain brands of tires (in stock sizes).
I think the Ford batteries are as good as it gets for these trucks- see if your dealership will work with you.
I think the Ford batteries are as good as it gets for these trucks- see if your dealership will work with you.
More Turbo
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 669
Likes: 7
From: Tennessee
Some of the Walmart batteries are crap. The bottom end you are lucky to get a year out of but the top end are good batteries. I have had good luck with Sam's club batteries. Probably 75% of the time battery problems are corroded cables which may not be the problem in your case. I have found that when batteries are reaching the end of life you can remove the caps and see the plates coming apart and warping. Modern batteries are designed to provide maximum cold cranking amps which means thin high surface area plates. These thin plates tend to not last as long because there is less thickness there to be eaten away by the acid which will happen to all batteries. The batteries with the most lead in them are going to last the longest. You will find the more expensive batteries have more lead in them because they are heavier.
Also the less you deep cycle a battery the longer it will last. So leaving lights on can kill a battery or shorten its life. I have had some batteries the die after being run all the way down from leaving the lights on. They may or may not charge back up and then have no capacity or they don't hold a charge for long.
Perry
Also the less you deep cycle a battery the longer it will last. So leaving lights on can kill a battery or shorten its life. I have had some batteries the die after being run all the way down from leaving the lights on. They may or may not charge back up and then have no capacity or they don't hold a charge for long.
Perry
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 11,314
Likes: 4
my originals lasted 4 years and the walmart $74 per I've replaced them with have been on for 2 yrs now and going strong...
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Hotshot
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 13,484
Likes: 42
From: Stevens Point, WI
If the truck is a daily drive get optima red tops. We have had these batteries last over 12 years in some of our trucks. They don't like to sit long periods without being used though.
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Senior User
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 351
Likes: 0
From: South Texas/RGV
For diesels we've had good results with NAPA, Motorcraft, and Interstate in that order. The NAPA heavy duty in particular is very good. But it is also very expensive. For the gasoline vehicles we have the best results with Interstate and Motorcraft. I've never used the Optima line for starter batteries and so don't know how well those work over time.
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,822
Likes: 0
From: Minnesota
I have an Optima Yellow Top and will not buy another one. In the three months I have owned it, it has drained to the point of having to hook up the charger three times, all just while listening to the radio for less than an hour. Next time it will be a Motorcraft or Die Hard.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,097
Likes: 9
From: Minnesota
I have NAPA Heavy Duty's in our 2000 X, They a just over 6 years old, the truck gets driven every day and i have drained them twice in just the last year, i thougt that would kill them but they are still going. I know NAPA had some bad battery's 2 or 3 years ago, I also have them in our 02.
They have been good to me.
They have been good to me.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 13,484
Likes: 42
From: Stevens Point, WI
I have an Optima Yellow Top and will not buy another one. In the three months I have owned it, it has drained to the point of having to hook up the charger three times, all just while listening to the radio for less than an hour. Next time it will be a Motorcraft or Die Hard.
Do not buy yellow tops for vehicles. They are MARINE batteries. Red top only.
New User
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
whats your toughts on exides,,my battery guy said there better than interstates,made in usa,interstates made in mexico
dont know for sure,,not a battery expert myself,,,,quoted 90 a piece,5 year warranty
any thoughts appicated
dont know for sure,,not a battery expert myself,,,,quoted 90 a piece,5 year warranty
any thoughts appicated
Senior User
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 351
Likes: 0
From: South Texas/RGV
Interstate is like buying Sony. It may not be the best, or even the best for your money, but you are generally guaranteed a better than average product. There's only a handful of manufacturing plants. Where it is made is less important than the sellers' specs and their QC.
Also when someone states "this factory also makes brand X's units" keep the above in mind. Yeah, they may come from the same factory but that doesn't mean that they are the same. Now that being said, Exide is an old established brand but whether it is the same after all of acquisitions, bankruptcies, etc. is an unknown on my end. I don't have experience with them and so can't comment either way.
Edit: Another issue to consider is whether you want the battery to last 2-3 years or 6-10 years. If the former then anything pretty much will do. Just get the cheapest. If the latter then look at the experience mentioned in the above posts.
Also when someone states "this factory also makes brand X's units" keep the above in mind. Yeah, they may come from the same factory but that doesn't mean that they are the same. Now that being said, Exide is an old established brand but whether it is the same after all of acquisitions, bankruptcies, etc. is an unknown on my end. I don't have experience with them and so can't comment either way.
Edit: Another issue to consider is whether you want the battery to last 2-3 years or 6-10 years. If the former then anything pretty much will do. Just get the cheapest. If the latter then look at the experience mentioned in the above posts.
New User
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Globe, AZ
Where are you operating these trucks? Here in AZ the summer heat tends to finish off batteries and rubber parts.