Anyone ever consider the annual ritual of a desulfation cycle?

Battery Desulfation Tutorial | ChargingChargers.com

prior to the winter or summer heavy battery cycle period, clean top off with baking soda and the terminals. Clean terminals and use the red protective spray on terminals, once all is reconnected run your charger on the desulfate cycle for the 24 hour cycle.
Voila!
Ready for the season.......!

 

I keep all my vehicles and small engine equipment hooked up to my BatteryMINDer charger-maintainer-desulfator. Love the technology.

 

I have had good luck with both Auto Zone and Advance Auto Gold level batteries. Interstate not so much. The warehouse member places same thing, not so much. Currently I have an IS Megatron 2 850 CCA in the truck but I got it from my wife's grandmother's car when we decided to junk it. It was brand new. From what I could tell from the paper work she got swindled twice on the battery and the last time it was in April 2015. I got at least 6 years from the OEM MC battery. Since I was starting to have problems with the MC battery, I was going to replace it with another gold level battery from which ever Auto parts store gave be a good deal. I say just shop the battery at one of the stores. You might be able to get some bonus discounting if you play each one off another. Did that once with some parts. I got another $20 off the parts since i told the guy i going to get the parts elsewhere since they going to be cheaper there. Magically the bill 40 buck cheaper with a couple of keystrokes.

The Auto Parts stores will give you better flexibility when it comes to issues on the road. Given the fact you travel..alot. A warehouse store might not be close by or closed. Many of the chain stores are open until 9PM and open early like 7 or 8 AM and 7 days a week in most places. A warehouse members club may require the auto shop to test the battery. They have different hours than the main store. The other thing is a members club. They will most likely want a card to show you are current member. Just ran into this problem with the work van. They bought a WH club battery gold level a couple of years ago. It got fried by a bad alternator but still had 6 years of warranty left. I went to the club where it was purchased and was told no dice since the purchaser was no longer a member there but they would recycle the battery. I said no thanks. I need the core for the new replacement battery. Off to Auto Zone I went for a silver level. That was what the boss authorized.

Good Luck with your battery purchase.

 

The MC batteries that come with the vehicle are "Made in USA" and the MC batteries that you purchase from the Ford dealer are "Made in Mexico". I believe the later doesn't last as long either.

 

So I looked at the battery in my truck and it's only had 650 CCA maybe that's why it's trying to die after 4.5 years, we are in 70' weather so a good battery shouldn't have slow cranking problem.

Denny

 

Just replaced my OEM battery this week. Dropped dead as a hammer with zero warning. It was -15 degrees F outside when it went. Made it 5 years and 1 month. I ended up replacing it with an Interstate AGM battery. Never tried one of these before, so we'll have to see how it holds up.

 

650 CCA stock in my F250. I believe the 750 CCA battery was an upgraded model. I know when I ran the battery sizer program for my truck, it came up with 650 CCA for stock. Then 750 and then 850 which is what my manual had in it.

Batteries seem to have some odd ways of getting on with the dying part these days. My personal belief is the number of ways to kill them with CMs and lighting options. I would suggest taking the time to replace the stock lighting with LED replacements. Especially if the doors are open and closed many times. These trucks like to light up like Christmas trees. LEDs will have less draw from the batteries. I spent maybe 30 bucks on Amazon for all the exterior and interior lights. At first it was bright in the interior but now I am use to it.

My Explorer had a little slower crank this evening when I was leaving work. However, it's 9 degrees outside and the head lights are on auto. This is with a few years old 900 CCA Advance Auto battery. It had a few winters on the battery plus an alternator failure last year. (Lifetime replacement was wonderful thing.)

 

Leave the lights alone, and replace the battery every 3 years tops. 5,7,10 year warranties are nice to read while waiting for a tow truck to arrive and jump start your truck, on rural route 1, that shows up on no maps that any tow truck driver would actually have. Or carry a spare.

I'm not a fan of Interstates standard batteries or Caterpillars. Both of those are tied for the record, for exploded batteries. (over 100, yes, I've had to scrub up more than 100 of those darn batteries, not to mention scouring the generator enclosure looking for scraps of plastic and lead scattered everywhere)

 

I'm not going to get into a long sidelined discussion on the LED bulbs. Just like certain body parts, pretty much everyone has the same ones. Which means we will have some form of differences in opinions. However, I will agree with Interstate. I too never had great luck with Interstate. I had them in a few current and past vehicles. They seem to have shorter than normal expensive lifespans with a pretty steep replacement costs.

As a mentioned before, my wife and I had her Grandmother's car. It had the interstate battery replaced in the matter of 2.5 or 3 years according to the paperwork. I no longer have the paperwork since we junked the vehicle due to it's road worthiness or lack there of. However, I remember the last battery in the car I thought she got swindled. Well I have to take it back since I read IS battery warranty. They really changed the periods and the like. Given my luck with Interstate, I will probably be looking for another battery in a year or so.

So I just checked around. Even the big auto parts stores have newer specs on the warranties. Most of them are only 3 years and that's it on the premium or gold level brands. No prorated from what I can tell. It looks like the just up the warranty through price. So even my favor of going to these stores might be flawed in a different way. Either way good luck RVpuller with your battery hunt. Maybe a higher CCA OEM Motorcraft replacement is in order.

 

batteries live longer today.. technology.. and much LARGER alternators... the battery is recharged much faster... reducing the time the battery is not fully charged, so it lives longer.

1960'70'.. a standard alternator was 36 amps.. if air conditioning.. it was 63 amps..

reading an amp meter is a Lost art.. but then when was the last time a car/truck came with a real amp meter.

 

Today I replaced an advance auto parts gold battery in a 2011 f350 that was 2 1/2 years old. It had a 3 year free replacement. It is hit and miss with batteries. My 2001 has a 5 year old Walmart battery than runs the plow and spreader also. Advance auto is about $140,walmart $95,probably the same battery.

 

We were in Wal-Mart yesterday and they have a 750 CCA with a 2 year replacement for $78, thinking after things calm down after the 1st that's they way I'm going to go. It's made by Johnston Controls if that really makes any difference.

Denny

 

...avoid anything built by Exide.......cheap junk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I have the Duracell from Sams in my 250, it is more than fine.
Lately I've put Bosch batteries from Pep Boys in several vehicles and been pleased with them. I did have one start acting up after 34 months and went into Pep Boys - they tested it, pulled a new one off the shelf and replaced it in 15 minutes. I only had to pay a $1 environmental fee.

Based on that, I just put two Bosch AGMs in my T350 for under $300 on sale, 48 month warranty.

I agree with previous statements, there is no "best" and at more than 3 years, we are pushing our luck on batteries. YMMV

I did, however, get just over 7 years with a Sears Incredicell in my Bronco once.

 

I also noticed Wal-Mart is showing 850 CCA Everstart MAXX-65N serviceable battery with a 5 Year Warranty (3 Years Free Replacement + 2 Years Prorated). Website is showing $93.76, which is not bad. I just replaced our daughters battery in her truck with another Everstart MAXX-75N, it was 4 years old and just wanted to play it safe. So far, I have no problems with Wal-Mart batteries. Most likely get two of the MAXX-65N (dual battery system) when the time comes for my truck if they are 850 CCA.