I've always had good service out of Motorcraft Batteries. I had on in an F-150 last for 8 years. Also, your Ford dealer can get you a good price on them. Anybody know who makes their batteries?

 

My August 2012 build F250 with 60K miles still has the original batteries. With the last oil change I had the batteries tested and the result was good .... no problems.

 

My factory Motorcraft batteries made it 6 years, and roughly 100k miles. The majority of that time, was spent in the blazing heat in Phoenix, now the truck lives in the mountains of Northern AZ. It'll be interesting seeing the difference in life from heat vs. cold. Replaced with Motorcrafts.

 

Excellent tip and I always install those felt washers with a new battery and they work great.

 

Living in Las Vegas NV , the heat kills batteries, I get about two years from a set on my SD, about, the same in just about all my vehicles
First sign of slugest start I head to Costco and trade them in, Out here I have found you you get maybe two slow starts and then no start

 

I am by no means any kind of an expert on this but this thread got me drilling into batteries. From what I was able to find and thought I would share is that it appears that there are 2 "types" of batteries, Deep Cycle and Starter / Starting. From what I read, deep cycle batteries hold a charge / produce power for a longer period of time than starter batteries but are not typically good at the burst of power needed to start a vehicle. Because they hold power longer they put a greater load on the voltage regulator and alternators to recharge them and can lead to voltage regulator and alternator "problems". I was very disappointed to read that most AGM batteries are typically deep cycle batteries. I think Optima makes an AGM starter (or starting) battery. The Deka / East Penn Manufacturing site says the Intimidator is a "deep cycle starting" battery, so both?. Am I reading way too much into this and the charging system of the 11 - 16 6.7 won't know the difference? Or should we stick with a starter / starting battery? Oh and I know, go to your local Ford dealer and just put the Motorcraft battery in the truck and be done with it. For me, I'm always looking for something "better" or at least in my mind "better".

 

Mine lasted 1 month shy of 4 years and 54k miles. Got some 850cca motorcraft as replacements.

 

Chuck-B, I had an Odyssey PC1700 AGM battery in my half ton. That truck started like a raped ape. It was a very good battery. Expensive, slightly lighter than OEM and pretty much an exact fit. It died, but it happened slowly. It gave me plenty of warning that it was on it's way out. I was just shy of the warranty expiring and Odyssey replaced it, no questions asked, no proration. Will I replace the OEM batteries with Odyssey when the time comes? Probably.

 

I'd second the recommendation for Odyssey batteries. I had one in my old off-roader and it started great and held up well to winching use too. In my opinion, these are better than the Optima spiracell design.

 

You are correct about the "deep cycle" and "starting" design to batteries. True "deep cycle" batteries have reserve minutes ratings meaning they will can continue to discharge for so many minutes after the battery is depleted to the 50% mark. These batteries are designed to be deeply discharged over a period of time and then recharged. The design of these batteries can and sometimes do create issues with certain battery chargers since the battery often times is deeply discharged. Using a true "deep cycle" battery will not cause damage to an alternator or voltage regulator by simply starting a diesel truck engine. Even though the combined load on the two batteries could be in excess of 1200 amps, this short burst of current can be quickly replenished fairly quickly. However if you are using multiple inverters, accessories, or a winch there is a chance the batteries could become deeply discharged and conditions where the alternator has to replenish (2) good sized batteries, you can run into issues especially using alternators smaller than 150 amps. The alternator in my truck is rated at 200 amps and I have little doubt it is capable of handling any load I will put on it. My reasoning for the AGM type battery is they are spill proof and are true maintenance free. The stock "wet cell" batteries in my truck vent over time therefore require periodic maintenance to neutralize the acid before it gets to places I don't want it to. Other than that, the stock Motorcraft batteries are a good choice with their longevity and high Cold Cranking Amp capacity.

 

^^And most of the Ford diesels are now coming standard (by way of packages) with dual alternators at 332 or 377A total. There shouldn't be a charging concern. Plus these trucks have much more sophisticated "State of Charge" (SOC) monitors right on the battery post connections which can more accurately provide info to the electrical system.

 

I make sure the battery terminal posts and connections are clean. I used battery terminal protection spray that I believe increases the longevity of the battery.

 

Guess I had best think about untying the purse strings and look for a couple new batteries as my Job 1, May 2010 build truck's are March 2010 manufacture and at 116,000+ miles. I hate to do that since the truck is still starting well but the odds are going against me at 105 monyhs. Being caught in West Overshoe on a Saturday evening with our 5er in tow is not something to look forward to experiencing.

 

8 years is pretty good! You must be doing something right.

 

My 2012 that was Born on 9/27/12 dual batteries lasted till October 2017. I started to get a clicking when starting and check engine light that showed low voltage to the PCM or some module. Was still able to start and drive for 3 more days till the battery completely fell flat. Went to the ford dealer and replaced both batteries, fixed everything.