Thanks for the info. That's quite a price difference! I wonder what the difference in battery life will be? I still have my original batteries in my truck that is almost 4.5 years old with 72k miles. I'm pretty happy with the stock batteries. Of course, most of my miles are highway miles; I don't do much short driving around town.

 

you know what that was a typo...
there both 109.95 each sorry

 

I've heard, but don't know this for sure, that the 750 is a heavier duty battery for diesel applications. The 850 won't last as long because there is spongier lead (wears out faster) and its not designed to handle vibration as well as the 750.

 

If you really want super heavy duty, get some 6V golf cart batteries and hook them up in series.

I am getting one or two batteries for use as aux batteries, and using either Optimas or AGM batteries.

If you can find it locally, Chinese made SLAs are very inexpensive, so much so that you can hook up 4 of them in lieu of using 2.

 

I still have my original batteries in my '05 PS truck with over 100K miles. I'm pretty happy with the stock batteries but after last winters -34 F they have become a little tired. Should we get another cold winter they are going to be replaced.

If I get a good tax return this year I might consider the DieHard Platinum P2, comes with 4 year free replacement and 100 months prorated. Group size 65 and AGM technology at 930 CCA, 135AH reserve. A little pricey though at $189 each. My alternate plan would be Everstart batteries from Walmart at 850 CCA and a price of $75 each. Come with 3year free replacement and 84 months prorated. In the same warrenty period as the Diehards they could be replaced twice if need for less money. All my cars have Everstart batteries and I've been able to get 5-6 years out of them before needing to be replaced. Once I had an Optima which died in 3 years, never again.

Shop for DieHard Automotive Battery, Platinum P-2 - Group Size 65 - MySears Community

 

I dunno about this idea. I am under the impression that golf cart batteries are designed for long depleting use and not so much for the draw of starting. It seems to me that the draw of turning the starter, with the compression on a diesel, would be hard on this type of battery. Some deep cycles are designed for both uses but I believe that golf carts batts are more for just keeping a constant and long mini-draw.

I am still using my stock batteries in my 05, at about 80K on the odometer and they're holding up rather well. Allot of cold weather start during winter too. I usually use the Kirkland batteries at Costco (due to past cost and reliability experience) but might replace with Motorcraft on my 6.0 since they've been so good to me so far in my truck.

 

My 05 in Sig is on orignal motorcraft 750 cca batts. I noticed doing PM this fall, the telltale light is now red at the bottom and green up the sides. I believe this is a sign they are failing. However, for the last 4 years I have been watching voltage and its pretty consistent, 12.8 on startup, increases to 13.1 sometimes 13.2 after charging and glow plugs are off.

So, replace bateries now or wait till I can afford it? I know if I go to Ford the motorcrafts I will get $%^&*( so I will likely price others.

 

All automotive batteries for the most part are made by only 4 or so manufactures and then and "labled" with whatever brand they are making them for.

Look for the freshest date of manufacture (old manufacture dates are not as good as fresh ones). Look at warrenties and decide from there.

My 2003 Excursion 6.0L came with factory 750 CCA batteries, but the industry has now all gone to 850 CCA for this clas/size of battery... so for the same money, get the 850's.

My local dealer will match many other locations pricing, so do not be shy about checking with your service advisor. My local dealer sold me two new Motorcraft 850's for $99.00/ea and there was a $10 or $20 coupon they had on their site or Ford's? (I can't remember). They also installed them for me at this price!!!

As well, no receipt is necessary for warrenty work, since it is in my profile with my local dealer and can be accessed if I am on the road by any other dealer... or they can call mine to verify.

If you need to check your batteries, you have to disconenct them first since they are hooked in series. Loading testing one battery is just an indicator of both of them, not the one you hooked up to. Test each battery seperately and replace both if needed...as a wealer battery will slowly draw down th new battery if you only buy one at a time.... expensive, but well worth it!!!

Weak batteries have now been attributed to ruined FICM modules.. so having good strong batteries and alternators is key for FICM health.

Good luck.

 

Since so many different people believe in one brand over another and to support my claim posted above (that all batteries are made by 3 or 4 manuafctures)... please see below.

From the following link:
Consumer Reports Article - MSN Autos

Most auto batteries are made by just three manufacturers, Delphi, Exide, and Johnson Controls Industries. Each makes batteries sold under several different brand names. Delphi makes ACDelco and some EverStart (Wal-Mart) models. Exide makes Champion, Exide, Napa, and some EverStart batteries. Johnson Controls makes Diehard (Sears), Duralast (AutoZone), Interstate, Kirkland (Costco), Motorcraft (Ford), and some EverStarts.

Service centers such as Firestone, Goodyear, Pep Boys, and Sears tend to have a large, fresh inventory and relatively low prices. They also handle installation. Stores such as Kmart, Target, Trak Auto, and Wal-Mart may have the lowest prices, but not all of them can install a battery for you. Installing a battery yourself is not technically difficult, but it can be cumbersome, and you have to dispose of the old battery properly. Service stations and tune-up shops sell batteries as well, and they offer convenient and comprehensive service, but their selection tends to be limited and their stock may not be fresh. For cars and trucks still under warranty, a franchised dealer is your first choice, particularly if the vehicle warranty covers the battery. For older vehicles, though, a dealership is probably the last resort—it's the most expensive service venue. The two most crucial factors in choosing a battery are its "group size" and "cold-cranking amps," or CCA.

Buy a fresh battery—one manufactured less than six months earlier. Batteries are stamped with a date code, either on the battery's case or an attached label. The vital information is usually in the first two characters—a letter and a digit. Most codes start with the letter indicating the month: A for January, B for February, and so on. The digit denotes the year: 0 for 2000, say. For example, B3 stands for February 2003.

 

Just a slight correction, the batteries are hooked in parallel. i'm sure thats what you really meant.

 

Parallel, horizontal, vertical, diaginal, series.......????????

Yep... that is what I meant to say (I think)???

They are hooked together to maintain their 12 volts, but offer more capacity.. so to test one properly, the other needs to be disconnected from the other to get a true reading of that single batterie's performance.

Thanks,

 

Here's to ya Jeff. lol

 

Just proved my own point this morning....

My battery light had been coming on for months warning me about the loose battery connection to the passenger side battery. Well, last night it gave it's final warning and almost left me on the side of the road; so late last night in the cold, I replaced the terminal and called it a night.

On my way to work this morning, I think everything is working as it should and the battery light comes on again. Thinking that the batteries just need time to charge after such a beating last night, I head towards the toll road to get to work. Not quite, the voltage slowly dropped from 14 to just above 8 and it was time to make a mad dash for auto zone. They load tested the batteries and killed them, so without any questions, I got some new ones and a new alternator. Replaced everything on site at Auto zone and my truck is as good as new!

After a good run down the freeway, no lights and the truck is running flawlessly...

Quick tip: Always use anti-seize on your alternator hold down bolts, it always makes the job easier.

 

BeachBumCook pretty much sums it up, there is only a few battery manufacturers. Battery technology has been unchanged for the most part, there has been new dry cell technology on the market for the exotic high end user. These will allow batteris to be in locations that may not be level.
For the casual user a good 850 -1000 CCA will work fine. There is a cautionary point about your altinator and its capacity to source to current to charge big batteries.

 

I guess whether a 850CCA, 1000 CA will work fine depends on where one lives and in what climate one drives. Living in northern Ill, we get real temps of -34 F in the winter, the truck has to sit outside (no heated garage) and when at a remote site on the job no place to plug in block heater or trickle charger, personally I would want the biggest, mean *** battery I could fit under the hood in the limited space

Been considering Everstart(wally world) group size 65, 850 CCA,1000CA, 100 RC for $75 each. Or the Diehard Platinum AGM Group size 31M, CCA 1150, est 1500 CA, 205 RC for $249 each Need a shoe horn to fit the 31's under the hood, lengths ok but they are very tall, may need to mod the battery tray.

In experimenting with the Everstart and Diehard AGM 31's, either of these batteries make my 4 1/2 year old OEM Ford batteries sound very poor as for cranking speed. With 2- group 31 AGM's, one hardly notices a voltage drop with glow plugs and engine cranking away at what sounds like twice the normal speed.

As I said living in a climate that gets cold in the winter, I just don't want to play around with weak batteries. In warm climates i.e. Fl, CA, Az, GA, etc, it just doesn't seem to matter what one uses.

As OneTon4Fun pointed out, one needs to watch out on the AGM batteries since they have low internal resistance they will suck up ALL the current your alternator will put out and more if the batteries get heavily discharged. The AGM have been known to kill alternators for this very reason. But my truck has dual alt's so not to expect problems.