I bought my '02 Ranger new, and while I only have 68,000 km on it, the battery is 8 years old, and I'm thinking that even though it seems perfectly fine, it might be a good idea to replace it now, proactively. A weaker battery can tax the charging system, so I'm thinking that it might be a good idea to do this now rather than wait until it really dies.

What do you think?

Also, are the Motorcraft batteries a good replacement choice?

 

I only replace mine when they go bad. My theory is if you get a good one, keep it as long as possible. You may not be so lucky when you buy another.

 

Right, but how much longer could it really go?

 

Batteries vary widely in life span. I have seen some go as long as ten years. I never pull em in anything until they don't work. Charge it , rest it 24 hours unhooked, and take a meter reading to get an idea of how well it is holding a charge.


Steve