I looked under the hood today, just my regular checking around, especially since I changed the fuel filters yesterday. I always like to make sure there are no leaks... and that everything's ok. I have one bad battery, only 118 CCA's, but haven't had the cash lately to get them changed out. I noticed the one that's bad, on the drivers side, doesn't have an insulating blanket around it. Do any of you have one battery without an insulation wrap on it, or do you have two? Just wondering if maybe that's why it failed, or if EVERYBODY'S is like that. Thanks for any help.

 

Mine doesn't have it either, which I thought was interesting because everyone who's had battery issues on here has said that thier driver side battery was the one that was lowest (including mine) so maybe that does have something to do with it.

 

What do you mean by blanket?

I just bought two batteries for mine today as well. Both of mine were originals (3 years old). Mine were just sitting in the boxes/hold downs...

 

There should be a wool looking insulating wrap around the batteries. There IS one, or at least SHOULD BE one, on your passenger side battery, but realistically there should be one on BOTH batteries. These engines make a lot of heat. Heat kills batteries. Maybe that's why these driver side batteries are failing?

 

Hmmph, I have somewhere around 3500 hours on my engine and still the original batts. Truck is not in my driveway right now or I would look.

 

Just replaced drivers side battery last month it was readiing a measly(330cca) and low and behold no blanket. This really suprises me too, because in the summertime i remember popping the hood after a hard run and it was blazing hot. It seems like both batteries should be protected.

 

Well just looked at mine. Drivers side has no blanket, passenger side does. I too am on my orginal batteries. They are testing just fine.

 

Well I'm fixing to make a long trip so I HAVE to replace these batteries. Guess I will be buying one of these blankets. It just doesn't make any sense to have one covered and not the other, and seems rather odd that most everyone who's had battery issues turns out it's the one without the blanket. I hope you can buy these things from Ford.

 

How old are these batteries that are testing bad?

My experiences is that batteries don't last past 2-3 years in a truck like ours. Any application where 2 of them are needed to roll an engine over is taxing them hard at least 2 times a day...

 

I checked today, no blanket on driver side. But, I am still on original batts, since 07/07. I live in the South where it's dang hot in the summer.

Who knows? I guess I need to be at the ready with new batteries.

 

I have a 6.0 but the same. Blanket on the passenger side and not on driver side. I think the reason is that the Metal cac tube is so close to the passenger battery. The black cover on mine has actually started ti disintegrate.

 

My truck was driven off the lot in March or April of 2007 so 3 years on batteries seems fine to me.

FWIW, I've never had both batteries go bad at the same time. Even with my old 7.3 I was always changing both when just one went bad. If you change just one the second won't be far behind and sometimes the old battery will wear the new one down faster...

 

my driverside battery doesn't have a blanket either. I'm really wondering if that blanket really does any good assuming it's there to protect against heat...it's got to be some sub-R1 rating if there's such a term.

If heat's really the issue, I wonder if wrapping it in some stick-on aluminized HVAC insulating foam is better--like the rolls of stuff from Frost King sold at HD or Lowes.

 

They sell some hot water heater wrap that's made with reflectix on the outside and a wool looking insulation on the inside, its only a half inch thick. I thought of making a blanket like the passenger side out of that, but I don't know. While it would keep the heat out, it will also keep the heat in. I bought two red tops today, and I think I'm just going to leave it like it is and see what happens with 2 GOOD batteries in there.

 

Dunno if that bubble wrap is suitable for under-the-hood. Might melt or do something funny. I don't remember off the top of my head what that FrostKing wrap I mentioned is rated for but it's good for heater ductwork so it's somewhat heat-resilient.

I think you're good with those red tops--can't go wrong with those.

Any reputable battery like Kirkland brand from Costco, (OEM'd from Johnson Control), Diehard Golds, etc will have a 100month warranty or similar. If the battery poops out, just trade it in for new one -- or pair!

Every factory battery that came in my car/truck I've bought new has never lasted beyond 4-5yrs. Junk! Plus, they have measly CCA ratings compared to those brands. I just put in a beefy Kirkland 1000CCA battery in my F150 to replace the 650CCA factory unit that was there. Fits perfect. Costs less than the dealer too.

When it's time for my 6.4, you bet I'll have a pair of these 1000CCA puppies in there too. I'll be able to jump start a Boeing 747 jet engine