2002 Ranger, original Motorcraft battery
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2003
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2002 Ranger, original Motorcraft battery
2.3 L, just over 80,000 miles
As I am doing maintenance on my truck this summer, I come back to the battery. Truck was built in October 2001, and every fall for the last three years I keep revisiting the idea that I should replace the battery. Thing is, it still seems strong and has never let me down. On the other hand, dropping in a new battery in my driveway in August in Michigan is a much nicer thought than replacing one in a slush filled parking lot at 15 degrees in January.
Anyone else get this kind of life out of the original battery, or am I riding on borrowed time?
Thanks!
As I am doing maintenance on my truck this summer, I come back to the battery. Truck was built in October 2001, and every fall for the last three years I keep revisiting the idea that I should replace the battery. Thing is, it still seems strong and has never let me down. On the other hand, dropping in a new battery in my driveway in August in Michigan is a much nicer thought than replacing one in a slush filled parking lot at 15 degrees in January.
Anyone else get this kind of life out of the original battery, or am I riding on borrowed time?
Thanks!
New User
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 6
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Battery Life
2003 Ranger - Original purchase date Jan 03. Just replaced the original battery at 70,000 miles. It probably would have lasted another year. Under a load test that I do, it was just beginning to drop past my comfort level. As an electronics engineer I felt time was coming soon and I would be more content with a new battery.
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,851
Likes: 111
From: SW Va
I've gotten 6-10 years service from my Motorcraft batteries.
Your wise to be thinking about replacement ahead of time. If in doubt about the condition of the current battery, your favorite autoparts store can likely do a no cost, in vehicle load test on your battery with their portable electrical system tester & from that you should be able to determine if it's time for replacement.
Check out the "Battery Tutorial" link atop this forums thread listing page for good info on how to choose & get the best battery for the buck & for your application.
If amp hours, cold cranking amps, reserve capacity & all of the other battery terms confuse you, look for & choose the heaviest weight battery in the group size you need, that has the longest free replacement & there after prorated warranty, as it'll likely have heavier longer lasting plates & better construction to satisfy it's warranty & thus will likely last longer!!!!
Lots of good useful info on that site, thats kept up to date.
More battery thoughts for pondering.
Your wise to be thinking about replacement ahead of time. If in doubt about the condition of the current battery, your favorite autoparts store can likely do a no cost, in vehicle load test on your battery with their portable electrical system tester & from that you should be able to determine if it's time for replacement.
Check out the "Battery Tutorial" link atop this forums thread listing page for good info on how to choose & get the best battery for the buck & for your application.
If amp hours, cold cranking amps, reserve capacity & all of the other battery terms confuse you, look for & choose the heaviest weight battery in the group size you need, that has the longest free replacement & there after prorated warranty, as it'll likely have heavier longer lasting plates & better construction to satisfy it's warranty & thus will likely last longer!!!!
Lots of good useful info on that site, thats kept up to date.
More battery thoughts for pondering.
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 681
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From: SE Michigan
Yes, the original batteries are getting better with service life. Last couple I had went over 7 years. With yours coming up on 9 years, I would consider that to be great. For your own piece of mind it would be good to have the load test done like Pawpaw suggested. If you see your ammeter showing more amperage used in your daily driving, that would be a sign that the battery is showing its age and getting weaker. So it might be time for a new one, which would give added piece of mind to have that over and done with before winter, like you suggested.
Cargo Master
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 3,208
Likes: 13
I now have a motorcraft battery that is 11 years old and still fuctioning. It served 9 years in my Crown Vic and has been starting and running my John Deere combine the last 2 years The crown is the wife's car and I just got nervious about her out and about with a 9 year old battery so I changed it out.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,013
Likes: 406
From: NE Ohio
I just replaced the original battery in my '97 F-250HD this past Spring - and it turned out that the battery was still good -- it was the braided cable from the starter-mounted solenoid-to-starter that had corroded away to nothing...
The Wife's '70 Mach 1 (honest - she had the car before we got married 24 yrs ago) that has the same Motorcraft battery we put in it before the 30th anniversary Mustang show back in '94... Still starts fine...
The Wife's '70 Mach 1 (honest - she had the car before we got married 24 yrs ago) that has the same Motorcraft battery we put in it before the 30th anniversary Mustang show back in '94... Still starts fine...
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,175
Likes: 9
From: So. Cal.
My 2004 still has the original battery, I wonder what company makes batteries for Motorcraft???
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New User
Joined: Sep 2011
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2002 Ranger with 137,000 miles - motorcraft battery
My Ranger has the original Motorcraft battery - amazing.
I'm sad to see Ford is discontinuing the Ranger.
I get plenty of power and 27-29 mpg.
I also have a 2006 Escape Hybrid and love it - continuously
over 32 mpg (except winter when a lot of the battery power
goes to heating - it still is over 28 mpg)
Ron
Ann Arbor Michigan
I'm sad to see Ford is discontinuing the Ranger.
I get plenty of power and 27-29 mpg.
I also have a 2006 Escape Hybrid and love it - continuously
over 32 mpg (except winter when a lot of the battery power
goes to heating - it still is over 28 mpg)
Ron
Ann Arbor Michigan
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,533
Likes: 1
From: Dexter, MI
Living in Michigan, I've gone through the battery replacement in the winter - no fun, a big nusiance that happened at the wrong time. If it was my truck, I'd go get a replacement Motorcraft battery yesterday. Your battery doesn't owe you a thing.
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Senior User
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Ron
Good luck on the battery! I was trying to get 10 years out of mine. I WOULD have hit that in October, but almost exactly one year to the day of this posting I went out to my truck at lunch and the battery was stone cold dead. Not a peep out of it. The door chimes would not even work. And up until that day, I had no hesitation, no problem whatsoever. It just quit.
So I had a co-worker drive me over to the local Ford dealer and bought another Motorcraft battery and installed it. Hopefully this one will last as long as the first one did.
BTW I am in Warren, MI, and have 101,800 miles on my truck. I didn't make 10 years on that battery, but I did hit 100,000 miles!
Randy
Good luck on the battery! I was trying to get 10 years out of mine. I WOULD have hit that in October, but almost exactly one year to the day of this posting I went out to my truck at lunch and the battery was stone cold dead. Not a peep out of it. The door chimes would not even work. And up until that day, I had no hesitation, no problem whatsoever. It just quit.
So I had a co-worker drive me over to the local Ford dealer and bought another Motorcraft battery and installed it. Hopefully this one will last as long as the first one did.
BTW I am in Warren, MI, and have 101,800 miles on my truck. I didn't make 10 years on that battery, but I did hit 100,000 miles!
Randy
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 374
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From: Connecticut
Change it!!
I replaced my original Motorcraft battery from 2000 in December 2010. About a week later, I replaced my alternator (Christmas Eve). The Ford Tech told me that alternators work harder as the battery voltage begins to drop (essentially, compensation). This reduced the life of the alternator...so, I suggest you replace now while it's warm than run the risk of doing it on the coldest Michigan day this winter...when it's bound to crap out on you!!