540 CCA battery?
 

I posted in another thread about how the battery seemed way smaller in 09. I serviced one again today and right on top it says 540 CCA. That seems a little small to me. I think every 08 and older I've seen has 800+. Is there an option for something bigger?

Doe's your truck have trouble starting? Reason being is we had some stupidly cold days here and it had no problem at all. Could be another issue and not your batt.

It's not had any problems starting that I know of (it's not my truck). I was just curious why Ford decided to downsize.

did it have the 4.6 2v in it?


that motor doesn't need alot CCA...it is the Mustang motor after all

The 5.4s have the 540cca too. Or at least mine does.

wow


that just seems so...inadequate. Wonder what the reasoning is behind that one?

I dont understand why it's ment to be larger? I could understand if the trucks had trouble starting in cold climates but 500+CCA shouldnt have any problem starting any 5.4 in 99.9% of climates.

my first 08 and my second one BOTH came with the 540cca. My first one died with no warning, and got replaced with the biggest one that would fit in the box. My second 08 got the battery replaced the first Saturday I had her. That 540 isn't enough for a well equipped truck.

i took that battery out and put the optima red top in out of my 05 that got wrecked.

Why would you replace a perfectly good battery? Why not use it for it's useful life then replace it with your choice?

personal preference. just knowing that you have the power to start/run whatever you need in your truck without straining the alternator and battery.

So is it going to be better for my engine if i put a bigger batt in?

well it wont hurt it. it really just depend on what your planning to do, running aux lights, winches, radio system, etc... stuff like that, then yeah i would go with a higher output battery. for stock, it would be fine.

No. If your battery is in good operating condition, there is no reason to replace it. High duty conditions may shorten the life expectancy of the battery but replacing it prematurely offers no benefit other than lightening your wallet. Extreme cold, running lots of off-road lights frequently, or running high power audio amplifiers are some of the more common high duty conditions that come to mind.

ohhhh good good. Would rather spend the money somewhere else.

i just upgraded mine because i had an optima in my 05. i put the optima in the 05 when the battery in that truck gave out. so when i got my 09 i just switched the 2 batteries since my 05 is totaled. i surely wasnt gonna let the insurance people take my $150 battery.

Because when that 540 decides to quit working, it will do so with no warning. Who knows, you might be 30 miles up in the mountains when it decides to quit working. Trust me, my first one died and I'd driven somewhere a couple of hours earlier and it had started just fine.

I just don't see the reasoning for going smaller with a growing amount of electical accessories. 10-15 years ago, you didn't have half of the electronics, headlights/interior lights that stayed on after shutdown (I truely believe this is a killer for battery life), etc; and a good battery would last a long time. A buddy has an 07 with the original 800+ battery and it's getting weak already after a little over 2 years.

In the past few years Ive found that models without trailer tow package get the smaller battery. Trailer tow versions get the BXT-65-650 with 650 CCA. Even my XL with very few options got the larger battery because I have trailer tow. Most higher content vehicles will also have trailer tow so I cant say heavily optioned vehicles would get the more powerful battery any way.

In the past we have had a LOT of the BXT-59 (540 CCA) batteries fail early. They have improved but only time will tell how well. You can buy aftermarket batteries more powerful, or you might opt for Motorcraft BXT-65-750 or BXT-65-850, which normally are equipped in F250 and up vehicles and other select vehicles like Expedition.

I've never had a battery fail outright from normal use. There is always some indication the battery is starting to weaken before it weakens enough to leave you stranded.

Bottom line is, its typical for the factory battery to be just about minimal. I don't think I've purchased a new vehicle in twenty years and gotten more than three years from the factory battery.

Its amazing sometimes. I have had some come in with 9 year old original battery. Ive had some fail in a week.

I have the max tow package with the 4 and 7 pin connector, big ol mirrors, 3.73 axle etc. It came with a 540cca battery. BOTH of them did.

Keep trusting in the 540cca battery then. Don't say you weren't warned...lol

What i know about lead acid batts is they dont like being discharged to less that 0.9v per cell and then charged back up. It takes a massive amount of life from the batt. With all the system like the Auto ignition start, Auto audio shut off, Auto light shut off and what ever other auto shut off electrical system there are i think there's far less problems with these batts being discharged.

I practice regular preventative maintenance and checks including a load test on the battery. I'll know the battery is weakening long before I'd have any problems.

You can buy a load tester for less than $50 these days.

i trust my optima more than that factory battery. atleast i know it can stand up to good vibration and all.

Hmm, I just went to the Ford site and read what the MAX tow package has and the regular tow package and one item shows heavy duty battery for both..

And I'm tellin' you that BOTH of my 2008 Lariat F150's with the MAX tow package BOTH came with the 540cca battery. It only took up 2/3 of the battery box. They had the heavy duty alternator, but came with a shiity battery.

BTW, the Chiefs suck.

Heh, anyone who paid for two HD batteries with tow package and got 540 instead HAS to be a chargers fan.... sucker! J/K

You know Ford accidently put lower end radiators in a bunch of F150 that were sold with HD cooling system. They had to replace a whole bunch of radiators or gave refunds. Maybe you should ask why you got the wimpy battery.

yep I had a 2000 f150 with the tow package and they had to replace the radiator cuz they put the wimpy one in. They offered me $100 to keep the wimpy one, yeah right.

My 09 with the tow package has the 540cca battery also..are batteries covered under warranty?

The last battery I had to replace just failed outright in a matter of minutes. No warning, no signs.

We were driving along...stopped...about 10 minutes later, came out and the vehicle was going crazy with everything electronic cycling. :confused:
what should I have in my Expy? I just bought a 2008 Expy EL Limited last night...and to be honest, I haven't popped the hood yet

So there is a chance she has a 750+ CCA battery? Kinda hope so...especially considering that every little widget or gadget in there is connected to some sort of little motor

Yes, 3/36 on the original.

Tylus, most of the Expy I have replace battery on have the 750 that I can remember.

It likely suffered a physical failure like a broken and/or shorted cell if it failed without warning and while you were driving.

Mine started and drove fine. A couple of hours later, it didn't do anything. I got all the lights, and everything looked good, but no crank. It took me an hour to figure it out as the truck wasn't someone elses; it was mine. When I pulled the top box cover off, I was awestruck at the *wittle bitty battewy* sitting in there. Took it back to the dealer after buying a new one and they said "most trucks come with those now as they turn over easier" yadda yadda yadda. I say B.S. and listen to my audiophile without the truck running, have an Edge, leave the GPS plugged in, the lights stay on for a minute after pulling in the garage and unlocking all the doors since they are on auto, (Interior, puddle, headlights, fogs and dash) and there is all the other stuff like heated seats that draw while the alternator (which is a 100amp) charges on it. I think the 100amp is a little large for a 540cca battery regardless of the regulator. After changing to an 850, I haven't had a single issue, even with the truck sitting still for a month with the GPS plugged in. As a caveat, I'd like to say I didn't leave the GPS plugged in all the time (hot) when I had the 540cca. It was too small; end of story.

Has nothing to do with it. 100 amps is the peak output the alternator can supply, which is determined by electrical load. It puts out exactly enough to maintain the voltage the regulator determines. Can't overload a battery with a higher output alternator...not if the regulator's working right.

And if it wasn't working right, the maximum capacity of the battery would have NOTHING to do with being able to withstand it.

Furthermore, the maximum CCA of a battery does not directly affect how long it will last under a continuous load, either. All CCA means is the peak current the battery will generate, not the total charge capacity of the battery. Just because it says it holds more CCAs doesn't mean it'll hold up better to long, slow electrical draws. Beyond that, even with all of your electrical toys running, the battery isn't responsible for powering anything when the engine is running; the alternator is.

Seems to me that the age old "bigger is better" attitude is what is prevailing here, even when it's not necessarily true...

Mine also died this winter in my '08. The dealer replaced it with a much larger size. I think 850cca. You can really tell the difference when it's -20 out with the bigger battery. I don't know why they put such a small cca battery in a truck that needs something bigger.

Bigger is better. My truck turns over easier, and the reserve on the 850 is more than DOUBLE of what it was on the 540cca battery. Read into my posting all you like, but I know what I'm saying. I stand by my statement of a 100amp alternator being a little big for a 540cca battery. A 30amp would keep that 540 charged, but my electrical demands will eat that little battery alive. The battery is sized for all aspects of the vehicle, and not just the peak cold cranking amp output. They put the wrong battery in BOTH of my trucks at the factory.

What is the correct battery?

The 850 may have more capacity but the 540 would provide more than double the current your starter should ever be pulling. Unless the 540 battery was defective, there would be no difference.

Regardless, there is nothing wrong with upgrading the battery if the original is past its useful life. The stock 540 has plenty of capacity for a daily driven stock truck. If there are going to be accessories that will draw off the battery for extended periods while the vehicle is not running, then other considerations have to be made. Putting a larger battery in when it may not be needed is just hauling around more weight unnecessarily.