Battery



Go to your local interstate distributor and get an Optima blem. (cosmetically challenged) way cheap and just as good. I've done this several times.

Bill

 

brand really doesnt matter the majority of the car lead acid batteries made in the US, are made by Johnson Controls and sold under various more common names. The make Motorcraft, Optima, Interstate, Energizer, EverStart, DieHard, Duralast, just to name a few.

 

But they'r made to different specs

This month's consumer reports has die hard best (but$$$$) with Durolast next. Believe it or not, I'm starting my eighth winter in New England on the original..Checked it this weekend for the first time in a while. 12.85v, and five cells over 13.6, with one a little lower. the one closest to the hot terminal. Probably because of clock drain, etc.

I go back to the days when three years was the max on a battery or exhaust system.

 

grab a motorcraft battery. it comes with a 3 year warranty and roadside assistance from ford!!

 

Well, you are lucky enough to live in Cali, the most hospitable of climates for batteries. The most expensive batteries are really only superior in cold climates or if you intend to sit with the engine off blasting your music for 45 min. Cranking amps is measured at 32 F and cold cranking amps (the primary rating) is measured at 0 F. If you don't expect to be driving in that kind of weather very much for the next few years, you really can buy a cheap battery with a lower CCA rating and it will be enough for you. As long as the charging system is working properly and you don't deep cycle (repeatedly drain the battery) , a cheap battery will perform as long as an Optima in Cali.

Edit: in hot weather, the primary cause of battery failure is a depletion/evaporation of water in the electrolyte/water solution that is battery juice. The electrolyte NEVER evaporates, so if you have a conventional battery and find that the cells are low, add distilled water to bring them back up to spec. If you add electrolyte to a battery that already had enough you will throw off the chemical balance and the battery will suffer. On the other hand, most new batteries are maintenance free or hybrids, and you can't or aren't supposed to be able to add fluid. Also keep the battery terminal areas clean as any debris or gunk around them will act as a conductor and be a drain on the battery.

Also, you could just buy an expensive battery with a good warranty from a parts store and after a couple years drain it over and over and then keep it in your freezer for a week, bring it back to the store to test and get a new one. You can intentionally sabotage a battery if you know what it's susceptible to, and if you have a warranty you get a new one.

 

....wow good info guys!

 

For batteries, I just get the one with the best warranty. Duralast has 8 year warranties on their Gold series. I've forgotten how many years you can go where it will give you a free one without prorating. I've literally only replaced these once in any vehicle. I also try to figure out what the biggest battery is that I can fit in my car. Other cars I've had were battery challenged, but the Focus seems to be ok with it's 500cca battery. I don't think I can upgrade the size of the battery in this installation either.

 

I go for the motorcraft as I have had good luck with them. When I start my mods tho, I will go to the optima. I like how it is completely sealed and no worries about any acid leaking.

 

I run Interstate. Every Duracrap I've had has went bad quickly......

 

I'm a fan of Motorcraft, and DieHard. Motorcraft are made by Johnson Controls, DieHard is made by Interstate. the original MC battery in our 03 4.6L Expedition lasted 6 years before it stopped working properly. The DieHard Platinum 2 that replaced it is outstanding. Stay away from Walmart Everstart, last I heard they were made by Exide.

 

DieHard isn't made by Interstate, it is manufactured by JCI (Johnson Controls Inc)
Motorcraft & DieHard have given me the best of luck. A Die Hard group 65 has lasted me 11 years and still passes a minute load test at 775 CCA, and my DieHard Platinum will probably outlast the vehicle it is in =p

Everstart & ACDelco = crap
Interstate also seem to fail a LOT sooner than their warranties claim.

 

Optima!

 

Motorcraft all the way. Had a Duralast for over a little over a year before it died, had the car towed to the dealership thinking the PCM died since it lost all power coming home on the highway. It would start but die as soon as i got it into drive then showed dashes on the odometer.

The old Motocraft lasted 5 years before it died. The Duralast only 1.

 

East Penn Manufacturing also makes some models of just about every make, in addition to their own brand, Deka.

Nowadays, OEM batteries last so long that by the time they're shot, the car they came in is so old it hardly warrants a 6-year battery.

 

I had a duralast in my turbo SVT...... same one for 7 years.

 

I'm a big fan of Vulcan batteries. We use them on our trucks at work and get an easy 4/5 years out of them and maybe 2/3 out of Interstate (group 31 truck batteries).

 

Optima's are so over rated. I've had a Duralast for 4 years and never skipped a beat.

 

something to watch on replacement batteries. Generally, they are shipped dry, and the chemicals are added at the retailers. I bought a battery at sears a few (many) years ago, and later noticed that the chemicals in two cells didn't cover the plates. They wouldn't acknowledge and correct, so adding water diluted the solution-results-early demise of the battery. Check when you buy, sometimes the nite crew or grunt does the filling, and you get those results.

 

Maybe a dumb question, but can you find motorcraft batteries anywhere but a Ford dealer? My local parts departments are gougers.

 

^^^ yes lol, just have to look around...lol