Battery Done...Can you believe it????
 

Battery completed dead after just 2 years! Same thing happened to my wife's Edge after 2 year. Does Ford install crappy batteries or what! :banghead::banghead::banghead:

Luckily I had AAA and they quickly came and replaced the battery for me. If I wasn't on vacation 200 miles away from home then perhaps I could've replaced the battery myself. Turns out AAA was cheaper anyhow, who knew...

My battery isn't completely dead, but after 3.5 years its life has shortened. Went to a drive-in cinema this summer and 30 minutes into the movie, I could not start my car up, had to have it jumped, and let it run for the rest of the movie. It works fine, but I dont charge or let any electrical things run when the car is shot down.

Why not go ahead and replace it before it strands you?

I hear you, my factory battery lasted a whole year & 10 months then failed. I replaced it with a AC Delco Pro 96RP and so far it's been fine.

The battery in my GT500 is 6 years old...never any problems.

My Battery is 3 years old, been run down once to nothing and still starts fine. 2000 Explorer was 9 years old and 200,000 miles before it was replaced so there are a few good ones out there.

My battery lasted me for 6.5 years before it died. Can't complain. On my Dodge Ram though it only lasted me 2 years when that was new. I think it's a luck of the draw. Hehehe, draw, get it? As in current. :heh: I'm so clever I amaze even myself. :nice:

I have to change my alternator every two years, and my battery every 2 or 4 also (depending on if the alternator takes the battery out with it). So I figure you're doing alright...

You shouldn't need to replace your alternator and battery every 2yrs. Something is either wrong or you are drawing too much current. Do you have a custom stereo setup?

Nope, it's been like that since day one. Common problem with early S197''s. I would think they've got it figured out by now, but who knows. You'd think they know how to paint aluminium hoods by now too, but...

Ford will give you a new one if you are still in warranty.

You think we get a charge out of your humor?
 

You
You think we get a charge out of your humor? So you amaze one person...... We all do....

I am concerned since my original OEM battery went out after around 4 1/2 years, Seems kind of quick. This fall my car will be 9 years old. The replacement battery back in the summer of 2018 was not a Ford battery, but still a good old fashioned lead acid battery. So I am wondering if this one will have a longer life than its predecessor. I did get a different battery charger after I replaced the first battery. Now using a CTek charger and hoping for longer lasting battery life. We will see.

It is really difficult to handle when my Jeep Grand Cherokees (yes I have 2, a 2012, and a 2017) came stock with an AGM battery. My 2012 is coming up on 10 years old and still has the original OEM battery. According to the Jeep Forum this is very common and most 2011 and newer JGCs still are on the original OEM battery. Fingers cross for all my cars life giving batteries. Like them to last forever, hahaha.

Really would like to find a good brand AGM that will fit the Mustang at a reasonable cost. I still have not been able to find a replacement AGM that fits the stock OEM location. I assume they are out there and will look again when this one fails.

Happy trails and wish you all a long and healthy battery life. :grin:

I've had an AGM and it's not any better. It's not typically the battery itself, it's the way the system is. And to that, it's about The Amelioration:
https://themustangsource.com/forums/...4/#post6917899

And starting it more times than not. But not a lot wanna do that stuff. I fully understand. It wasn't fun for me either. :shame:

Long story short: accept the battery thing. Buy them at Walmart or wherever's cheapest and stop worryin' about it. Do The Amelioration and give it its best chance to not be a problem.

I've been doing that with Awesome and haven't had any complaint, except the fact I let her sit waaaaay too long between starts one time and that meant new battery... and another Wally Worl trip. I'm better about the starting now. :p

Exactly well said! Doesn't matter what type of batteries are used, it's the non-stop milliamp draw of the computer/electrical system a.k.a keep alive memory of the pcm modules which are responsible for draining batteries if they sit for too long.. The only real solutions is either disconnect the battery if the vehicle is not being used for long periods or connect the battery to a battery tender.. Since using a battery tender, my Motorcraft batteries have lasted up to 5+ years.. Prior to that, I had to replace 3 batteries in less than 2 years..

Down here in Florida, you're lucky to see a battery last 3 years on a modern vehicle. And that's on a modern daily driver. I've squeezed 4 years out of a daily driver before, but it was a '94 F150, with many less electrical draws than todays vehicles

Ok I do understand what you guys are putting down, but there is part of it that is flat out has to be wrong.

My Mustang sits for 3-4 months each year. The battery is always disconnected for that time. While disconnected I drop a charger on it every 3-5 weeks, before the new CTek charger It was always on the trickle charge setting. When it is connected it rarely sits for more than a week, maybe 10 days without getting driven.

Now the Wife's 2012 JGC was bought new and is a month away from being 10 years old. The vehicle has 49K miles on it, super low mileage. So she is averaging a little over 400 miles a month, but it is not driven every month. I know periods when she was staying in our vacation home for a month or more usually two times a year that the vehicle was not driven or charged. Her battery has been amazing and is still going strong.

There has to be a difference between the (not-so) good old fashion lead acid battery and an AGM style battery. I know the AGM format is more $$. They are also supposed to handle discharge better. The battery in her JGC is the first AGM I have had, and 10 years is pretty frick'n amazing. Now your @houtex reference to the Red Top Optima in the linked post, shows that a well built AGM battery, which is what the Red Tops were back when you wrote that, does make a difference. It is hard to believe that all those Jeep owners with the AGM batteries are just lucky and/or got a good one and/or maybe just know the perfect amount of starting it takes to keep it perfectly charged.

I am a big believer in you get what you pay for. I have used Wally World batteries and they really are poor. Also I realize there are only a small number of battery manufacturers for Lead Acid Batteries (sounds like mostly made in China). Seems like they just don't or can't build them like the use to. Use to be able to get 6 to 7 years out of one before it gave me trouble. Then you could limp along for a while before you had to replace it. But with today's car battery demands they really don't give you trouble, they just quit, go dead out of the blue. Heard that story way too many times. So I think depending on the life of current battery in my Stang, the next round I may look into an AGM, We will see what happens.

I've never tried using an AGM battery, therefore, I can't really confirm nor deny if they handle battery discharge any better over lead acid batteries.. All I know is through my 17 year experience as a S197 Mustang owner, is ever since I've been connecting my motorcraft batteries to a battery tender, the batteries have lasted for at least up to 5 years with no discharge related issues!

I don't doubt you've had issues, but I've used them and had no issues that weren't my own fault. They're made by Johnson Controls, or whoever they are now, starts with an E, and they're they *exact same* as any other battery you'd fine just like it by Johnson Controls/whatever, including Motorcraft, Die Hard, etc, ad nauseam. Only ones that'd be any different, and not much, would be the other manufacturers. It's not a 'Wally' thing at all. I done the research, I've used the products, it literally doesn't matter which one you use, the technology hasn't changed in decades now, and it ain't gonna, not when it comes to these wet lead acid types.

That said, you absolutely can spend more on the competition, get the same battery, and the same disappointment, if that makes you feel better or something. I ain't gonna sway ya. I just want everyone to know the score on these things: They all the same. Doesn't matter where you buy it, and the others that are higher for the 'same-ish' battery are just marking it up for the *same* battery. 750 CCA is 750 CCA in a 24F, and the label is the change. I want platinum labels for the O'Reilly ones as much more they cost for the same battery as Wally's.

For what all that's worth. Y'all do y'all. Buy the batteries that make ya feel right. That'll do just fine. Don't mind me and my cheap-(donkey) self regarding these things, for I'm quite the idiot, surely. :bunny: :D

---

As to what's killing these things, it's kinda simple:

Car continuous draw will kill it. Period. Eventually or very soon, but that's a thing.
Dirty battery shorting the terminals will cause a similar draw. Keep the battery clean, problem solved.
Goofy alternator overcharging the battery because it's broken and not regulating correctly. Car *should* report it in the newer ones, but older ones... :dunno:
Cold. Put simply, too cold will kill the thing. Don't let it get too cold. Above freezing certainly, but even more than that.
Hot. Put simply, too hot will kill the thing. Don't let it get too hot. Below boiling certainly, but even more than that.

This last is problematic in the S197s and up, as they stuck the battery behind the strut tower and gave it little air to breathe. That and the headers are right under it, and all that heat just sits there and soaks the battery. You can put a blanket around it, stick it in a box, whatever... and all that means that when the heat gets in (and it will), it STAYS there and bakes that battery.

Take steps to avoid all that and your battery will be better off.

---

Now, ladies and gents, I had previous to my Awesome a 1997 Ford HoopTBird. It had the original alternator and original battery in it, I would suppose. Neither had ever been changed to my knowledge before I got it. It's possible the alternator had, I just don't know for sure, but that battery was the original Motorcraft one dated correctly. Made by Johnson Controls, as it happens. And so it is that one day the charging system was messed up. Thought it was the battery. Battery tested fine. Removed alternator, had it checked, yep, dead. Got the new one, installed, done. That was it for the charging system, no other complaints since.

When I traded that trooper, although quite not great, car in for Awesome, which was in 2008, or 11 years (possibly 12) of service, *that same original battery was in it* and still functioning.

Why?

It was in the front of the engine compartment, away from the exhaust heat, where it could get air. That's my supposition anyway. All the vehicles that had this mounting up front I've ever had never had batteries swapped out. Awesome? So. Many. Until I did The Amelioration that is, it's been MUCH better. Still that placement is the only real difference between all these vehicles I've owned/used.

Battery placement. It's a thing. Or at least I'm convinced it to be. Heat in the engine compartment... dead batteries. And then all that other stuff I said.

So... um... yeah. There that is.

/Yet another ramblin' dialog by yours truly brought to you by the letter Q, symbol } and the number 5.

At first, I also thought that heat from placing the batteries behind the strut tower was the reason behind them discharging prematurely. However, since connecting the batteries to a battery tender, I have since ruled out the heat issue as the main cause.. During the past 16+ years, all my motorcraft batteries have lasted up to 5 years by keeping the battery connected to a battery tender whenever the car is sitting inside the garage, not being operated.. At any rate, if heat was the main reason for killing the batteries, I wouldn't think connecting a battery tender would make any difference.. Therefore, this leads to my original conclusion, that it's the continuous milliamp draw of the PCM's keep alive memory (K.A.M) which is the mean reason for discharging the batteries. I would however be very curious if anyone on these forums have noticed any differences or improvement by relocating the battery to the trunk compartment :dunno:

I'm a firm believe that heat is a big issue, as well as larger electrical loads from modern electronics while at rest. What passes as a normal draw now, would have been a parasitic problem on older vehicles. AGM batteries exist to solve that issue, among other reasons.

I'm a Lincoln tech by trade, down here in swampy Florida. Anecdotally speaking, I think the trunk mount for the batteries works out better, based on what I see at work. The only wrinkle to that experience, is that the only modern Lincolns with trunk mounted batteries is the MKZ Hybrid, which is its own can of worms for electrical fun. But I'll say this, I replace so few 12v batteries in the hybrid version, that I forget about where the battery is until I open the hood. Our MKC/Escape vehicles have the battery mounted essentially under the windshield cowl, less than a foot from the valve cover, and maybe 2ft from the exhaust manifold. They absolutely eat batteries, versus vehicles with more cool air around the battery. Again, anecdotally speaking.

My Mazda 3 had the battery mounted in pretty much the same area and it actually had a CAI on it. Battery is next to the drivers side strut tower. I wonder why this is something Mazda did and not Ford?
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/themust...0be98b5c66.jpg

If heat is in fact the main reason for killing the lead acid batteries, how is it that AGM batteries are constructed any different when it comes to withstanding heat? I'd really like someone to explain this :dunno:

Not sure if the AGM will handle heat any better. On the JGC the battery is in the most ridiculous place, unless you are familiar with them you would never guess. It is under the front passenger set in a little battery well, covered with a plastic panel that is the color of the interior carpet. They may be place there to get away from the heat, but I do not know for sure.

Here is what I found on the AGM and heat at this site...
https://www.consumerreports.org/car-...o-do-about-it/

So I guess our best bet will be stick with our "Flooded" batteries and to check and top off the water levels frequently with distilled water? Sure the trickle charger does not hurt either as long as it does not boil out the water. I have been doing both of these things on the current battery. Maybe that is the key?

:dunno:

My OEM Ford battery lasted 4 years. Replaced it with an EverStart group size H6 battery and it lasted 2.5 years...garbage. I'm using the MotorMaster OEPLUS, 730 CCA, group size 48/H6 battery. Hope it will last longer. Also, using the Schumacher Automatic Maintainer onboard charger during the winter when not using the car often.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/themust...c6ff2b9c79.jpg
OEPLUS batter and Schumacher charger.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/themust...0532ed0efd.jpg
The blue wire is for Charging and the black wire is for the heater block.

I've been running the battery minder plus trickle charger for well over 10 years.. Its sort of like the Deltran battery tender junior which has smart chip technology that automatically shuts off the unit when the battery is fully maintained/charged.. I've been very pleased with it and has never malfunctioned nor overcharged my batteries..
https://www.batteryminders.com/batte...er-desulfator/
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/themust...6af3ed2ae3.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/themust...75e2ace293.png

Yup your EverStart battery experience is pretty much what mine has been too. :bad:

So in your plug-in pic is the vent next to it in your lower grill for brake cooling?

Yes, for the brake cooling.

I don't believe AGM batteries are designed to handle heat any differently than a flooded type. The main draw to AGM is they have a longer discharge ability, as they are more energy dense. They can also be lighter than flooded batteries, and are considered "sealed" or "maintenance free." They are just a progression of battery tech. I will say, they are much more finnicky about charging. They charge up very slowly, compared to a flooded battery. For that reason, I run into a lot of battery related concerns from customers who drive short distances regularly. Concerns including features turning off, and other battery "state of charge" preservation things, most of the time the cars continue to start and run like normal.
That's a common battery placement for a FWD application. Due to engine layout, it creates different places to bolt in the battery. Almost all FWD cars have a variety of that setup, just due to being able to package everything well.

I really appreciate you taking the time to fully explain both the pros and cons of an AGM battery vs standard/flooded types.. After thoroughly reading over your post response, I've come to the conclusion that the cons over making the switch to an AGM battery from a standard/flooded type far outweigh the pros in my honest opinion.. Despite having larger discharge abilities, as they are more energy dense just as you just mentioned, however, does the larger discharge ability actually provide a significant difference over a standard/flooded battery which also takes much less time to charge up? Unless the AGM batteries have significant more energy and significantly larger discharge abilities over a standard/flooded battery, I really don't see much of an advantage in making the switch, to be honest with you..

Perhaps, I'm dead wrong about all this, but that's pretty much how I interpreted your description of the pros and cons between AGM versus acid/flooded batteries :dunno:

So I stumbled across this article today. Not sure of this author's knowledge or background, but according to John Paul, "The Car Doctor" from the Providence Journal, it is not a great idea to put an AGM in a car designed for a Lead Acid Battery... See the 4th Q&A.

Car Doctor: Should I change to synthetic motor oil? (providencejournal.com)

Thanks for posting the article.. Some really good stuff there to take into consideration :nice:

The battery in my '03 Explorer ran for 10 years before dying (in a Wal-Mart parking lot, so I was able to just go back in and buy a battery, hah!) But that vehicle was a daily driver that got a very consistent 45-60 minutes of driving a day on just two starts so the battery was very, very well maintained.

If you are in a situation where you don't regularly drive or drive only short distances, a battery tender is your friend. My 13GT, which is not a daily driver, has one on all the time because it only gets out on the road once every week or two during the summer and gets parked for ~4-5 months a year.

I'm sorry this reply is 6 weeks late, but hopefully you'll see it.

In my opinion, there is no benefit to putting an AGM battery in a vehicle that came with a conventional style battery from the factory. The draw of AGM is that it has that longer discharge capability, which goes hand in hand with the increased resting draw of the modern electrical systems. On an older vehicle, or one that was designed with a conventional battery in mind, the biggest thing you might notice is that the car can sit a little longer between starts during storage without needing a jumpstart. It's best to just stick with what the vehicle was designed to use from the factory.

Anecdotally speaking, I put an AGM battery in one of my motorcycles that took a conventional battery from the factory. This bike has a high compression, 1000cc Vtwin engine, it's not nice to the battery trying to crank this thing over on anything less than full charge. Anyway, at the time, I was riding it 12 miles per day, round trip, to work and back. Due to the slow charging ability of the AGM style, high compression engine, and meager motorcycle charging system, for 2 years I had to throw the bike on a charger anytime the weather got under 65 degrees. After I finally got tired of that, I chucked a regular battery back in the bike. I now ride the thing on a 4 mile round trip, like twice a week at this point, and it still cranks faster than it did for the majority of the time it had an AGM in it. Plus it's cheaper. Made me a believer first hand!

Thank you for your reply and for also confirming my suspicions regarding the cons of having no real benefit to installing an AGM battery in a vehicle which was originally designed for a conventional style battery from the factory :nice:

Thanks for the reply and adding to the thread! Yes it seems like it is best to stick to batteries that our cars were designed to operate with. Conventional batteries are less $$$ and the AGM will likely not add additional life.