Battery choice

[Spoilt22]

I'm trying to figure out what battery to chose, want a high cca battery. Any ideas ? On that is good quality and won't die in 2 years.

 

[SHOdded]

Motorcraft Toughmax 850 CCA battery. An AGM group 65 battery at the very least.

 

[tdnews]

I have had multiple poor results with batteries from Ford. Possibly bad luck, but they refused to warranty so I never went back. I tend to buy from Advance Auto, and have not had any duds yet with their top-of-the-line batteries (currently AutoCraft Gold). The factory battery in our 15 Explorer Sport went out in 2.5 years, and I replaced it with a AutoCraft Gold 850 CCA. I don't have any long term information for it though.

 

[bpd1151]

The 650 which comes standard from the assembly line, is rated as a "medium duty" battery right from FMC's own literature.

Why in the **** FMC ever thought the 650 was an appropriate power source given all the tech and electronics in our SHO's is beyond me. Anyhow......

I ramped up to the 850 ToughMax, after the 650 crapped out after 2.5yrs.

The replacement 850 lasted a tick over 5yrs, which I was elated with. I just replaced the 850 with another 850 ToughMax in January of this year.

Looking forward to yet another solid 5yrs out of the current one. Have been very happy.

 

[SHOdded]

Felt washers and dielectric grease/battery protection products remain invaluable tools to keeping the battery healthy.

 

[bpd1151]

Felt washers and dielectric grease/battery protection products remain invaluable tools to keeping the battery healthy.

Very true. I've used both myself.

Great suggestion there Manu.

 

[sperold]

Has anyone tried a trunk relocation of the battery? Either for the placement of a 2nd battery, or to relocate the original.

Battery problems seem to top the list of things that go wrong with the new SHO.

Are the underhood temperatures killing these things, or is it the demanding current draw, or has manufacturing really gotten that bad?

Maybe a cooler spot in the car would help if the things are poorly made.

 

[bpd1151]

Funny you should mention that Sperold.

The engine hood vents I had my shop cut & install back in 2013 relieved a crap ton of heat.

Then, 1 day on an elusive highway somewhere in Mexico, clipping past 155MPH, the primary latch let up, and I nearly lost that hood! Yikes! Thus 1 week after that, in go the hood pins.

Which of course prompted me to then ditch both under belly pans spanning the bottom side of the motor. Lest not forget of course, the open mesh design of the original aftermarket upper/lower grilles from Mobsteel.

I mention all of the above, because I'm fairly confident that the excessive engine bay temps killed my 1st 650 series battery, resulting in its' short 2.5yr life span. I mean ****, even the casing on that battery was warped/melted/malformed when I removed it. Which shocked me.

Now with all that heat escaping from every which way on my SHO, could be a definitive, direct result of the 850 series replacement having lasted literally..... TWICE AS LONG.

I also now have a second battery installed in the trunk's spare tire well, ever since my massive audio install early last year.

 

[Lostneye]

I've been running a Bosch AGM for a few months. I looked online for local chain store coupon codes and bought it to pick up in store.

 

[shaker281]

OEM battery lasted just over 5 years in northern IL. Failed to start SHO on NYE 2015 with temps around -10. With nothing else open on NY day I bought a Everstart MAXX from Walmart and thought I'd regret it. Yet, after over 2 years and inadvertently draining it twice, it still seems fine. I've got a Walmart standard battery in my GT500 that is 5 years old. Bought that one because Napa, Costco and O'Reilly did not have the correct size at the time I went shopping.

Fact is that there are only a few manufacturers that make standard lead acid batteries for North American automotive applications. IIRC: East Penn, Exide and Johnson Controls make most of them. Pretty certain the group 65 Walmart batteries are from Johnson Controls. Johnson Controls owns Optima. Interstate is a "marketer" who resells product from actual manufacturers. Bosch is now manufactured by Johnson Controls.

Of course, retailers have batteries made to spec and even within a specific brand there can be big differences relative to "group" or size. I've heard that Costco batteries are the best bang for the buck at this time. They seem to have changed suppliers a couple years ago.

Also, it is interesting to note that there are "south" and "north" batteries in each lineup and they are made a bit differently.

 

[Lostneye]

OEM battery lasted just over 5 years in northern IL. Failed to start SHO on NYE 2015 with temps around -10. With nothing else open on NY day I bought a Everstart MAXX from Walmart and thought I'd regret it. Yet, after over 2 years and inadvertently draining it twice, it still seems fine. I've got a Walmart standard battery in my GT500 that is 5 years old. Bought that one because Napa, Costco and O'Reilly did not have the correct size at the time I went shopping.

Fact is that there are only a few manufacturers that make standard lead acid batteries for North American automotive applications. IIRC: East Penn, Exide and Johnson Controls make most of them. Pretty certain the group 65 Walmart batteries are from Johnson Controls. Johnson Controls owns Optima. Interstate is a "marketer" who resells product from actual manufacturers. Bosch is now manufactured by Johnson Controls.

Of course, retailers have batteries made to spec and even within a specific brand there can be big differences relative to "group" or size. I've heard that Costco batteries are the best bang for the buck at this time. They seem to have changed suppliers a couple years ago.

Also, it is interesting to note that there are "south" and "north" batteries in each lineup and they are made a bit differently.

I know a few people that swear by Costco batteries. I'm not sure who makes them but they seem to be decent. The economy Walmart batteries are junk but move up and they are no worse than any other brand.

The OEM 650CCA battery lasted 5 years or so for me. I went with Bosch only because that is the best deal I could get on an AGM at the time. Again not sure who makes them but I believe there are only 2 manufacturers making AGMs currently.

 

[markathome]

I put in the Everstart Maxx from Walmart. Like my original battery, it lasted exactly three years then got a bad cell. Walmart prorated and replaced. That works for me.
Pretty sure the batteries experience a quick death due to the extreme high temps.... For those of us that are stock.

Sent from my XT1094 using Tapatalk

 

[GHNorth]

The battery cables on my '13 SHO were badly corroded from the lead-acid battery when I bought it three years ago. When that Motorcraft battery died less than a year later I replaced it with a Diehard AGM. I had already cleaned up the battery cables, and sprayed them with protectant, so no more corrosion issues. Interesting that a CARFAX search showed that the battery in my SHO had been replaced almost every year since it was new. I don't drive it enough, and have had to put it on a battery tender a few times, but the battery works well when driven/charged regularly. The AGM battery in my Torino Cobra is going on 9 years in service. I believe in AGM batteries.