Time for a battery? Or just cold?

Tim

Tim

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This was fun to see when pulling into a deserted trailhead a couple miles from anywhere…

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Came on when I cut the engine off. I started up and it came on again at shut down. Never seen it before. Was maybe 33* out. Which, in the grand scheme of things, isn’t all that cold.

Truck fired right up when I came off the trail and did not show the alert when I got home.

2013 F150. I’ve had it 3 years and have not changed the battery.

I wasn’t too worried, I have a battery pack jump starter in my kit. I’ve used for others several times, but never actually used it on my own vehicles.

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LeeMajors said:
The ford's are pretty good at giving correct info on the battery. I'd say replace it. Or let that horse on the leash pull start it.
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I wouldn’t let him off leash tonight, so he basically dragged me for 3 miles
 
Tim said:
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Came on when I cut the engine off. I started up and it came on again at shut down. Never seen it before. Was maybe 33* out. Which, in the grand scheme of things, isn’t all that cold.
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If you rotate the truck 90 degrees clockwise, does the warning go away? 🤔
 
Dead battery on my daughters Chevy Equinox. Absolute nightmare to change. Module mounted over the top of it. Terminals would not loosen. Battery terminals made out of thin cheap copper. Under hood covers had to be removed to take off bracket holding battery in place. 2 hours to get battery out. No angle to even pry terminals up.

Went to Oreilley’s where another lady said her husband couldn’t get her battery out. It was a Chevy also. Chevy is on the no buy list.
 
2012 F150… on my third battery

All this electronics just tear through batteries. Replace it and forget about it for 3 years.
 
2013 - not the original, is it?

I recently replaced an 8-ish year old battery; was surprised to find out @Frank C Lyons was correct about the current (!) life expectancy of automotive batteries.

If it's on Battery #2 in 9 years, I'd be disappointed, but it seems to fit the the timeline. Get new before you're stranded.
 
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RacerX said:
2012 F150… on my third battery

All this electronics just tear through batteries. Replace it and forget about it for 3 years.
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I’ve wondered how a modern Ford battery can function at all. It seems the vehicle is constantly draining the battery (searching for updates, reporting back to the NSA, relays clicking and sparking, listening for remote and internet commands, etc.).
 
Jeppo said:
I’ve wondered how a modern Ford battery can function at all. It seems the vehicle is constantly draining the battery (searching for updates, reporting back to the NSA, relays clicking and sparking, listening for remote and internet commands, etc.).
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You’re spot on…. The computers constantly run, slowly killing the battery.
 
The cold probably just highlighted the weakness of the battery. Replace it and move on.

@BlackGun things like this is one of the reasons I decided to change career paths in my 40s. The book labor on that battery paid 2 tenths of an hour for replacement.
 
My 2013 did that today, replaced the battery 2 years ago, had the original up till then.

Another nagging issues it the rear defrost doesn't work, and that is the real sliding window issues that is known. I just need to tear it apart and clean that up.
 
You may get few more weeks or months out of it if you drive it everyday to recharge or can make it to warmer weather but you are on borrowed time overall
 
Check the terminals, if they are not clean that can be a problem. I use the black felt terminal washers from Walmat, USA made.
 
Jesus Christ on a pogo stick. The damned cars are now giving battery warnings?

just this last week, I took my scion with 390k+ miles to the local garage because first it wouldn’t start (click, click click went the starter). Then it was so heavily corroded I got some anti corrosion stuff and a new batter and cleaned it up, only to have the terminal bend when I tried to loosen it. Eff it, let the local grease monkey deal with it. After cleaning it, I was able to get it to take a charge enough to start it (couldn't before), Whats $250 on a car with 340k miles.. I swear it knows I’ve bought it’s replacememt.
 
@Frank C Lyons hey, that has been a GREAT little car. The cost per mile is, well, as low as you can expect. $16k and change back in 2008, oil changes, an alternator, AC compressor, water pump, a few things like an ignition coil …. It’s been a great value and it’s still going.
 
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Now the newer cars, last couple weeks kept warning me about a damned winter storm, every 10 minutes, the day before, it happened. Figured out how to,turn that off, real fast.
 
noway2 said:
@Frank C Lyons hey, that has been a GREAT little car. The cost per mile is, well, as low as you can expect. $16k and change back in 2008, oil changes, an alternator, AC compressor, water pump, a few things like an ignition coil …. It’s been a great value and it’s still going.
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Impressive, I hope my current ride can do that. Was it bought new in 08? That’s quite of bit of driving per year!
 
Frank C Lyons said:
Impressive, I hope my current ride can do that. Was it bought new in 08? That’s quite of bit of driving per year!
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Thank you. It really has been a GREAT car. I think, though, that it knows it has been effectively replaced as I bought both me and the wife new cars this year. Hell, it’s a 2009 model bought in 2008 and hers is a 2006 and we still have both, though they’re starting to develop more issues than they’re worth.

The independent repair shop I’ve been using in High Point says they have a customer with a Scion with 400k plus miles on it. I sold my 1999 (last century) ranger to one of their mechanics and I’ve seen it going down the road.

Somehow you‘ve just got to have affection for a car that keeps on going, even if you don’t trust it to be reliable anymore, even if that is the problem.
 
noway2 said:
Thank you. It really has been a GREAT car. I think, though, that it knows it has been effectively replaced as I bought both me and the wife new cars this year. Hell, it’s a 2009 model bought in 2008 and hers is a 2006 and we still have both, though they’re starting to develop more issues than they’re worth.

The independent repair shop I’ve been using in High Point says they have a customer with a Scion with 400k plus miles on it. I sold my 1999 (last century) ranger to one of their mechanics and I’ve seen it going down the road.

Somehow you‘ve just got to have affection for a car that keeps on going, even if you don’t trust it to be reliable anymore, even if that is the problem.
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Basically you got 2 to three lifetimes out of that Scion. This week I put the first heater blower motor on my Dodge Cummins 5.9. Also added LED headlights. Wife and kids keep asking me why I keep it. Have had the same brake issues for 15 years and over $7000 but they have been fine again for 6 months. It has one thing on it- Air Condition. No carpet, basic turn of the century radio, vinyl bench seat, manual windows, basically wheels and motor vehicle. But it has no check engine light, does not have to get an inspection yearly (over 30 yr old), no collision insurance cost, has property tax value of $1000, and keeps making me money. The thing is older than my kids. Classified now as an antique. Paid half down, financed for 2 years so no truck payment for 30 years.
 
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I just replaced both in my 2017 F350. If they’re over 3 years anymore, replace them before they leave you stranded somewhere no one’s around!
 
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