Battery Problem!!!!
filed in 1998 Ford F150
Question: I have a 1998 Ford F150 that I bought in April of 1998. From April till December 1998 I never had a problem with the vehicle. Beginning in December the battery would go dead after sitting for approximately 24 hours. The Ford dealer has replaced the battery twice saying the first two batteries were bad. Today the third battery went dead. One bad battery, ok. Two bad batteries, a stretch. Three bad batteries, EXTREMELY hard to believe.
I did some investigating on my own after the second battery went dead the first time. I began monitoring the battery voltage. The voltage drop on the battery was approximately .2 to .5 over the 7 times I checked the voltage. When the second battery went dead for the second time, I checked the voltage and it was 11.5. They replaced the battery again and it went dead today. Voltage was 11.2.
The Ford dealer says the first 2 batteries had a bad cell.
Is there anything that can cause a cell in the battery to go bad?
Anyone have any thoughts on this problem?
Please respond by email and post to this group. Thanks
Answer: If the truck was purchased new from the dealer that replaced the batteries, and if it was my vehicle, I would have to inquire about some warranty work. Of course, there may be too many miles on the odometer to qualify for regular warranty work. Emission stuff and computers are, or used to be, warranteed for 5 years or 50,000 miles, which ever occurs first. I don’t know of anything that will cause a cell to go dead. The alternator may have a shorted diode that is draining the juice. I encountered the shorted diode syndrome when I was maintaining the Thermo-King truck refrigeration units, but I don’t recall the make of the alternators.
could you have an electrical fualt/leak in the cars electrical system. Is the alternator/regulator operating correctly. 11.2v should be enougth to start the car up anywayYou’ve got a current drain somewhere – usually either an alarm system, faulty alternator or a courtesy lamp on somewhere (glovebox etc)
Cells don’t just go dead overnight. If you had a cheap and cheerful battery charger I’ll lay you good odds a recharge would have put any of the batteries right again. If the people who worked at dealers had any intelligence they wouldn’t work in dealers – they’d be lawyers or bankers or something. Trust their verdict as far as you can spit a rat and you won’t go too far wrong.
Dave Baker at Puma Race Engines (London – England) – specialist flow development and engine work. .
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