Battery blues

[rpatton3]

Sure enough, we had a dead battery after the car had not been started in 2-3 weeks.

Should I go ahead and buy a Ford battery or try a jump start? It's a 2002 with 4,100 miles.

[Lonestar]

Re: Battery blues

Many 02 owners have the original battery but it is now 6 years old and has served you well. May be time to replace and have peace of mind. Replace with the one from Motorcraft so as to get the correct vent type.

[Brad]

Re: Battery blues

If you search this topic you will see me asking the same question last year...bottom line is get a new batter and motorcraft is just about your only choice...if you want to save some money install it yourself. FYI, mine ended up being the rear defogger not shutting off and draining the battery, but I don't regret replacing it given the age.

[rpatton3]

Re: Battery blues

Many 02 owners have the original battery but it is now 6 years old and has served you well. May be time to replace and have peace of mind. Replace with the one from Motorcraft so as to get the correct vent type.

Thanks. I had an email from Optima stating their batteries were not recommended.

Would you want your wife stuck with a dead battery and the top down?

I think not!

Thanks again,

[Kokomo]

Re: Battery blues

Get a new Motorcraft battery. Jump start won't hurt to get you going but even if it seems ok after recharging, it is just a matter of time before it fails again.

[Borla Babe]

Re: Battery blues

Finally replaced my LadyBird's 6 year old battery, even though it continued to test ok. The battery doesn't cost that much and now I don't worry about getting stranded somewhere with a car that won't start. I think they call it Peace of Mind.......

[BirdsAndBugs]

Re: Battery blues

Jump start it and/or put it on a battery charger and see if it holds a charge. They're not that costly (under $50 at Sears or K-Mart) and convenient to have around. I've still got the original battery on my 2003. 4-5 years of battery life is pretty good on your daily driver, but I've regularly gotten about 8 years on my collector vehicles which are garaged and not as frequently driven.

[doubutsu]

Re: Battery blues

Russell, another good reason not to let your wife drive the t-bird.

[rpatton3]

Re: Battery blues

Well, it's her car. She teaches freshman English at Arkansas State and mean school teacher looks from a red head English teacher are almost deadly.

She's a sweetheart except for mechanical, car-type problems.

[V8 Cat]

Re: Battery blues

Finally replaced my LadyBird's 6 year old battery, even though it continued to test ok. The battery doesn't cost that much and now I don't worry about getting stranded somewhere with a car that won't start. I think they call it Peace of Mind.......

Good decision. Pushed one too far in one of my other cars, and it cost me a road service ($70.00) and being late to an appointment not to mention the hassle. It had a dead/shorted cell so a simple jump-start would not get it going. Six to seven years is about it for these batteries. I know there are exceptions, but it's not worth the aggrevation.

[Ediron]

Re: Battery blues

I'm still on the original battery.In Fl. you get 3-4 yrs due to the heat so I maybe pushing it a little.Just changed the battery in the GF Honda an 06.Didn't go to the dealer as she had to go to work.

[2Redbirds57/02]

Re: Battery blues

I'm still on the original battery after almost 7 years and 42,000 miles. Still going strong.