Battery Gave Out. Think its the battery...

[Ediron]

Re: Battery Gave Out. Think its the battery...

I just got a new Motorcraft battery and had about the same experience. Don't they charge these things before they install them? Makes me wonder if they just pulled it off the shelf and installed it with no charging at all.

That's what they did with mine .Off the shelf I installed it myself no problem started right up and I just drove it.

[MintTbird]

Re: Battery Gave Out. Think its the battery...

yea i think they just come off shelf...

[keithwand]

Re: Battery Gave Out. Think its the battery...

Sears had a whole shelf full of batteries.
It was charged plenty to start the car. If we drove the car regularly it would have charged itself fully but since its a garage queen; the batt. tender was necc.

[PaulD]

Re: Battery Gave Out. Think its the battery...

Sears had a whole shelf full of batteries.
It was charged plenty to start the car. If we drove the car regularly it would have charged itself fully but since its a garage queen; the batt. tender was necc.

Sounds like a good excuse for a trip to charge the battery.

[GrayGator72]

Re: Battery Gave Out. Think its the battery...

I'm on my third battery in 7 years. Ford is the only place I've been able to find a replacement, glad there is now a DieHard replacement. Yes you must have the vent tube type. One good news I replaced my battery in March and Ford had a $20 mail in rebate so brought it down to $89.

[gladiator99]

Re: Battery Gave Out. Think its the battery...

I had the same problem with a 2 year old motorcraft battery last fall!
The battery would not start our 2002 bird after sitting in the garage for about 3 weeks. The battery was purchased in 2008 but at the time it was already 2 years old. I questioned the parts guy at the local Ford dealer and he assured me that it would be covered under warranty. I took the battery out last fall after it failed and the dealer checked it and said it was ok. Over the winter it would not take a charge and as we were away for the winter, I had our son in law put the charger on every 2 months, however it would not charge up. Now the dealer wants us to pay a portion as it is prorated. They want $86.00. The original cost here in canada is 185.00. I think if I pay for a new battery I should get a new battery. The only battery they have in stock is a 2009 mfg, date battery. I don't think I should pay again for an old battery. Who knows if they have kept it charged fully????
Do these batterys have to be kept on a trickle charge all winter?
Cheers,
Jim

[keithwand]

Re: Battery Gave Out. Think its the battery...

I was just glad to find a battery on a Sunday especially since the car was in a stranded in a parking lot.
I keep mine on a battery tender most all of the time due to lack of use.
We may go 2 weeks at a time without drivng it.
Hey gas is cheap since we only use 25-30 gallons a year!

[gladiator99]

Re: Battery Gave Out. Think its the battery...

I'm on my third battery in 7 years. Ford is the only place I've been able to find a replacement, glad there is now a DieHard replacement. Yes you must have the vent tube type. One good news I replaced my battery in March and Ford had a $20 mail in rebate so brought it down to $89.

Can you give me the part number for the die hard battery from Sears? I may end up driving to Spokane or other nearby town to get one.
Thanks,
Jim

[steelblue5505]

Re: Battery Gave Out. Think its the battery...

Jim,
Looks like you guys are home, eh? Too bad you didn't call for a quick hello.

Sorry to see that you may have battery troubles. Isn't there a Sears store in
the Omack/Okannogan area? I thought there was.

[billm]

Re: Battery Gave Out. Think its the battery...

My '04 Bird had only 3,000 miles on it in early 2010, and had not been driven much during the winter. Went out to start it one day after having driven it in the neighborhood a couple of months earlier, and found the battery very dead. Put a battery charger on it, but it did not charge after a few hours. I had another charger, so I put the second charger on it and within a short time, the Bird was able to be started. It has sat for months without a trickle charger on it since, and has started every time since then without any difficulty. The only thing I could think of, was that something was left on, or stuck, that resulted in the discharge. The original battery is still in the car, and has never gone dead since that time. It remains as strong as ever.

_____________________________________// Bill

[keithwand]

Re: Battery Gave Out. Think its the battery...

Can you give me the part number for the die hard battery from Sears? I may end up driving to Spokane or other nearby town to get one.
Thanks,
Jim

Diehard Gold GP65 $109.99
36 mo. full replace and 64 months prorated.
Sears in Orlando had plenty

[Tony007]

Re: Battery Gave Out. Think its the battery...

Keith, Nope, I think that's your problem.

HI SPENCE, HOW ARE YOU, HOPE ALL IS WELL AND YOUR FEELING GOOD.....

I HAVE 03 BIRD, THIS JUNE SHE WILL BE 8 YRS OLD....DIDN'T START IT FOR A MONTH DURING WINTER, BATTERY WENT DEAD....TOOK A FEW JUMP STARTS, BROUGHT IT TO FORD AND GOT A NEW BATTERY AND ALL FINE NOW....

NOT KNOWING MUCH ABOUT CARS, I'M REMEMBERING THE OLD DAYS, BATTERIES LASTED ABOUT 4 TO 5 YRS....SEEMS STRANGE THAT THESE BATTERIES LAST SO LONG.....ARE THEY THAT IMPROVED ????

ALSO, I NEVER HAD THE FLUID IN THE RADIATOR CHANGED, 2 YEARS FORD LOOKED AT IT AND SAID IT LOOK GOOD, WHAT DO YOU THINK, KEEP IT ?? THANKS FOR ANY ADVICE......

[gladiator99]

Re: Battery Gave Out. Think its the battery...

Jim,
Looks like you guys are home, eh? Too bad you didn't call for a quick hello.

Sorry to see that you may have battery troubles. Isn't there a Sears store in
the Omack/Okannogan area? I thought there was.

Hi Mike!
Yes, we are home safe and sound. Sorry we did not stop in as we had stayed longer this year and we wanted to get home and see our grandkids. We arrived home last Wed. and on Friday we drove to Calgary. Great weather till Friday evening. Then it started snowing all Fri. night and all day Sat. We drove home on Monday and got started on our yard work, taxes, T-bird stuff etc. Looking forward to our T-bird event at the end of May.
I managed to get some settlement on a "new" well 2 year old battery from our local Ford dealer for about $50.00. They don't stock many of these T-Bird specific batteries which are vented so if they have one it is usually one or 2 years old. I think that next time I will bring one back from Arizona rather than buy one here. I paid about $180. for my motorcraft battery in 2008.
Hope you have a great spring!
Cheers
Jim

[Sailing_TBird]

Re: Battery Gave Out. Think its the battery...

Our Battery died today .. was able to replace for $115 installed and delivered from AAA. The tech said the vents are more common now and a good third of the ones he stocks in his mobile truck have vent options now.

[Rosebud]

Re: Battery Gave Out. Think its the battery...

Our battery gave out late Saturday so I couldn’t do anything until today. So after reading this thread I called Sears and was told they had two in stock, so off I went to Sears for a battery. Came home and pulled the old one and found the one from Sears (manufacture date 3/11) was not vented. This is a group 65 battery which the book calls for. Went back and did we did more looking and found that they had a group 66 battery that was vented and the same size as the 65 one, but has been discontinued.
We looked the new one over and couldn’t find anyway to hook the vent to it. But now being stuck until Friday to go to Ford for one, I went with the more expensive ($199.00) sealed battery they say is designed for this kind of installation. Comes with a full replacement 100 month warranty then a prorated one after that. So I think my battery buying is done.