New Motorcraft battery, needs trickle charge?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Dec 22, 2002
Messages
4,812
Location
The Garden State
Today I purchased a Motorcraft battery from a dealer. I called yesterday to see if they had it in stock, he said yes. When I arrived today he went back to "see if they had it". 15-20 minutes later he comes out with the battery. When I got home I checked the charge across the terminals and it showed 12.65 volts. Just for S&G's I attached my 2 amp trickle charger and after an hour+ it's still showing as charging. What's up with that? I assume he gave it a "quick" charge while I waited but I guess that does not really charge the battery fully or properly. Does that sound like a reasonable assumption? I checked the water level in the cells and it's ok. I'll keep trickle charging it till it shows charged on the trickle charger. Hopefully it does show fully charged. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Whimsey
 
Last edited:
Same here. I have a trickle charger so I use it.

When the dealer sells it, it's "good enough." When I charge it, it's 100%.
 
My last 3 batteries all took 8-12 hours for my 1.5 amp charger to shut off. Two of the batteries were manufactured the same month I bought them.
 
Originally Posted By: Whimsey
I assume he gave it a "quick" charge while I waited


crackmeup2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
Originally Posted By: Eddie
I always need to trickle charge a new battery for 8-12 hours to get to ~ 100%. Ed


+2 Me too.


I let it trickle charge at 2 amps for 18 hours+ overnight, the charge light was green. I just installed it and it started up without hesitation. I wonder if you shorten the new battery's life if you put it in as soon as you get it without doing a trickle charge first? Realistically the alternator doesn't fully charge the battery I understand.

Whimsey
 
Do you believe that motorcraft actually manufactures batteries, and they are somehow superior to that which is available in Autoparts stores? It could be the very same battery sold at walmart, with a very expensive motorcraft sticker.

Also never buy batteries from places that do not sell a lot of batteries.

Batteries self discharge, 15% per month at 75F, more at higher temperatures, less at lower.

The longer the battery rests at less than full charge, the more capacity it loses. A battery that has been sitting on a shelf and allowed to self discharge to 60% state of charge over several months already has had a significant portion of its lifespan knocked off, assuming the purchaseer even bothers to actually fully charge it once they get it, which most will not, as they assume their alternator is some physics defying instant battery charger.

Asking if a battery needs to be charged is like saying, I am hungry, should I eat? Assume The Lead acid battery is hungry, always.

The word 'trickle' must set off some sort of seratonin burst in the human brain.

Does anyone ever see what voltage their 'trickle' charger is getting the battery upto?

Does anybody know how much amperage the battery is accepting at that voltage?

Each and every Lead acid battery ever manufactured wants to be 100% charged, at all times, and kept cool. Anything less than this is detrimental to their longevity and performance to some degree.

Actually fully charging a battery requires voltages in the 14's be held for a period of time. Lesser voltages on a still healthy battery takes much much much longer, and on an older abused battery will never get it 100% charged to its maximum potential remaining capacity.

Many 'trickle' chargers will Never exceed 13.6v and the battery, especially an older used battery, will never ever get fully charged even if left on a 13.6v trickle charger for a month.

The battery accepts how much amperage it wants at the voltage reaching the battery terminals.

If it only needs 0.6 amps to be held at 13.6v, A 100 amp charger will only produce 0.6 amps to maintain 13.6v.

a 1.5 amp maintainer will only be able to produce 1.5 amps to get the battery to 13.6v, at which point the amps will taper. A maintainer is not Going to seek 14.5 volts. If one were able to use that 1.5 amps to seek 14.7v instead, 100% state of charge is likely, in a few more hours, but at 13.6, it will need days, and if one were to dip a hydrometer, might likely see that a week at 13.6v has specific gravity well below the 1.275 level which is usually the full charge density of the electrolyte, but this can vary slightly.

Green lights on battery chargers silently mock the human who believes them, and the battery cries, as the potential to be fully charged was there, but not achieved.

DO not buy old batteries.
Do not assume your vehicle charging system will ever fully charge a discharged battery.
Do not assume a well marketed smart charger is actually fully charging the battery, despite the soothing green light.

If one actually desires to reach 100% charged, and give the battery the batterygasm it seeks, a charging source capacble of mid 14 volts will be required, and one might need to trick the charger several times into seeking and holding 14.5ish volts.

The temperature compensated hydrometer is the battery polygraph, as to state of charge. Resting voltage is extremely misleading and voltage is not like a gas tank level indicator.

A battery that is truly regularly fully charged will easily outlast its warranty period, even in South Texas.
 
i just bought 4 old stock clearance d31 truck batteries for about the core value.
read 12.66 but sg only 1.24.
they have been strapped parallel on a 6a charger about 30 hours now and sg is now nearing 1.26.
voltage now 15.6 and just gassing a bit.
they still have a ways to go.
if someone slapped this set into a semi tractor they would have worked but not lasted.
they would have started on a bad note and quickly go downhill.
they would likely never get to a real full charge.
these are going on a solar backup.they are floated at 13.8v which may or may not have ever got them out of trouble.
 
Someone questioned why a motorcraft. Well I did the same last year because the OEM was leaking causing an issue with a sensor which they replaced under warranty but I had to replace the battery which was not covered and the cost was the same as AAP, AZ etc and no charge to install. Unfortunately made in Mexico and if I have to replace again will go with Batteries Plus. In fact, current prices at dealer are the same or less than the parts outlets.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top