How long can a new battery sit?

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ls973800

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My son has a Ford Escape which we have to clean the positive cable terminal monthly. It gets a lot of corrosion and fuzz. Checking around we think the battery terminal is off gassing and causing the build up. Seems to be common with some Fords. If it was the negative terminal, that would point to a different cause.

At the last dealer service (free oil/filter) they cleaned the terminal and applied a paint which was supposed to stop the corrosion. Needless to say, that didn't help and we continue the monthly cleaning. The dealer would not replace the battery saying it checks out good so no warranty on it.

Sams Club has the 96R Duracell battery on sale until June 1st or 2nd, price reduced from $99.00 to $79.00. I know these are good batteries but I am just not ready to get rid of the original battery since it still starts the car with no problem. It is 37 months old.

I have a new positive cable on order which will be here next week. The one on there now doesn't appear to be damaged from the corrosion yet, but I want to stay ahead of any future problems.

If I purchase the Duracell how long could I let it sit before installing it? Date of manufacturing on the batteries they have in stock are all 5/19 so very fresh. I have a good battery charger which I could keep the Duracell charged whenever it needed it.

Am I being foolish and should I just get rid of a good battery which needs monthly terminal cleaning? Or should I buy the new battery now and keep it until it is needed? Who knows how long that would be?
 
Whoever makes the Motorcraft battery since it is still the OEM one.

Thanks for the reminder, I did want to pick up some felt washers!
 
Originally Posted by ls973800
Whoever makes the Motorcraft battery since it is still the OEM one.

Thanks for the reminder, I did want to pick up some felt washers!


How old is that battery?
 
Originally Posted by ls973800
My son has a Ford Escape which we have to clean the positive cable terminal monthly. It gets a lot of corrosion and fuzz. Checking around we think the battery terminal is off gassing and causing the build up. Seems to be common with some Fords. If it was the negative terminal, that would point to a different cause.

At the last dealer service (free oil/filter) they cleaned the terminal and applied a paint which was supposed to stop the corrosion. Needless to say, that didn't help and we continue the monthly cleaning. The dealer would not replace the battery saying it checks out good so no warranty on it.

Sams Club has the 96R Duracell battery on sale until June 1st or 2nd, price reduced from $99.00 to $79.00. I know these are good batteries but I am just not ready to get rid of the original battery since it still starts the car with no problem. It is 37 months old.

I have a new positive cable on order which will be here next week. The one on there now doesn't appear to be damaged from the corrosion yet, but I want to stay ahead of any future problems.

If I purchase the Duracell how long could I let it sit before installing it? Date of manufacturing on the batteries they have in stock are all 5/19 so very fresh. I have a good battery charger which I could keep the Duracell charged whenever it needed it.

Am I being foolish and should I just get rid of a good battery which needs monthly terminal cleaning? Or should I buy the new battery now and keep it until it is needed? Who knows how long that would be?



That battery is out-gassing and will not last long, as the water is depleted, Can the cover(s) be removed. Buy the new battery, give a full charge, then use a timer and trickle charge it for an hour per day. Batteries like this will discharge about 5% per month. Leaving it in a discharged state for a long period will kill. it.
 
The battery is leaking acid through the seal where the post goes through the top of the battery. If the battery were in the warranty term, it would be a warrantable defect.

You can sprinkle a little baking soda there to neutralize the acid as it comes out before it can cause corrosion. Also remove the terminal, apply a heavy coat of grease to all parts of the terminal and re-install.

Don't buy something perishable and that you don't need just because it is on sale.
 
Why is the defective leaking battery not covered under warranty? Batteries are not designed to leak acid from their terminals.

Why would you buy a new battery and let it sit? Why not install it in the car right away and use it?

Agree with Chris142. AGM batteries have many advantages over the old technology.
 
That's a pretty good price on the Duracell--I would just go for the new battery so you don't have to worry about it. With today's electronics governing everything in a vehicle a funky battery can lead to other issues that can have you chasing gremlins. I find if I clean the terminals, put everything back together, then grease the outside of the terminal/cable connection I am good to go for a long time. Even just a quick spray with WD40 or anything you have handy will tend to work to keep corrosion at bay with a normal battery and charging system. The corrosion symptom on the positive terminal could indicate some battery overcharging going on. Might be worth it to check voltage at the battery with the engine revved up. Shouldn't see more than about 14.5 volts.
 
Thanks, I think I will just replace the Motorcraft original battery with the Duracell when I get the positive cable next week. In order to service the battery, you have two ways to do it.

Remove the cowl, windshield wipers, drip pan, and barbed clips. Then you can access the top of the battery.

Cowl method

Or remove the air box, clips, bolts, wire clips, etc

Air box method

Not impossible, but not an easy way to check the water levels in the battery or get to the rear terminal easily!

Oh, and Ford says the Battery monitor has to be reset when the new battery is installed. The guy I talked to at Sams Club said they have received training and have the tool to do that. He will reset it if I put the battery in myself or if I let them attempt to install the battery. He says he has never done installed one before, so I think I will do it and then drove there, about 5 minutes away.
 
Originally Posted by ls973800
In order to service the battery, you have two ways to do it.

Remove the cowl, windshield wipers, drip pan, and barbed clips. Then you can access the top of the battery.
...
Or remove the air box, clips, bolts, wire clips, etc

If this was me I would spend the extra bucks on an AGM just to avoid having to do this for as long as possible.
 
Frankly, one of my requirements for my next car is a battery in a normal location that is easy to get to. I have had many battery incidents that would have been even more painful if I couldn't simply change the battery in any Walmart parking lot. To me it is like hiding the oil filler cap.
 
Ditto that and why all my vehicles have AGM batteries


Originally Posted by Chris142
This is why I prefer agm batteries. They dont gas under normal conditions. Cables never get dirty.
 
I have packed wheel bearing grease around battery posts and used oil filled felt washers on top of that to prevent fuzz. Periodic top offs with .5 A floater for the Rat and the mower.
 
Originally Posted by AuthorEditor
Frankly, one of my requirements for my next car is a battery in a normal location that is easy to get to. I have had many battery incidents that would have been even more painful if I couldn't simply change the battery in any Walmart parking lot. To me it is like hiding the oil filler cap.


Location is a minor consideration. Some cars need a scan tool to reset the computer when a battery is replaced.
 
Originally Posted by zzyzzx
I would be looking to find a way to reset the battery thing without a scan tool.


Not likely. Like airbag lights, dealers want you to bring the car in to reset.
 
I have considered perhaps putting in an AGM battery. I have been told and have read that the charging system must be set up differently in order to keep the AGM healthy.

Can I replace a wet cell battery with an AGM in this 2016 Ford Escape which doesn't even offer an AGM from the factory? Will I eventually damage or ruin the AGM?

Is it in fact just a matter of replacing one type battery with another type? No need to consider what type of charging system is in use or what voltage is being put out or when?
 
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