Found some missing ponies

[98GT_RagTop]

This is probably an obvious one, but I'll pass it along. After storing my car for the winter, it didn't feel like I remembered it last year... a little sluggish on the takeoff and just not right. I drove it for a while like that and couldn't figure out if I needed to do the plugs or got some bad gas or what. Anyhow, I went to Autozone for a battery test and found it had a bad cell. Dropped $49 for a new one and the car ran like a champ... same kind of difference as putting on pulleys.

Moral of the story: Don't overlook replacing an old or questionable battery as a worthwhile and cheap mod/upgrade. Made a world of difference.

 

[Blev]

This is probably an obvious one, but I'll pass it along. After storing my car for the winter, it didn't feel like I remembered it last year... a little sluggish on the takeoff and just not right. I drove it for a while like that and couldn't figure out if I needed to do the plugs or got some bad gas or what. Anyhow, I went to Autozone for a battery test and found it had a bad cell. Dropped $49 for a new one and the car ran like a champ... same kind of difference as putting on pulleys.

Moral of the story: Don't overlook replacing an old or questionable battery as a worthwhile and cheap mod/upgrade. Made a world of difference.

Hmmm....

I think I still have the stocker in my car. Perhaps a new battery is in order this weekend along with the PI Intake. Thanks.....

 

[00VERT GT]

what's the usual life of a battery? talking stock battery.

 

[XTONKAX]

what's the usual life of a battery? talking stock battery.

Mine gave up the ghost at around 45,000 miles.

 

[HIGDON]

A properly fuctioning battery and charging system is essential in getting the most performance from the motor. Everything is run by electronics and they all require steady power supply(especially the ignition). Insuring that your grounds are all corrosion free and solidly mounted is a good idea as well. (the import crowd has ground wire kits and they were even doing dyno testing to see if it made a difference, as I can recall...it did) Battery life all depends on your location (heat, cold) number of times you start your car, if you drain the battery down, etc.. You should get at least 36-48+ months(extreme conditions) out of a factory battery(common is 60-72 months) It's all in maintenance(although the Ford batteries are "maintenance free")

 

[GTvert01]

Would there be any advantage to buying a gel type battery instead,even if not running a bunch of amps?

 

[HIGDON]

Gel type ( like Optima) batteries are true maintenance free batteries and they seem to not be as tempermental when it comes to extreme conditions. Plus since they are completely sealed batteries you can mount them in the trunk without leakage or gas issues and the terminals don't seem to corrode like a typical battery which re exposed to the gasses and acide which can leak from the vents.

 

[HIGDON]

The factory battery in my 99 F150 is still alive and kicking, it has a disgusting 120K+ miles on it...

 

[JonJon]

what's the usual life of a battery? talking stock battery.

I'm at 53k... through 5 hard MA winters too

 

[GTvert01]

What is the life expectancy on the optima?

 

[BlackBadGT]

Mine went last summer. I never had ANY problems with it, then all of a sudden at a gas station, it was DEAD. Starter didn't even click. If i had to guess I would say between 35-40K on it then.