I am still running the OEM battery in my ‘18 King Ranch with 81,000 miles. Checked voltage today and got 12.3v and 14.7v after cranking it up. I feel like I’m on borrowed time with a battery this old but have heard of some going much longer. I keep a jump box & cables in the box but don’t want to have to use them. Two questions;

1) How does the voltage above look?
2) Any replacement battery recommendations?

 

Hard to say. My patrol car is a brand new Dodge Charger and that’s pretty much my exact voltages. If I turn on the key but not start it, it registers 12-12.5V. Start the motor and it goes up to around 14.2-14.4V.

But at 6 years old, your battery is a senior citizen. Could live another couple years, could die tomorrow.

Do you have any issues with it? Slow or weak starts in the cold? Come out to a dead battery unexpectedly?

 

No issues at all. But I have noticed that the A.S.S. doesn’t activate as much lately.

 

Common with batteries after they're a couple years old, if you make short trips that don't fully recharge it on a daily basis. A.S.S. is the first thing the BMS disables if battery voltage is a little low. I don't commute far anymore, and I go for stretches when the A.S.S. doesn't work until I make a long drive or connect a charger overnight, and then it works again for a while. Most auto parts stores and shops will do a load test on your battery for free.

A smart charger is a pretty good investment to keep the battery in good condition and maximize it's life. Also ensure your battery still has the blanket around it that came with it when it was new... I've read that blanket, which lowers the average temperature of the battery by insulating it from engine heat, can prolong battery life by 1/3.

 

I randomly plugged in my CTEK one day and it never got past step 3 or 4, then the next day no start with no warning, lol.

I have a second vehicle and auto parts store 10-15 min away, so i was ok waiting until it went...if i didnt have easy access to get a battery i would change it every 4-5 years depending on warranty

 

Through the fallI had noticed my A.S.S. was activating less frequently. We were getting into cold weather and it stopped working altogether, although the motor was cranking fine. Replaced it the day after Xmas. A.S.S. Is now working as it should.
The new battery is an Ultra Power, which was installed at a local battery shop. Time will tell if it’s a good one or not.

 

Pretty simple, its time for a new one. Walmart AGM's are about $190 and come with a 4 year warranty.

 

Change it. That's the first sign the battery is going out.

 

Your voltage numbers are fine but really the only way to properly know is to load test the battery. Auto parts stores will do this for you. How a battery performs under load is really want matters.

 

Last few batteries I've used Motorcraft with good results. Change it for peace of mind.