dodgeman1

Get a load tester. I bought one a little over a year ago and am kicking my self for not getting one years ago. Can't remember what I paid for it, maybe $60 plus or minus. It gives volts and it lets you load the battery down. I just used it to test the battery in my wifes car. It seemed a little slow sounding when starting it. Sure enough the battery was shot. Modern cars start so good and easily you often don't hardly notice that a battery is shot. BTW, the voltage on my wifes car probably read close to 12 volts, lower than normal but the load test confirmed a near dead battery.

Steve83

That's the worst advice yet! The zone is NOT an auto repair shop, and its employees are NOT repair technicians. They're not even parts technicians. They're unemployed burger-flippers with uniforms. Most of them have no comprehension how a car or battery or 12V circuit works - much less, the testing equipment. They get 30sec "training" on how to hook it up & press some buttons, and then you think they're gurus? If my truck broke down in front of a zone, I'd push it to a decent parts store. I wouldn't go to the zone for a dirty rag to wipe a rusty lawn mower - much less, technical expertise about a vehicle charging system.Not according to Ford or Johnson Controls (the mfr. of most auto batteries, including Ford/MotorCraft). Ford neither recommends nor accepts load testing a battery for warranty purposes. The only tester accepted by most automakers (all the ones at whose dealerships I've worked) is the MidTronics high-frequency tester family, which has display & buttons identical to this one:


(phone app link)

Not all have the integral printer, and the color of the label varies; but the display, buttons, & leads always look like that.You can Google ways to eat a Tide pod, or detonate a LiIon battery with a hammer - that doesn't mean you should do any of those things. Certainly not discharging a Lead-acid cranking battery. That's an excellent way to significantly reduce its lifespan, if not detonate it.

I'm Broken

Have you ever used a midtronics battery tester? You could have tested and given the OP ACCURATE readings in less time and with less effort than it took you.to type all that garbage you just spewed.

I'm Broken

Go read post #8 in this thread.

Steve83

No.
Well, except the one I own.


...and the ones at the Land Rover dealership where I worked.

...and the ones at the Ford dealership where I worked.

...and the ones at the Ford classes I attended (& passed) on electrical diagnosis.

How 'bout you?Does that make you the pot, or the kettle?

I'm Broken

Since you're familiar with a midtronics... You think the worst advice in the world is to go to AutoZone and have someone put one clamp on the positive, one clamp on the negative, and press a few buttons? I swear you said that was the worst advice even though that simple act will get you an accurate picture of your battery health. I'm just trying to get the OP good info. Not opinions or misinformation.

dodgeman1

Of course Ford doesn't accept a load test on a battery, you have to buy a $300 to $500 tool first. For that money you can just buy a couple of batteries.

I'm Broken

You can just use the one at AutoZone/where ever for free.

moparado

I think this thread is on the path to nowhere.
Its a car battery for cry-sake.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist with his multi million dollar NASA equipment to test a freak'n car battery.