Best replacement battery

[nitrobass24]

My current 2010 PB H7 battery is at 63% SOC. I am looking to replace with the Walmart H7 battery...

https://www.walmart.com/ip/EverStar...ze-H7-LN4-94R-12-Volt-850-CCA-140-RC/40685088

Any reason to hang on to my original battery for use with projects or the like if it's 63% SOC? Does it still have use in it for lightweight hobby type stuff like powering stuff or field charging stuff or a campsite power source? or just recycle it?

No reason to get rid of it unless you have an issue.
SOC doesn’t equal Health
SOC is your charged up percentage. Fords BMS likes to keep it under 80.

You can probably charge it to a 100 if you run your AC fan on 5 next time you are on a long journey. I do this regularly. Not uncommon to see SOC anywhere from 60-100.

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[Calson]

Best battery I could find when replacing the Motorcraft H6 battery with an H7 one was the Optima Yellow Top that provided about 10% more power than other H7 batteries.

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...ize-94r/obt1/yel94r?q=optima+h7+battery&pos=0

SOC depends in part on the length of your trips as lead acid batteries are limited as to how quickly they can be recharged. There are also demand on the alternator output with the electric power steering of the truck.

I have gone to plugging in a battery maintainer to maximize the SOC of my truck while it is parked at my house.

 

[JJSnell]

"Walmart is found in more locations and towns than any auto parts franchise." False, try NAPA.

He literally said, "Except Napa...."

 

[Snakebitten]

He literally said, "Except Napa...."

The Gen14 trucks have made us low voltage sensitive.

A battery thread can turn dang near into an oil thread. ?

 

[amschind]

I vote Yellowtop.

The death of a LiFePO4 battery is dendrite formation. The death of a Lead Sulfuric acid battery is lead sulfate crystals dropping off of the lead electrode. This removes sulfate from the solution and correspondingly decreases battery capacity (because the lead electrode also functions as an electrode despite the marginal conductance of lead, is cheap, and is quasi structural, there is always a LOT more lead vs sulfuric acid, so you run out of sulfate ions way before you'd run out of lead). AGMs are basically fiberglass sheets wrapped around a lead sheet in a helix such that the fiberglass gel solution mechanically stabilizes the lead sulfate on the lead electrode surface.

A car battery is a worst case scenario for a lead acid battery because you maximally discharge it and then start rattling it (starting the car and then driving off). A 100% SoC lead acid battery has theoretically zero lead sulfate to rattle off, and as such isn't in position to lose capacity, but in a starting battery scenario, rattling immediately follows discharge (unless the car doesn't start....which is bad for other reasons).

So all of that is to say that the rationale for and true test of an AGM is "how well does it resist lead sulfate rattling off of the electrode?" It isn't all that simple to test that without a test rig.

 

[dochawk]

Walmart is out of stock on the big H8 batteries. ?

I used to use AutoZone gold, simply because they failed either just before or just after 36 months in this climate, so either a fresh new battery free, or pay not much and get a new warrantee, too. But proration seems to have quietly shuffled off during covid, I'd settled on a walmart 4 year battery to try, next time one went out. And it turns down they don't make it in size 78--which at least three of my Cadillacs use!

Keep your receipt in your glove box to provide proof of purchase.

That doesn't work very well with thermal paper! (at least here in the desert)

No need for a battery blanket.

About to put the LFP back in, it's been in the freezer for the last few hours.

see, this is why the poor things need blankets!

The dreaded "what oil should I use" debate, this time over batteries.

Any full synthetic battery is fine . . .

?

 

[dafish]

For the PowerBoost, the forum this discussion is under, the factory appears to use an H7/Group 94. As i read because some electronics intrude into the space otherwise occupied by an H8.

Group H7/Group 94: 12.437L x 6 .875 x 7.5H
Group 31: 13L x 6.8125W x 9.4375H
H8/Group 49: 13.937 x 6.875 x 7.5

If there was available height, might a Group 31 fit? Won't stop the alleged undercharge issue, but would likely defer the event a few extra days of storage. Anybody measured yet?

Since 1) I'm now getting regular low battery alerts, and 2) Ford says "it tests fine after we charged it", I'll likely soon get PO'd and just buy a new battery on my own.

Meaning I wanted to know if the Group 31 would fit. Nope. I stole my grandkids playdoh. I have 1 3/16" of clearance between OEM H7 battery top and hood. That said the LiTime LIFePo4 group 31 batteries fit, but for almost $700's.. Well....

 

[astrand1]

Since 1) I'm now getting regular low battery alerts, and 2) Ford says "it tests fine after we charged it", I'll likely soon get PO'd and just buy a new battery on my own.

Meaning I wanted to know if the Group 31 would fit. Nope. I stole my grandkids playdoh. I have 1 3/16" of clearance between OEM H7 battery top and hood. That said the LiTime LIFePo4 group 31 batteries fit, but for almost $700's.. Well....

I don’t think using a lithium battery is a good idea. The charging system is not set up for that. I know we can change some setting for rust in forscan but I’m not sure/don’t remember if there is any kind of setting for that. Plus for the money I’m. It sure there is a benefit. The 12v battery is really just to get the computers and accessories started. Once the contactors on the HV battery close then it takes over. Seems most have had success just replacing both batteries at the same time then resetting the BMS and you should be fine.

 

[dafish]

I'm certainly not gonna spend $700 to see.

FWIW, I run LiFePo4 in both motorcycles without any negative issue. Been three years on the VMax, and I'm quite pleased.

BTW, I sorta think we have a 12V starter that is used when the HV battery is too low to start things. I could easily be wrong though!

 

[astrand1]

I'm certainly not gonna spend $700 to see.

FWIW, I run LiFePo4 in both motorcycles without any negative issue. Been three years on the VMax, and I'm quite pleased.

BTW, I sorta think we have a 12V starter that is used when the HV battery is too low to start things. I could easily be wrong though!

You are correct. On the 21-23 there is a “traditional starter” they got rid of it on the 24’s from what I understand. I think one of the biggest issues is so many of our trucks for whatever reason sat when new for sometimes months and it just zapped the batteries. And also I think ford might have gotten a bad batch as well. What’s important as I said before if you’re going to change the underhood battery you need to change the small underseat batt as well. Then resetting BMS that way both are new and that should pretty much rule out any future issues. (Hopefully) ?

 

[dafish]

Hm.. I'd been avoiding/ignoring the under seat battery. Guess I read more on this and look at what hammman did as well. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[astrand1]

Hm.. I'd been avoiding/ignoring the under seat battery. Guess I read more on this and look at what hammman did as well. Thanks for the suggestions.

I think the thought is if only one is replaced and the other is not and is weak it can cause the other battery to work harder and or mess with the BMS. These trucks are so sensitive to voltage that I think we are finding it’s best to replace both maybe out of abundance of caution to keep all these computers happy. ?

 

[Snakebitten]

They didn't get rid of the "traditional" starter on the 2024.
Instead, Ford removed the Belt Driven starter that was redundant, it appears.

 

[HammaMan]

Heated LFP batts could be used, but I wouldn't use them where it regularly gets below 0 degrees F in winter / -20c. There's heating time on them before they'll take a charge, being under hood helps heat it but it could be 30 minutes post starting before it could take a charge if left parked outside. If you park in a garage it might not be a problem, but below 0 degrees you might not get any energy out of it due to BMS programming. There's several factors involved including how long it takes for the battery to cool down post operation so Unless you're willing to carry a boost pack, I wouldn't try it unless you're in an area where winter temps never get into the negatives. (though these days for self sufficiency you should carry a boost pack regardless).

I wouldn't use an under-hood battery that doesn't contain a 100w heater inside of it. When incoming voltage is higher than battery voltage and temps are low, the heating element runs until batt temp is 41 degrees F. Under hood heat does help, but the testing required involves too many moving variables. If your summers are exceptionally hot, it also might not be a good fit. Above 55-60c (131-140F) the battery can degrade. Typically it's already fully charged before reaching that temp so it really comes down to storage temp.

I have an aux LFP with no heater. I have no idea how long it will last when temps get below freezing. Even with the latest BCM, when the under hood is at 100% SOC, it requires the fan 5 trick to keep it 97% charged as the voltage stays around 14.2 volts with fan 5 else it's 13.2v and that's below the LFP's charging voltage. It needs at least 13.8v to reach 90% SOC. Unlike lead acid, LFP will gobble up power as fast as you can feed it so they recharge extremely fast.

 

[dochawk]

I think the thought is if only one is replaced and the other is not and is weak it can cause the other battery to work harder and or mess with the BMS.

I can't imagine that Ford or anyone else (well, maybe fiat or yugo) would be dumb enough to do it (although I've seen dumber), if both batteries are fully in the same circuit without limiters (which cost voltage, etc.), one *will* charge the other. Maybe not a lot, depending on circumstances, but the weaker *will* drain from the stronger.

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