Short Life Battery

[Big Boy]

It will definitely be the Ford supplied part, but I'll get the alternator checked first. With Ford, everything is recorded, including guarantees. They are actually very good at that, even if it can be a battle to get them to honour it.

With the current battery, it was one of life's mysteries to me i.e. why do they offer guarantees when they know the product, even a duff one, will never fail in that timescale ? A hard lesson learned.

[VincentD]

Jumps in...
They normally stamp the date on the battery itself, but most unsealed lead-acid batteries only have a 12 month warranty. The only one I had with an 18 month warranty was one of those calcium ones that cost almost twice as much as the regular one, but was replaced under warranty, However, the second (replacement) battery will have no guarantee whatsoever as it is considered a replacement for the dodgy one.
Concerning specific battery types, I note that the specs can differ between European and Japanese brands. Some due to the size, location of the positive and negative poles (some have negative on the left, some on the right as I found out when trying to replace my Saab battery and could not fit a Japan spec one)
As far as I am concerned, a battery is a battery. Just get one with the correct specs, sealed maintenance free ones may be more expensive but less hassle. I'd be inclined to think (like Nereus and HHTel) that the alternator is the thing at fault.

[T.O.M.]

^^
Then I have been very lucky...only changed 2 times in 10 years, despite only a couple of long trips, the rest short drives in and around Hua Hin. What kind of battery? No idea...price just under 3.000 baht. Honda...!!

[T.O.M.]

Not being a native speaker....but wouldn't "Short Battery Life" been a more correct headline..?

[HHTel]

Run for your lives. The grammar police are chasing us!........lol

Actually both can be correct. The title short life battery implies 'short life' (adjective) and 'battery' (noun). The other way implies 'short' (adjective) and 'battery life' (noun).

[Nereus]

You are entitled to believe whatever you want, but for the benefit of other posters;

To say that a car starting battery is specific for one particular car is absolute bollocks!

There is a big difference between a "deep cycle" battery, and a battery designed for cranking an engine. A diesel engine by default is "harder" to crank than the same size petrol engine, so the cranking battery will need to have a higher CCA rating than that in a petrol engine, even a V8. At least 750 CCA is a minimum.

A "deep cycle" battery is designed to have a relatively small load placed on it over a long period of time, such as running a car fridge. These batteries should not be used in a cranking application.

That is the major difference likely to be found in automotive use.

The case size and layout of the terminals will be different between different makes of cars, but that has NO effect on the internals.

There are several types of "modern" automotive batteries that use different internal materials, such as the quoted Calcium type. There are batteries called AGM (absorbent glass mat) such as Optima, that have a spiral construction in place of flat plates. These types of batteries are very expensive but have a long life and mostly found in emergency service vehicles and boats where reliability is essential. They are completely sealed and can be mounted in any position, as well as being acceptable for transport by air.

There is yet another new type called "lead crystal", which have yet to prove themselves.

But, ALL of them designed for vehicles, are "lead acid" type batteries, and NONE of them are manufactured for just one brand of vehicle.

Just as an example: the engine in your Ford Ranger is the same 2.2 Litre engine used in a Land Rover Defender, and despite JLR wanting to rob owners, they do not require a Land Rover specific battery!

As I noted previously, the charging system used on different makes of cars can and does vary. Ford evidently have their own way of achieving this. The general practice with later model cars is to have control over the alternator output by the cars ECU or PCU, rather than the older and well established basic voltage regulator. Another result of European emission standards!

BUT, whatever the intricacies of the control system, the alternator is designed to charge an automotive type of lead acid battery, even if it is made by Father Christmas to use on his sleigh!

Without breaking my arm, nor am I an expert, I have been around batteries in a multitude of different types and applications since I was 8 years old and my Father taught me how to add water to a bank of lead acid batteries on the farm 32 Volt system. I served a 5year apprenticeship in an electrical workshop, and have spent most of my life connected in some way with electrical systems, from 12 Volt car generators right up to 6.6Kv systems on an automated oil drilling Drillship. Then there was the period when I was licenced to work on 28 Volt aircraft systems.
Rant over!

Any battery can fail prematurely, guarantee or not. What gets up my nose with this type of thing is the blatant BS being handed out to a customer that should not be expected to know any better! It comes down to the sad fact that most of these people dispensing this BS have little or NO training. Some of it may get lost in translation, but when the basic facts are just ignored, then that excuse does not hold water!

[VincentD]

Short answer, get a quote from Ford. With price in hand go to a reputable battery shop. Avoid local brands (GS, 3K, FB, Boliden) and go with reputable name brands. Have used Puma (Calcium battery) in the past but these are extremely expensive now. Have Panasonic maintenance free battery installed in the car now and am pleased with the performance. Price should be less than 3,000 baht. Keep the receipt and make sure they stamp the date on the battery itself.

[Big Boy]

Why is nothing easy at Ford?

Or do they see me walk in, and say, "Here he is, lets wind him up again"?

As directed by the manager, if the other battery company did not honour their guarantee, I'd take my car back to Ford, and they would changed it at the agreed price - 3,000 Baht. So back I went this morning.

First hurdle, I explain the current battery is still quite new, could they please ensure the battery is the problem, and not the alternator - Que? The perpetual language problem Eventually, they phoned for an English language speaker. When she turned up, I explained what I wanted. I was quite surprised at her response - Ford Ranger batteries can die any time after 2 years (not something they readily publicise). I explain my battery is nowhere near 2 years old, so could they please check the alternator? She agreed.

About 10 minutes later, I am called to the desk, and shown the result of the alternator test - alternator is fine. She then asked me to sign to have the battery changed. I looked at the invoice, and the cost was 3,470 Baht . I said no, it is only 3,000 Baht.

Sorry, that was Saturday's price, it is different now.

I explained that I'd discussed it with the manager on Saturday, and agreed with her that if the other place did not honour their guarantee, because Ford were about to close for the day, the price would still be 3,000 Baht on Monday. During the service, a couple of small jobs had been identified, and I was given a parts list with prices, which included the battery at 3,000 Baht. Even though I stuck my evidence under their noses, it was still a big no, the price had gone up today.

I demanded to see the manager. She wasn't at work yet. I said, OK, I'll wait, and duly sat in the waiting room making sure everybody else was aware of my displeasure at the lies I'd been told. After about 10 minutes, I was called back to the desk, and they agreed to honour Saturday's agreement.

So I'm now happy. If I'd been told on Saturday there would be a higher price on Monday, I'd have agreed. Even 3,470 Baht is a lot less than I'd paid for the all singing, all dancing, unfit for purpose piece of crap I had been sold at the other place.

[Big Boy]

Oh, and the difference starting the car with a new battery is phenomenal - I guess the degradation was gradual, and I didn't really notice.

[HHTel]

Or do they see me walk in, and say, "Here he is, lets wind him up again"?

[Gregjam]

Yet another case of getting poor service in Hua Hin. Just took delivery of a new Terra I bought from Nissan Pranburi as I will never use the Hua Hin dealer after a bad experience. Similarly I will not use Toyota in Hua Hin either. For most people me included Ford Ranger and Everest are better looking than the competition but as the nearest alternative dealer is too far away I would not even consider them. And as for the dodgy battery dealer, I realize why they are not named and shamed and something else to encourage me to buy elsewhere. My truck batteries normally last about three years and get three months of daily use followed by three of sparse use. I have a smart charger but not a family able to understand how to use it so accept three years minimum. Any less and I would not be happy. I cannot comment about other dealers but have a general approach of looking outside of Hua Hin for any higher cost items.

[Big Boy]

Don't get me wrong, the Ford aftersales team today are 200% better than 6 years ago, but they still have their moments - usually when I walk in

They turn into headless chickens when the manager is not there.

[handdrummer]

Don't get me wrong, the Ford aftersales team today are 200% better than 6 years ago, but they still have their moments - usually when I walk in

They turn into headless chickens when the manager is not there.

If it's any consolation, the Ford dealers in the US aren't any better, at least the ones that I've been to. I gave up on Fords 15yrs. ago.

[J.J.B.]

As far as I can work out, there are ‘flooded’ lead-acid batteries that use plates submersed in acid (these used to be the ones we topped-up with deionised water back in the day), AGM batteries described by Nereus and then their gel equivalents. Those latter models were developed for better safety and even the flooded type are now sealed and unserviceable.

In my limited experience, it’s short runs and the hefty electrical load that modern cars put on batteries. A modern car is akin to a smartphone or tablet, something you don’t really ‘shut down’ but put into ‘sleep’ mode, while still consuming small amounts of power for this and that, which soon adds-up.

My solution during years of motorbike ownership (and fair weather biking!) along with too many idle cars these days, has been investing in some trickle chargers. Common brands in the EU are Optimate and Ctek but I’m sure there are Thai equivalents. These units are plugged into the mains and then attached to the battery terminals or surrogates, providing a programmed amount of voltage and current to suit the battery’s charge state and requirements. They come with a quick plug/disconnect so it’s a snap to connect them and disconnect them and I put a reminder flag on the door handle or steering wheel (Remove before flight!) to stop me dragging one of the things, bouncing down the road like some kind of technophile’s “just married” tin can affair!

[HHTel]

there are ‘flooded’ lead-acid batteries that use plates submersed in acid (these used to be the ones we topped-up with deionised water back in the day),

Still do! The water is available in most garages and supermarkets.