Battery Question/Problem

[enjr44]

This is not on either of my Rangers (wife's 2010 Pilot); but should apply. The battery is four years old.

She had a low battery/no start problem. It jump started and ran fine. Voltage before jumping was 11.25 volts. When running about 14 volts. After getting it home I put it on the charger and let it charge for a couple of hours. After charging 12.7 volts and it would hold that voltage with no switched loads. The battery posts/connections are good/clean.

Now the problem. If you turn on the Pilot's headlights (well, all the exterior lights) the battery will drop to 11.25 volts in less that ten minutes and not start. And that does not seem right to me. Leaving the lights on for less than ten minutes should not kill the battery.

If I do the same thing on either of my rangers, the battery will drop to 11.95 volts and stay there for at least half an hour (I quit checking after that).

So, other than a failing battery, any other ideas??

Thanks, Ed

 

[swynx]

If its the original battery they don't seem to last long any more. Sisters 2012 jeep battery did the same thing.

 

[adsm08]

We have been seeing battery issues across the board for several years now. That in addition to it now being 3 years old (the low end of expected battery life) I would say you need a new battery.

Postin' from teh Galaxy

 

[swynx]

We have been seeing battery issues across the board for several years now. That in addition to it now being 3 years old (the low end of expected battery life) I would say you need a new battery.

Postin' from teh Galaxy

Seems that over the years battery life has gone down. Remember when I was a kid my parents never changed battery's. Now I see it all the time. But I guess you can't make money on battery's that don't quit.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Charge it up and get it load tested.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

 

[LearjetMinako]

Sounds like the battery has lost it's capacity to hold a charge. Measuring voltage is only relative to the state of charge of what capacity is left. Having the battery load tested is the only way to find out if its still any good.

My DieHard Platinum in my Ranger is 5 years old now and still going strong. I have it load tested before every winter and summer, never drops below 11.25V on a 300Amp load.

 

[JohnnyO]

We have been seeing battery issues across the board for several years now. That in addition to it now being 3 years old (the low end of expected battery life) I would say you need a new battery.

Postin' from teh Galaxy

IMO after three years with any battery you're on borrowed time.

 

[Scy]

Yep, batteries went down hill a few years ago. I now change my battery every 2.5 years whether it needs it or not.

 

[enjr44]

Thanks

Thanks Guys,
I am just going to replace it today. I figure that if it won't run the head/exterior lights for 15 minutes it is going to fail any load test.

On my 02 Ranger the original battery lasted 12 years and never failed to start the truck; but, I started to get nervous. I replaced it with a Motorcraft since the original battery lasted so long.

Merry Christmas everyone, Ed