In my case, I got alot of electronics, extra foglights, lighting in the bed, subs and amp, t.v's... Now from what I read, it looks like the yellow top would work due to the power being drawn from all my gadgets. But then again, I Neva leave anything on while the truck is off. So red top vs. Yellow. Both of them sound like it will fit my needs better then the interstate batteries. I'm trying to narrow my choices down. Allot of you guys got optima and seem to like it.
Location: Among javelinas and scorpions near Tucson, AZ
Vehicle: 2005 Ford F150
Posts: 3,125
Quote:
Originally Posted by AntzFreshWhip
In my case, I got alot of electronics, extra foglights, lighting in the bed, subs and amp, t.v's... Now from what I read, it looks like the yellow top would work due to the power being drawn from all my gadgets. But then again, I Neva leave anything on while the truck is off. So red top vs. Yellow. Both of them sound like it will fit my needs better then the interstate batteries. I'm trying to narrow my choices down. Allot of you guys got optima and seem to like it.
At the risk of "putting my foot in it", your needs sound like Red top to me. Regardless of the battery you have, you need an alternator that can put out enough power to run everything, AND, charge your battery. If the alternator output is too small, you'll see low voltage when the vehicle is running and the accessories are on. If the alternator cannot support that load, it won't matter which battery you use - it won't get charged (and, you could shorten the life of some electronics due to operating them at reduced voltage).
Lighting puts a BIG draw on the charging circuit. High wattage sound equipment can too. If I were you, I'd put a digital voltmeter on the battery so you could see the charging voltage when the engine is running and your normal accessory load is on. If you see at least 13.6-13.8 Volts, you're probably fine. That's what I see in my truck with a 130 Amp alternator when it's charging three batteries, running a refrigerator in my trailer, and powering the A/C and DRLs that I installed. If I'm not pulling the trailer, I usually see around 13.9-14.1 Volts.
Later on I will prob put the meter on the batt andnsee what the voltage hovers around. Im just curious b.c when my truck is just idling, the lights dim even with nuttin on. And I remember my stock batt in my previous ford lasted about 2 years. And that's how long I got this truck.. But I Neva recall my lights dimming this bad b.4. So..
Location: Among javelinas and scorpions near Tucson, AZ
Vehicle: 2005 Ford F150
Posts: 3,125
Quote:
Originally Posted by AntzFreshWhip
Later on I will prob put the meter on the batt andnsee what the voltage hovers around. Im just curious b.c when my truck is just idling, the lights dim even with nuttin on. And I remember my stock batt in my previous ford lasted about 2 years. And that's how long I got this truck.. But I Neva recall my lights dimming this bad b.4. So..
Do you know what size alternator you have? I think if you have the factory tow package, you may have the 130 Amp alternator and I'd think it would be big enough. But if it's smaller, with the load you describe, I doubt you're doing your batteries any favors.
Edit: I've just learned that some tow packages may not have the 130 Amp alternator. Yours COULD be smaller. (Thanks, jdruzik! )
- Jack
Last edited by JackandJanet; 10-16-2009 at 09:05 PM.
Reason: Corrected incorrect statement that tow packages ALWAYS had the 130 Amp alternator
Do you know what size alternator you have? I think if you have the factory tow package, you'll have the 130 Amp alternator and I'd think it would be big enough. But if it's smaller, with the load you describe, I doubt you're doing your batteries any favors.
- Jack
yes, i do have the tow package and a factory alternator, the truck is 2 yrs old but the alternator is 1 yr old. a yr ago, there was a squeaking noise on cold mornings and the dealer thought it was the bearing in the alternator. so they switched the alt and said if it still makes the noise to let them know. well it still did it and it was a bad tension pulley bearing. but i reali doubt its the alt. i think my batt is on its way out but aint sure.
Location: Among javelinas and scorpions near Tucson, AZ
Vehicle: 2005 Ford F150
Posts: 3,125
Quote:
Originally Posted by AntzFreshWhip
yes, i do have the tow package and a factory alternator, the truck is 2 yrs old but the alternator is 1 yr old. a yr ago, there was a squeaking noise on cold mornings and the dealer thought it was the bearing in the alternator. so they switched the alt and said if it still makes the noise to let them know. well it still did it and it was a bad tension pulley bearing. but i reali doubt its the alt. i think my batt is on its way out but aint sure.
That's certainly a possibility too. Certain battery problems will cause your charging voltage to decrease, because the amperage the battery is pulling is greatly increased. I'd get the battery load tested, or, if it's "gassing" or you see evidence of it boiling fluid out from under the caps, I'd simply replace it.
With a bad battery, a charging voltage test can be pretty meaningless. Wish we still had ammeters, like the good old days! If the amperage didn't drop to near zero while you were driving, you KNEW you had a bad battery!
All trucks with Fords tow package do not come with a 130 amp alternator... My truck came with the factory installed tow package, yet it only had a 110 amp alternator... This was the reason I changed mine to the Motorcraft HD alternator... If you still have your window sticker, check it... It should list which alternator you have...
Location: Among javelinas and scorpions near Tucson, AZ
Vehicle: 2005 Ford F150
Posts: 3,125
Quote:
Originally Posted by jdruzik
All trucks with Fords tow package do not come with a 130 amp alternator... My truck came with the factory installed tow package, yet it only had a 110 amp alternator... This was the reason I changed mine to the Motorcraft HD alternator... If you still have your window sticker, check it... It should list which alternator you have...
Thanks for keeping me honest, jd! I didn't know there even WAS a 110 Amp alternator. I'll go back and edit my post, so no one gets the wrong idea (if they don't read down this far). And, my window sticker DOES show the alternator size - good point!
I think a 200 amp 4.6 police car alt should fit on the 4.6 truck no? I mean 130 amp's and a good battery is wayyy more than enough to power just about everything you would ever want to, unless you have 10 100watt lights on the thing, and if you want the best of both worlds run a dual battery set up ret top as your primary and a yellow and the second.
I will check my window sticker if i can find it. It bothers the **** outa me that my lights are doing that. And only I notice it, I asked my wife and she had to look for a while to see what I'm talking about. LOL. I went to auto zone and they said they had there brand of battery that puts our about 800cca. I got a cap for my system and It has a digital display for the voltage and it's always above 13v when the trck is running
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Last edited by SSCULLY; 10-17-2009 at 08:54 AM.
Reason: Word filter work around
jd > where did you get your motorcraft ho alternator from? and was it an exact swap if you know? i called my ford dealer and they said they could switch it out for me and would cost about $100. i asked if they had any alternator for my truck that puts out more the 110 amps and they said no.
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Last edited by AntzFreshWhip; 10-17-2009 at 11:10 PM.
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If the amperage didn't drop to near zero while you were driving, you KNEW you had a bad battery!
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