Hi, I am new to these forums and also new to the F-150. I have just recently purchased an 04 supercrew and after less than a month owning it I started to have trouble with it not starting. After jump starting or placing it on a charging system it will start fine, but there is no telling how long it will be before it doesnt start again. I just got the truck back from the dealership lastnight who told me the battery and alternator tested fine. While trying to leave for work this morning it tried to start but the lights dimmed and then I got nothing on my second attempt usually the gages just bounce slightly when the battery dies. I want this fixed but the dealership is giving me a hard time and I dont know where else to look.


Thanks.

 

If you have warrenty then make them fix it.
When you fail to start call them to come get the truck each time.
How much clearer can that be?
You don't know how they checked it.
There are two battery cables and a starter relay.
Have these connections all been gone over?
Has the battery been load tested?
You still have a long winter yet to go.
Good luck.

 

Ford has a **** policy on batteries. This sounds just like the problem I had with an 05 aviator a couple months back. The battery had a bad cell and would charge and run fine for a couple days, then die suddenly. I tested it several times before I figured this out, and when I took it to Ford, they said they're policy was to test batteries for 72 hours before warranty. I told them that was a crock of chit, but it didn't matter. Of course, it tested good and 2 days later I had a dead truck again. I made them give me a rental (06 Navigator) for 2 days, which cost ford $64 a day for two days (idiots did this for a $55 battery) and it died again, and I got fed up with it and replaced the battery with an interstate. (I sell them, so it was wholesale cost for me)

Next time its dead, test the voltage, and if you have a tester test the battery fully. CHances are, its a dead (or dying) cell

 

Take it to Auto Zone or Advance, they can test the altenator and pull the battery if neccesary, to loat test it. If it's still under warrenty, bother Ford about it. Throw a hissy fit in the show room with other customers present. That always gets their attention If not unnder warrenty. AA or AZ will do the trick.

 

It's not necessarily a crock, but that dealer ain't exactly right either. Ford's official stance on batteries is to test, recharge, test, and then replace only if it failed after a minimum 2 hours (I think) slow charge. I dunno where they got 72 hours from, but Ford's pretty harsh on how to warranty a battery. FCSD said something like they found out that in '03, somewhere around 60% of batteries returned for warranty claims could have been recharged and put back into service, so they're doing everything they can to prevent from having to replace batteries under warranty. And if FCSD finds that a battery that was "bad" was really good, guess what, the dealer has to eat it. And no dealer wants to do that. Not justifying what the original poster's dealer is doing, just giving you the flipside of the coin.

 

This relationship is what I often bring up about different ways the situation unfolds about warrenty work.
Different dealers have different atitudes and it often begins right in the service department when they look at Ford policy as well as have to listen to the dealership owner's position.
The fine line between using common sense when a failure repeats it'self and when the dealer service applies their standards is the biggest problem to get acrossed. Naturally the truck owner is put behind the 8 ball as much as possible but when the failure repeats the dealer should take all steps to prove the fault.
Sometimes they don't go far enough.
In this cae a broken internal cell strap will be a bit difficult to pick up unless the battery is load tested and at the same time smacked with a rubber mallet to simulate vibration and temp changes trying to force the fault.
There becomes a time when it's prudent to foot the expense and change the battery if conditions point to it.
I have a Goodyear tire on the front of my truck that has a flat spot in the center of the tread, no outside cupping, no feathering but they will not warrenty it nor will Goodyear so it gets moved to the back because it's far from wore out and in not worth all the hassle to force anyone to replace it under warrenty.