I just bought a 2002 F-150 a few months ago and I'm loving it so far but I have one minor problem that drives me nuts and maybe there is an easy fix for it. I have only recently noticed that when I first start the truck all the gauges max out even the speedometer and after a second or two the gauges will go back to normal. Any idea for possible fixes? Thanks for all your help!

 

is it the gauges running through a gauge check?

 

OP - that's usually an indication that yer battery is headed south.

MGD

 

Sounds like your battery is on it's way south. That will make the gauge cluster sort of re-set itself.

 

Sweet thanks for the tips. Do you think charging it will help. I just got this truck a few months ago and I cant really tell how old the battery is.

 

If you are running the truck regularly, charging it will not help. It could be an indication the alternator is not putting out enough volts. Go have it checked if possible. Otherwise, I would just replace the battery. They are not expensive and you do not want to get stranded.

 

The truck's alternator is not designed to charge a very low or dead battery.

You should either have it load tested ( will take some time with the battery out of the truck ) or do the DYI quick test on battery health

If you have a charger ( and the time to have the truck down ) pull the battery and charge it ( how long depends on the charger trickle or 2A/8A auto type ).
If you charge the battery, once done record the voltage reading.
Wait 1 hour ( with no load on it ) and check the reading again.
Should be the same as the end of charge.
Wait another hour and 1 overnight cycle, record the readings.
The readings should all be within 0.1 V of each other.
Any reading < 12.6 V the battery is done for.

I would do something sooner rather than later as to not over work your alternator, which could cause another host of issues you don't need.
Considering the age, it could be factory or a cheap replacement ( Battery Plus type ) which the Battery Plus / Walmart batteries are good for about 12 to 18 months.

 

I will not ever put anything from Walmart in my cars.

Any name brands other than Optima. I know duralast batteries suck.

 

The Wal-Mart batteries are made by Johnson Controls, who make many of the batteries for the well-known companies. It's the same battery at generally a cheaper price than a parts store or dealership. I've had an Everstart in my truck for what, almost 10 years now? Still starts up every morning and jumps many other vehicles throughout the year.

Scroll to the bottom.
http://www.cartechbooks.com/vstore/s..._ID=3659&DID=6

 

Johnson Controls is the largest battery manufacturer in the U.S. I didn't say they made good batteries, just a lot of them. They indeed do make for a ton of different buyers. There will be differences of opinion here, I don't really care, we're all entitled to one. I use JC batteries (it's hard not to) but I'm not a fan of them. I test my batteries all the time and they often don't want to continue to hold the 12.6V that they should hold. THEY ARE NOT ALL THE SAME! JC makes batteries to each buyers specs. I don't think they make very good batteries but they definitely don't just make one battery and then put different names on it. If you got 10 years out of a Wal-Mart battery, it definitely wasn't made by Johnson Controls! I have seen and read of JC batteries of different brands (name on the battery) that lasted 2-6 mo., and that's on a battery that has a 7 or 8 year warranty! Pretty pathetic!

 

Dropzone- Do you mean you would or wouldn't use Optima? You do realize the same company that makes Neverstart batteries bought Optima some time ago and makes them. Yep, good old JC! That's why they are an expensive piece of **** often now.

 

Just as code58 posted:
While the the "cheap" batteries are made by big name companies, they are not the same.
The battery is made to the specs that the company selling it wants.

This is a well known manufacturing & private branding process that Sears started 3+ decades ago.
Provide the specifications & annual sales volume for the product and put it out to bid.
Sears had the benefit of multiple manufactures to deal with, so they would squeeze the manufacture later ( when the contract was up for renewal ), once the sales volumes were up and Sears represented 60% of the revenue for that company ( lower the price, else we take our business to the next manufacture ).

Walmart took it to the next level, provide the specs and put it out to bid with volumes that dwarf Sear's sales volumes in the hay days.
Cut throat in the highest form and the bid winner gets to go through the last round of price negotiations, squeezing every penny out of the deal. This is how Walmart had 99 quarters of profit growth, until the hammer fell on their shell game of cheap-cheap-cheap. They did the price drop game, it is figured out in the beginning that the product needs to be sold by x date, else the WACC on the product sitting on the shelf is costing them money.

If Walmart is negotiating every penny out of the deal, where do you think JC's profits come from ? By making the battery cheaper than the ones they make for Ford.
Don't fool yourself by thinking JC makes the Motorcraft battery the same as the Walmart battery, else why would Ford buy the battery from JC, they could just as easy get it from Walmart for a cheaper price.

 

Problem fixed. Replaced battery.

 

What did you do in the ensuing year plus ??? Wear out a few sets of jumper cables? That "I fell down and I can't get up" excuse is for old people!