Battery replacement

AlanD · 18-02-2012, 08:34 AM

Hi all,

The time has come to replace the battery in the Mondeo

given that it is now more than 4 years old, of which 2+ years has been with the car in regular use, so on the basis of other posts replacement might be wise to avoid the problems other owners have experienced with batteries younger or approaching this age.

So a couple of questions:

1. Has anyone found a retailer in Eastern Melbourne who sells a DIN75LMF battery at a reasonable cost. The lowest I have found is in the $190 region but there might be something better.
2. Does anyone know how to do the changeover safely? The manual for the car warns about disconnecting the battery, and other posts here have told about drama with the imobiliser activating when the battery is problematic/disconnected.

I suspect that using a fully charged emergency boost pack and connecting this before disconnecting the main battery might be the way to go, but guidance from anyone who knows the method would be welcome.

TIA for any responses.

Cheers

NZ XR6 · 19-02-2012, 01:27 AM

I think DIN batteries are expensive simply because they are used in European cars. But for the Mondeo making sure you get a good quality battery is more important than price, within reason.

I remember reading somewhere that changing the battery is made easier if you remove the airbox. You might like to check Talkford.com for more info.

EDIT: You can also use a DIN77 battery, they may be easier to find. But check the CCA, not all batteries are created equal. A Fiamm is 760 CCA whereas the Exide is 650, and some of the no-name stuff will be even lower.

AlanD · 19-02-2012, 07:32 AM

Hi NZ,

Thanks,

Probably will be a Century or Yuasa (same thing really, I think) But I'll do a search on DIN77. I looked at a DIN85 as the CCA on that is about 50 amps higher, seems to be less expensive too

but based on the dimensions its about 35 mm too long.

There is a battery outlet not far from the Ford Dealership I use, so I'll probably go there and get them to do the swap. If things go awry at least I won't be very far away from assistance as the car is still under warranty.

I have to say I don't understand why manuafacturers' are making the business of simple maintenance so difficult. You ARE going to have to swap a battery at sometime in a vehicle's life and it used to be a simple job (still is on the Territory) which any moderatly skilled person could do. Bigest challenge often was the weight of the thing.

Oh well, I guess I ought to be grateful I'm able to afford a modern car.

Cheers

NZ XR6 · 19-02-2012, 10:41 AM

I just changed the battery on my wife's Accord and it took a few minutes.

Years ago we had a Ford Sierra and the battery was right in front of the firewall with the terminals just under a metal panel. The trick of course was to put a plastic cover on the +ve terminal when you took it out otherwise it was all too easy to short the battery terminals.

So Ford have a long history of making life difficult with their battery placement in the Euro models.

thewonderer · 23-02-2012, 12:16 PM

Will be interested to hear how you get on as I have a 3 year old mondeo that will need changing over this year. The RACQ mechanic did tell me when he checked it that the batteries that come with a car last longer than standard batteries.

I dread to think how much they cost to swap over. I can see it's not easy to get out and wouldn't be surprised if it costs $250 or more :(

apstar · 23-02-2012, 03:20 PM

Not too sure if a battery in a diesel v petrol car last the same period I assumed a diesel puts more strain on a battery but I stand to be corrected as always

apstar

AlanD · 24-02-2012, 08:50 PM

Hi all,

Apstar raises a good point because the Battery in theTDCi engined MA is a DIN75LMF fitment and this has a 730 CCA rating. The battery I pulled out of the car today has a rating of 700CCA and an 80 Amp Hours at a 20 hour rate rating. Which means it can provide 4 amps continously across 20 hours. There is also a "reserve" figure given as about 150 minutes and I simply do not know what this means. Could it mean the fully charged battery can provide the electrical current requirement for the car, when running, of 150 minutes? This would imply a running drain of about 32 amperes, probably less since a lead acid battery shows less capacity if it is discharged at a current greater than the 20 hour rate - whatever.

In doing the "ring around" I found the lowest price ($190) at Battery World at Lilydale, but other outlets of this franchise had greater prices, so it is not a constant. As I was having the Territory serviced in Lilydale, I figured if we got into trouble with the changeover at least I had a Ford Dealership close by.

But be careful, as I was offered lower cost batteries which on investigation had much lower CCA figures and Apstar's suspicion is correct. The energy input requirement to turn over a TDCi moter is higher than the similar capacity petrol motor owing to the higher compression ratio of the diesel engine.

Swapover is straightforward, but you must maintain a feed for the onboard electronics. If you simply disconnect the battery you may get into trouble with activating the immobiliser and then the trouble starts. The manual is quite clear abouit NOT disconnecting the battery!

Here is the process for anyone who wants to avoid the high cost of getting it done at a dealership.

1. You will need a small 12 volt battery fully charged, if you have a jump starter pack that would be fine, if a little awkward physically. A selection of small sized socket wrenches up to about 10 mm.

2. Turn the engine off, remove the ignition key, make sure all doors are closed but unlocked. (They don't have to be but if you want to get into the car when the battery is removed the current drain on the lock solenoids might drain the temporary battery enough to give you problems#. Remove the front half of the plastic shroud surrounding the battery and place it to one side.

3. Undo the circular clamp on the air-intake hose immediately behind the air filter box. When fully free slide it towards the rear on the hose. Separate the filter box from the hose.

4. Remove the filter box by lifting and rotating upwards and forwards. You can do this without disconnecting the electrical connection to the filter box and when free the box has enough slack to rest on the plastic engine shroud.

5. Undo the bolt securing the hold bown plate at the front lower edge of the battery and set it to one side. Slide the battery forwards until the negative terminal is fully accessible.

6. Connect the temporary battery to the main battery terminal clamps, being careful to connect positive to positive and negative to negative.

7. Slacken the negative terminal clamp and remove it from the battery taking care to maintain the connection between the temporary battery and the main battery terminal clamp. Do the same with the positive terminal clamp. (It's useful here to have a helper who can hold the positive terminal clear of the engine/bodywork and also the battery shelf so you can concentrate on the lift out of the battery - it's quite heavy).

8. Lift out the battery and replace it with the new battery.

9. Reconnect the positive terminal clamp to the new battery and tighten. (DO NOT disconnect the temporary battery at this point).

10. Reconnect the negative terminal clamp to the new battery and tighten.

11. Remove the temporary battery.

12. Slide the new battery rearwards and refit the securiing plate to the front of the battery.

13. Refit the filter box by rotating in the reverse manner to that which was used to remove it. Reconnect the airhose, repostion the clamp and tighten.

14. Refit the front half of the plastic battery shroud.

You are done. All being well the engine should start without trouble and a short run of 15 minutes or so to replace the starting current drain and top the battery off because there will have been some current leakage while it was "on the shelf" will finish the job.

Cheers

apstar · 25-02-2012, 12:49 AM

When I did mine I used a SLA battery connected to the cigarette socket it feeds back to the battery. Power is only required to maintain power to the CPU/security module, so like AlanD said you don't want it forgetting settings etc

apstar

AlanD · 25-02-2012, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by apstar

When I did mine I used a SLA battery connected to the cigarette socket it feeds back to the battery. Power is only required to maintain power to the CPU/security module, so like AlanD said you don't want it forgetting settings etc

apstar

Great idea Apstar. And you learn something new every day. I wasn't aware that the "cigarette" socket was permanently live. Many years ago someone sleepng in a car pushed a seat forward far enough to engage the cigarette lighter insert and it caused the car to catch fire. Many manufacturer's responded by having a relay cut out to the Cigarette lighter so that it was only live when the ignition was at accessories or run.

This idea means you don't have to worry about keeping the temporary battery out of the way whilst you are working.

Cheers

apstar · 25-02-2012, 01:42 PM

Those that are interested:

http:http://www.jaycar.com.au/productResu...26&SUBMIT.y=12

It has a 5 Amp fuse as a protection if you get the polarity wrong

Cat# PP1995
apstar

thewonderer · 27-02-2012, 04:57 PM

Wow, thanks for the heads up on how to swap out the battery.

Sounds like a challenge, but with the right preps will work.

Where Apstar mentions the cigarette lighter SLA... does that mean you put in a standard connector in the cig lighter connected to a spare battery to keep the power trickling through that? What is a SLA and where can you get these from?

thanks

apstar · 28-02-2012, 12:43 AM

CAT. NO. SB2480

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productResu...y&form=KEYWORD

another tip leave it pluged in if you want to charge it but I would only do it when on the move BUT Don't connect it when starting the engine up only after you have it running PLEASE CHECK POLARITY !!!

apstar

AlanD · 28-02-2012, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thewonderer

Wow, thanks for the heads up on how to swap out the battery.

Sounds like a challenge, but with the right preps will work.

Where Apstar mentions the cigarette lighter SLA... does that mean you put in a standard connector in the cig lighter connected to a spare battery to keep the power trickling through that? What is a SLA and where can you get these from?

thanks

Hi, and perhaps apologies to Apstar, but the Jaycar links are not working for me.

SLA = Sealed Lead Acid (Battery). The come in a variety of sizes, but you can also use a jump starter pack that has a cigarette lighter outlet. Get two cigarette lighter plugs and wire them tip to tip and sleve to sleeve. Keeps everything organised awith no exposed connections when in use.

Cheers

Papug · 04-03-2012, 07:52 PM

Thanks to Alan for the detailed description. I took my Mondeo to the Battery World outlet in Osborne Park, Perth with the printed version. After 20 min. I had new battery fitted at $199, compered with the cost of battery from Ford $280 plus labour. They did have a pocket battery specially design to fit into the lighter socket. I left Alan's manual for the boys and the future Mondeo's they may encounter.
Thanks again to Alan and other contributors to this tread.

Regards
Greg

NZ XR6 · 05-03-2012, 02:26 AM

Thanks Alan, I'll print your instructions and keep them in my glovebox. Which battery did you fit in the end?

Ford do specify different batteries for petrol and diesel. I'd suggest that you look at the CCA rating when choosing rather than the type, as long as it's the right size.

AlanD · 05-03-2012, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NZ XR6

Thanks Alan, I'll print your instructions and keep them in my glovebox. Which battery did you fit in the end?

Hi NZ,

I fitted the Century DIN75LMF which has a spec of 12V, 730 CCA, 135 minutes reserve capacity (whatever that means) and although Century do not state it I think a capacity of 75 ampere hours.

DIN is the abbreviation for the German Standards Institute and ordinarily to make use of the DIN term the item must meet (exceed?) the DIN spec in all regards, in Germany at any rate, as (I believe) there are significant penalties for quoting DIN numbers for items which do not meet the spec. The spec also covers physical parameters such as height, width, length, case material, construction and the number of and where ledges are incorporated etc.

The tray in the Mondeo is long enough to get the DIN 85LMF item in (780 CCA same cross section but 35 mm longer, probably 85 ampere hour capacity) but you would need to source (make) a shorter hold down clamp or make alternative hold down features. I'm guessing that the petrol engined vehicles have the DIN65LMF unit and a longer clamp is fitted to those cars to accomodate the shorter length.

All that said I would be wary of fitting a battery of either lower capacity or lower CCA figures to the diesel engined cars as these may give shorter life and/or fail prematurely with the sort of consequences we have read about.

Cheers.

nevetsg · 14-06-2013, 06:22 PM

Thanks for the instructions AlanD. I used them yesterday.

Purchased a (frikin expensive) Varta (F85 i think) battery for $260 which is apparently cheep. But I am hoping that it lasts as long as I own the car.

Ros5co · 16-06-2013, 07:44 AM

I was having trouble starting a month back & realised it was the battery but as I was due to take the vehicle back to the dealers in a few days to have the indicator switch replaced (waited a month for the part) I left it go till then.

Boy was I lucky, got to the dealers & shut down waiting for them to open up, when they did the car refused to start. Battery had finally died & they had to push the vehicle into the workshop.

$300 plus dollars later all is good again & apparently the new one has a three year warranty. Hope it lasts the distance.

nevetsg · 16-06-2013, 04:25 PM

I was quoted $240 for a battery from Peter Warren Ford spares. I got mine from Globe Batteries as he has done right by us in the past.

ope126 · 20-10-2013, 10:02 PM

This is a great thread regarding battery choices / info.

I might look to start an additional thread relating specifically to MC EcoBoost Mondeo's.

Canyonero · 21-10-2013, 12:28 PM

I can understand why you would want to fit a battery with a larger CCA rating, i.e. fit the diesel engine battery in a petrol car, so that you have more power and reserves for starting. Now, I'm no auto electrician, but I can't help wondering if the rest of the charging system can cope with the larger battery capacity. Are the alternators the same for the different engines? I'm thinking that if the petrol engine alternator doesn't have the output to keep the larger battery fully charged, then that would be detrimental to the life and performance of the new battery. Though one would hope that the alternator would have quite a bit of extra capacity, so it is not running flat out when charging.

Can anyone tell me if this is likely? I'm happy to be told I'm wrong and that it is OK to simply drop in a larger battery. I'm not really concerned yet about the Mondeo as it is on 18 months old since build, but I am wondering if it is OK to do this on my Territory next time.

Yellow_Festiva · 21-10-2013, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canyonero

Can anyone tell me if this is likely? I'm happy to be told I'm wrong and that it is OK to simply drop in a larger battery. I'm not really concerned yet about the Mondeo as it is on 18 months old since build, but I am wondering if it is OK to do this on my Territory next time.

I always used to fit the largest capacity battery that would fit in the space when replacing a factory battery. Have done that in all my cars and I would assume the only side effect is that the battery would take longer to charge.

From what I've been told, factory batteries are generally the bare minimum as the smaller they are the lighter and cheaper they cost.

ope126 · 23-10-2013, 04:26 PM

At my recent 2yr service I noticed a Battery Report but did not get a copy of it. I spoke with a local Battery Distributor that stocks Varta and Bosch batteries and they invited me in to do a Load Test.

Here are the results via a Bosch Battery Load Tester;

12.77v (anything less than 12.4v I would be in trouble)
667CCA even though the OEM battery is rated at 590CCA.

So it appears that my battery is in very good shape.

I was advised that most of the Euro brands use the lowest CCA rating and actually deliver higher CCA as shown above. Whereas some other brands tend to display the maximum attained CCA but would actually be a much lower amount.

Food for thought everyone, maybe just get a load test done on your battery to check its current health and move from there.

ope126 · 21-06-2014, 11:28 AM

I have been doing a bit more research and have been reading some threads from others here and on other forums. Please be aware that you MUST use a "SILVER CALCIUM" battery and not just a standard lead acid battery.

Please refer to the following for some additional info;
http://www.valeoservice.com/data/mas...73.pdf?rnd=113
http://www.centurybatteries.com.au/c...ium-batter.pdf

And in relation to Ford's "Smart Charge System"; http://www.motor.com/article.asp?article_ID=1606
http://www.talkford.com/topic/129640...gingcondition/