I have a 2005 F350 Diesel truck. I have a question about the batteries. Are the batteries in this truck supposed to be maintenance free? Mine are not and there is a plastic covering over one battery that prevents access to the cells.
More troubling is the fact that the batteries are not matched as it appears that one has been replaced. Generally in a diesel where batteries are in parallel the batteries should be replaced in matched sets for maximum cranking/starting performance and reserve capacity.
I guess you cannot read huh but what can you expect from a troll. That quoted statement tends to suggest that one battery is different as it is not very clear about it and I was commenting on the post. Also do not even begin to think you have seen under the hod of more automotive designs than me because you are out of your league because I track and look at all the latest design by all makers and have for many many years. I even have a digital picture data base of some recent ones that I may post online someday.
Or as someone who has actually looked under the hood of a Ford diesel, the quoted statement tends to suggest a factory-installed plastic cover over one of the batteries, not part of the battery, which would have to be removed to service the battery.
If you are prevented access to the cells by covers that are built into the battery itself then the battery is maintenance free. If the cover is part of the truck -- the battery hold down device -- then you just have a poor design keeping you from your goal.
If the battery(ies) have covers that do not come off, they are Maintenance Free.
If the batteries have covers that can come off, but the truck has a cover that is in the way, then you have to check the battery(ies) because they are not Maintenance Free. You will be required to remove the cover on the truck that is in the way of one or more cells on the battery(ies) in order to provide any maintenance that might be needed.
Any F350 on the road in the year models you asked about should still have the original battery(ies), with the possible exception of the oldest of the '05s -- but even those trucks should still have good factory supplied battery(ies).
I am wanting to know if YOUR F250/350 came with maintenance free batteries. Mine did not, but the manual says it should.
The PROBLEM is: It is a PITA to add water to a battery that is covered with a piece of plastic in such a manner that requires removal of the cables to battery(s).
So the question is: Did YOUR F250/350 for year 2005/6/7 diesel come with maintenance free batteries?
What difference does it make what type of batteries anybody's truck came with? The truck in question is yours. Take the cover off YOUR other battery and check.
I seem to recall that my 94 F250 had a cover over the left (drivers side) battery to preclude using jumpers on that battery while the right side (passenger's side) battery was open to access. The manual outlined jump start procedures and warned that the right side battery was the one to use for jump starts. I didn't understand the reason for the cover because everyone reads the manual, don't they? I don't know if my memory has served me or not but I'm sure that several will correct me if I'm in error about this. BTW the batteries that came with my truck were maintenance free (from the factory)... I replaced them seven years later (eight Alaskan winters later) with Sears Gold batteries which are still doing fine, five years later. These are also maintenance free...
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