Ford and Motorcraft Parts are precision engineered to fit your Ford perfectly and offer you the highest quality, performance, and reliability. Read more details about quality Ford parts and warranty. Your Ford F-350 will be happy to know that the search for the right Battery products you’ve been looking for is over! Advance Auto Parts has 39 different Battery for your vehicle, ready for shipping or in-store pick up. The best part is, our Ford F-350 Battery products start from as little as $79.99.
We compare the most popular brands and give you a detailed advice on the best battery for your F-150 or Super Duty truck.
This article applies to the Ford F-150 (2004-2014) and F-250, F-350 Super Duty (2005-2014).
Not only do you want to choose a battery that fits your specific vehicle, you also want to choose one that fits your climate and driving conditions. High temperature is hard on battery life, it increases corrosion and vaporizes electrolyte more quickly, making the battery life and warranty length more important. Likewise, cold cranking amps and reserve capacity are important in cold climates. Take a look at four of the most popular options below and see which one is best for your application.
The reserve capacity is a time measurement that explains how long a fully-charged battery can deliver 25 amps of current in an 80°F-environment, before the battery is discharged down to 10.5 volts.
The crank amps can be thought of as the power output used to start a cold engine. The number of cold cranking amps you need depends on your vehicle and where you live, specifically how cold it is where you live. The two factors are that the colder an engine is, the more power it takes to turn the engine over to get it started. It has all that cold, sluggish oil to contend with. The other factor is that the chemical reaction in the car battery that creates electrical energy is less efficient in the cold.
Car Battery Comparison
Motorcraft | Optima | Duralast | Kirkland (Costco) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Price | $140 | $220 | $130 | $67 |
Looks | Black | Yellow and white, Red and grey | Black, Clear | Black |
Weight | 30 pounds | 46 pounds | 30 pounds | 30 pounds |
Performance | 750 cranking amps, 750 cold | 870 cranking amps, 750 cold | 760 cranking amps, 610 cold | 760 cranking amps, 610 cold |
Reserve Capacity | 90 minutes | 120 minutes | 90 minutes | 90 minutes |
Warranty | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years |
Motorcraft
Price: $140
Looks: Black
Weight: 30 pounds
Performance: 750 cranking amps, 750 cold
Reserve capacity: 90 minutes
Warranty: 3 years
Motorcraft batteries have an excellent 100 month warranty and offer a 36 month free replacement if something goes wrong. They are also relatively inexpensive and offer good cold cranking power and reserve capacity. Unlike most Motorcraft parts however, they don't have the best reputation among community experts. Many users report failure within 2 years or less. Since the 36 months replacement is only good once, many buyers have been left in the cold as a result. Recommended if you are looking for the best warranty.
Optima
Price: $220
Looks: red or yellow and grey
Weight: 46 pounds
Performance: 870 cranking amps, 750 cold
Reserve power: 120 minutes
Warranty: 3 years
Optima batteries have a stellar reputation, especially among those who add on extra accessories that drain more battery power, such as amplifiers or extra lighting. You will also pay a lot more for one over the rest of the competition. But Optima's design is inherently stronger, resistant to vibration, and holds up well against the rigors of off roading. If you opt for the yellow top, expect to pay around $20 more for superior deep cycling over the red top. If durability is your main concern, Optima might be worth the extra money. Recommended if you are looking for a powerful battery to support all your accessories.
Duralast
Price: $130
Looks: black or clear
Weight: 30 pounds
Performance: 750 cranking amps, 610 cold
Reserve power: 90 minutes
Warranty: 3 years
Duralast batteries are cheaper than most options and have relatively good reviews on the community discussions. The Gold series of Duralast batteries are inherently better than the standard option, however. The biggest complaint more reviewers have is that they got a shorter life out of their battery expectancy, typically around 2-3 years. But with most batteries. Recommended if you are looking for a powerful battery at a cheaper price.
Kirkland (Costco)
Price: $67
Looks: black
Weight: 30 pounds
Performance: 760 cranking amps, 610 cold
Reserve power: 90 minutes
Warranty: 3 years
Kirkland batteries, sold by Costco, are a bit of a well kept secret in the automotive world. These batteries are both cheap and of excellent quality, making them the best choice of our group for normal use. You will be hard pressed to find a bad review of a Kirkland battery online, and for good reason. Performance is on par with an Optima battery, for 1/4th of the price. You don't get the same technology or durability that Optima has, but for normal use, they are a no brainer. On top of that, they are tied with Motorcraft for best warranty. Recommended if you are looking for a reliable battery without spending too much money.
Related Discussion
- Super Duty Replacement - Ford-trucks.com
Symptoms Pointing to a Problematic Ford F-350 Battery Cable
The battery cable in your truck is a crucial part in almost all the functions of your vehicle. It transmits power from the battery to your engine and starter to make your truck run. Much like most wires in your truck, the battery cable is prone to breaking, cracking, and damage due to corrosion. When these happen, you should fix or replace the Ford F-350 battery cable immediately. Following are some symptoms that the cable is going south:
No Start
A common issue with the battery cable is a bad ground which results in irregular current delivery to the starter. This causes the starter to start but shut down immediately. If you have this kind of problem, you would hear a single click or rapid tapping sound once you turn on the ignition. This is a sign that the starter has been engaged. However, the engine would not start because the starter shuts itself down due to bad current delivery. When this happens, check your battery cable for corrosion or break.
Intermittent start
When your truck's engine does not start most of the time, you have an issue with the Ford F-350 battery cable. The problem is caused by irregular delivery of current into the engine and starter of your truck. This is a result of poor connections among the battery and the engine and starter. The cause of this problem is loose connection on the battery terminal or a severely corroded cable. While intermittent starts may also be caused by other problems, never rule out the possibility of a bad battery cable.
Flickering headlights
An easy way of knowing if you have a bad battery cable is through your headlights. Since the headlights are connected to the electrical system which most likely runs in common electrical grounds, one would affect the other components. If a battery cable is corroded or damaged, it may make way for a bad ground. As a result, the headlights may flicker because of lack in voltage. When you experience this issue, one of the things you should check is the battery terminals and the battery cable. There may also be a corrosion or dirt buildup that disrupts current delivery in the system.