As my 2013 Ford Fusion 1.6 SE/FWD battery failed the CCA test in Canadian Tire, I don’t want to risk using it in Canadian winters, when the temperature can suddenly drop. Also, my wife is pregnant so I need my vehicle ready always for any emergency. The battery still works fine, I can still use remote start in -6 to -8C. In Canadian Tire, they charge $120 for labour, but I don’t want to spend such a huge amount.
Should I continue using the old one as it is still performing well?
If I change it, can I just buy a battery according to the manual (90 series, CCA590)? MOTOMASTER Group Size 90 (T5/LB2) Battery, 600 CCA | Canadian Tire and just replace it with the old one? Or do I need to do anything else, like resetting the vehicle’s computer? How would I do that? Please give your valuable guidance.
Given your safety concerns, I would suggest getting a new battery if you think it’s at all marginal; not worth putting the family at risk for under $200.
Go by what the owner’s manual says. And if you search online, most sites selling car batteries let you enter year, make, model, and trim to figure out what’s appropriate (physical size and CCA).
You may also want to invest in a portable battery booster/jump starter and keep it in the car as a backup. They work surprisingly well.
@Bly
The 2013 manual says it can hold 90R or 96R with a CCA rating of 500-590 Amps. I have just checked my battery to some other places and found CCA 355 Amps. Is it ok?
Quill said: @Bly
The 2013 manual says it can hold 90R or 96R with a CCA rating of 500-590 Amps. I have just checked my battery to some other places and found CCA 355 Amps. Is it ok?
No. That’s way less than the called-for CCA. CCA stands for cold cranking amps. It’s how much juice the battery can provide while starting. Bigger = better up to a certain amount. So at least get what your manual calls for.
Quill said: @Bly
The 2013 manual says it can hold 90R or 96R with a CCA rating of 500-590 Amps. I have just checked my battery to some other places and found CCA 355 Amps. Is it ok?
I have the same car (2013 Fusion SE) but I live near Chicago. I have a 96R battery in my car. Bought it at Costco. It’s an Interstate brand battery and the label on it says 590 CCA. Cost me about $120, and it was just about trivial to install.
It is pretty easy to swap out yourself instead of paying $120. Personally, on my 2015 that sees moderately cold winters, I upgraded to a larger AGM battery, 4-year warrantied, and only a few $$ more than the smaller lower CCA factory battery. I don’t know if the 2013 battery tray accommodates it like my 2015 though; it was an optional battery for some configurations (like auto start/stop or intelligent access equipped).
I continued driving mine with a battery down to 200 CCA without major issues, but I don’t deal with cold weather. I was driving it (not my wife or kids), and I had a jump box with me at all times. As soon as we were going on a long trip, and others started driving it, I replaced the battery.
@Branley
The 2013 manual says it can hold 90R or 96R with a CCA rating of 500-590 Amps. I have just checked my battery to some other places and found CCA 355 Amps. Is it ok?
Whether you install a new starter battery or not, put a trickle charger on it and have it plugged in any time you have it parked. I did that with the battery in my old Fusion which after 9 years was struggling to hold a charge in -35C Saskatchewan winters, but since I put a maintainer on it I’ve never had a problem with low voltage (even on days when I might not have had it plugged in for a while).
Quill said: @Wynne
Seems like a better solution… Can you give a link for this device please?
You can get trickle chargers/maintainers/tenders at any big box store that has an auto parts section (e.g., Walmart).
I bought this one from Canadian Tire a couple years ago when it was on sale, and it has been great. I also put one in my GF’s car.
Basically, anything that puts out about 1-2 amps at 12V+ is good. If it’s more than ~1.5 amps, you should probably make sure it’s an “automatic” or “smart” charger so it doesn’t try to force too much current into your battery once it’s fully charged (I think most are), that way you can leave it plugged in as long as you like.
I would change it. I just had to change mine last month. Firestone said my battery needed replacing, but I pretty much ignored them because there were no signs of it being low; it cranked over and started just fine with no lag. A couple of weeks later, I was out of town about an hour away and it completely died suddenly when I was at Walmart trying to leave. Luckily being at Walmart, I just went back in, bought a new battery, and changed it in the parking lot. The next day at work, I plugged it into Forscan to reset the BMS and noticed there were a ton of DTCs related to low voltage.
