Replacement battery, regular lead acid or silver calcium?
Discussion
Following another thread on electrical problems on daughter in laws 2014 Fiesta diesel I thought it would be fairly straightforward until I saw the word Calcium on the OEM part.
Various web articles suggest that the ford cars use a silver calcium battery and that a regular lead acid battery is unsuitable?
Others disagree.
Anybody here changed their Ford OEM battery for something else (eg Bosch S5 or S4) or must be a Ford OEM part I fit?
Thanks in advance
Various web articles suggest that the ford cars use a silver calcium battery and that a regular lead acid battery is unsuitable?
Others disagree.
Anybody here changed their Ford OEM battery for something else (eg Bosch S5 or S4) or must be a Ford OEM part I fit?
Thanks in advance
A regular lead acid battery will start and run the car fine (assuming it has a cold cranking rating of at least as high as the original battery). However, it's not quite that simple.
Silver Calcium is an improvement over standard lead acid, and is more efficient at charging, holding charge, and delivering current when it's needed.
It doesn't need to be a Ford part (assuming you're out of warranty anyway), but I would choose not to reduce the specification of the battery from the manufacturer's guidelines, but by all means improve upon it if you choose to pay the extra.
Either way, start by checking the battery specification Ford suggest.
https://www.tayna.co.uk/Ford-Fiesta-Car-Battery
Silver Calcium is an improvement over standard lead acid, and is more efficient at charging, holding charge, and delivering current when it's needed.
It doesn't need to be a Ford part (assuming you're out of warranty anyway), but I would choose not to reduce the specification of the battery from the manufacturer's guidelines, but by all means improve upon it if you choose to pay the extra.
Either way, start by checking the battery specification Ford suggest.
https://www.tayna.co.uk/Ford-Fiesta-Car-Battery
Sorry for the late reply.
If the car needs a silver calcium battery that's what you have to fit. A normal lead acid battery won't charge correctly, could get too hot (due to the smart charge system) and will fail prematurely.
Lead acid batteries in Ford cars that need silver calcium batteries often only last 12-18 months whereas a silver calcium battery should last 10-14 years.
The genuine Ford/motorcraft batteries are made by Varta.
The Bosch S4 and S5 are the most popular silver calcium fits to replace OEM batteries, but it's worth noting the Varta direct equivalents to the S4 and S5 are made by the same company in the same factory, and are basically the exact same battery as the Boschs' but are cheaper in price.
If the car needs a silver calcium battery that's what you have to fit. A normal lead acid battery won't charge correctly, could get too hot (due to the smart charge system) and will fail prematurely.
Lead acid batteries in Ford cars that need silver calcium batteries often only last 12-18 months whereas a silver calcium battery should last 10-14 years.
The genuine Ford/motorcraft batteries are made by Varta.
The Bosch S4 and S5 are the most popular silver calcium fits to replace OEM batteries, but it's worth noting the Varta direct equivalents to the S4 and S5 are made by the same company in the same factory, and are basically the exact same battery as the Boschs' but are cheaper in price.
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