Does your start stop work without a delay?

[Mark S.]

There are different levels of battery testing. I don’t remember what the test was but somebody here had their battery tested by the dealer and it showed it was good.

Most of the time they just check the voltage. That'll tell you if you have a bad cell, but it won't tell you about the condition of the plates. To do it right you need a load test. There are dedicated load testing rigs available, which any competent shop should have. Basically, it applies a calibrated load equal to half the battery's rated cranking amps for 15 seconds, followed by a voltage check. Too big a drop indicates something wrong with the battery internals.

You can perform a "poor man's" load test with a multimeter by following the directions at this link.

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[JoeC]

There are different levels of battery testing. I don’t remember what the test was but somebody here had their battery tested by the dealer and it showed it was good. There was a Ford rep in the shop and they recommended a deeper test that showed the battery was not good. If nothing else, I would request/demand they replace the battery. It’s a simple and relatively inexpensive thing to do.

I have the Barrera tested today and it came back with a reading of 12.58. So, the battery is good they told me. They tested the battery with the bronco sport turned off (not running). Could the battery still be bad with a 12.58 reading. The Bronco Sport only has 1100 miles on it. Today as I was driving the Bronco sport the whole dashboard light went out and I could not see anything. I had no idea how fast I was going.

 

[Alistar]

I've noticed that lately it doesn't work most of the times in my 21 BB. My commute to work is like 5 min and normally I don't have to drive +30min. Maybe is just due to my short drives and cold weather, but it wasn't like that last winter when I was used to turn it off after the first stop sign ?

 

[Meanderthal]

I have the Barrera tested today and it came back with a reading of 12.58. So, the battery is good they told me. They tested the battery with the bronco sport turned off (not running). Could the battery still be bad with a 12.58 reading. The Bronco Sport only has 1100 miles on it. Today as I was driving the Bronco sport the whole dashboard light went out and I could not see anything. I had no idea how fast I was going.

Yes, the battery could be bad even though it’s almost new. In fact, if it is going to go bad it will most likely happen early. Of course batteries do wear out eventually too.
Was your battery load tested? If they just tested the voltage in a few seconds then they didn’t load test it. Checking the voltage when it is running would show if the alternator is supplying the proper voltage, usually in the 14V range.

 

[JoeC]

Yes, the battery could be bad even though it’s almost new. In fact, if it is going to go bad it will most likely happen early. Of course batteries do wear out eventually too.
Was your battery load tested? If they just tested the voltage in a few seconds then they didn’t load test it. Checking the voltage when it is running would show if the alternator is supplying the proper voltage, usually in the 14V range.

No, it was not load tested. They tested it with the Bronco Sport NOT RUNNING. It took them less then 1 minute to test it. They told me the Barrera tested at 12.58, so the battery was good. I am going take it to auto zone before I go back to the dealership again today. Yesterday, I lost all the lights on the dashboard while driving. It has never done this before.. could this be part of the CHARGING SYSTEM? Or is this another problem.

 

[Meanderthal]

No, it was not load tested. They tested it with the Bronco Sport NOT RUNNING. It took them less then 1 minute to test it. They told me the Barrera tested at 12.58, so the battery was good. I am going take it to auto zone before I go back to the dealership again today. Yesterday, I lost all the lights on the dashboard while driving. It has never done this before.. could this be part of the CHARGING SYSTEM? Or is this another problem.

A load test is done on the battery without the vehicle running. I can’t think of a battery test that is done while the vehicle is running. The alternator supports the electrical load (including battery charging) while the vehicle is running. Hopefully AutoZone will give you a good load test. They have the incentive to do so, since they would like to sell you a new battery.

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