Does Your Ford Need a New Car Battery?

April 9th, 2022 by

Your car battery will last for three to five years before it wears out, and it will need to be replaced. As your Ford dealer, we can easily install your new car battery when the time comes. We have a range of batteries available and can recommend the best choice for your car. These are a few experiences you may have that highlight the need to replace your battery.

Parasitic Drain

When your engine is switched off, your car battery maintains the electrical systems including the door lights, dash panel, and car alarm. These peripheral devices drain power, but their demands are not usually very high. When you start your car again, the alternator will start up and begin replenishing your battery. An electrical fault can drain your battery while your car is stationary. Overnight, your battery can go from fully charged to almost drained or even dead.

This type of fault, called a parasitic drain, occurs when a component that draws electricity doesn’t switch off. Two of the main culprits for this drain are the inside glove box light and the inside trunk light. These lights should automatically switch off when their compartments are closed, but a loose connection can keep them switched on. As they’re not visible, they can severely drain your battery without you knowing it. We’ll find the cause of the drain and fix it.

Your Car Won’t Start

If your car won’t start, you may just have a dead battery or you may have a bad alternator. Your battery has a limited life and will last for approximately five years before it needs to be replaced. The battery depends on the alternator to keep it fully charged. If the alternator is weak, it won’t be able to recharge the battery to its full capacity. You can test to see which of the two components has failed.

The first step is to connect the jumper cables to your battery and jump-start your engine. Once your engine is running, disconnect the cables right away. If your car dies immediately, you have an alternator problem as the alternator isn’t recharging your battery. Your battery may still be ok and could be recharged. If your engine continues to run, your battery is dead and will need to be replaced.

Blown Alternator Fuse

All of the electrical components are controlled by fuses. If the alternator fuse blows, your alternator will automatically switch off. It won’t be available to recharge your battery or to provide electricity to any of the other components that need it. Without an alternator, your battery has to shoulder the full load of the electrical system. The battery wasn’t designed to do this, and your battery will quickly fail.

Although these problems can drain your battery, you do get warnings that something is wrong. If you’re having a battery problem, or you’d like to get it tested, schedule a service appointment with Atchinson Ford’s Service Department where our technicians will use state-of-the-art equipment to check your battery for any problems.

Buy four select tires, get up to a $100 rebate by mail. *

On these name brands: Goodyear, Michelin®, BFGoodrich®, Pirelli®, General and Kelly

*Dealer-installed retail purchases only. Limit one redemption per customer. Get up to $100 with the purchase of four new Michelin® passenger and light truck tires ($70 tire rebate plus $30 service rebate). Get up to $100 ($70 tire rebate plus $30 bonus rebate) with the purchase of four new BFGoodrich® All-Terrain T/A KDR2+, All-Terrain T/A KDR3, All-Terrain T/A KO2, All-Terrain T/A KO3, g-Force COMP-2 A/S PLUS, g-Force R1, g-Force Rival, g-Force Rival S, g-Force Sport COMP-2, g-Force T/A KDW R, HD-Terrain T/A KT, Mud-Terrain T/A KM2, Mud-Terrain T/A KM3, Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 UTV or Trail Terrain T/A tires. All other new BFGoodrich passenger, light truck or UTV tires qualify for a $50 rebate. Get up to $100 with the purchase of four (4) new General Grabber™ A/T Sport, Grabber™ A/T Sport-W, Grabber A/TX and Grabber X3 tires. Get up to $100 on Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive® and Wrangler® Steadfast HT®. Get an $80 rebate on Pirelli Cinturato™, Scorpion™ & WeatherActive™ tire families. Get up to a $75 rebate on Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady®, Eagle® Exhilarate®, Eagle F1 SuperCar® 3, Eagle F1 SuperCar 3R, Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure with Kevlar® and Wrangler DuraTrac®. Get up to $70 with the purchase of four new General Grabber APT, Grabber HTS60, and Grabber UHP tires. Get up to $50 with the purchase of four new General AltiMAX 365AW, AltiMAX Arctic 12, Grabber Arctic, Grabber Arctic LT, Grabber HTS and Grabber HD VAN tires. Get up to a $50 rebate on Goodyear Assurance MaxLife®, Eagle® Sport All-Season Family (includes ROF and SCT), Wrangler Workhorse® AT (excludes C-Type), and Wrangler Workhorse HT (excludes C-Type). Get up to a $25 rebate on Goodyear Assurance® All-Season. Get up to a $25 rebate on Kelly Edge® Touring A/S. Offer valid 9/1/23 to 9/30/23. Submit rebate by 10/31/23. Rebate by Visa® Prepaid Card or Visa Virtual Account. Visa is not a sponsor of this promotion. Ford is not a sponsor of this promotion. See participating dealership for vehicle applications, rebate details and claim form. Expires 9/30/23.
EXPIRES: 09/30/2023

Earn 2,000 FordPass® Rewards bonus Points with the purchase and installation of Motorcraft® or Omnicraft® brake pads. *

FordPass Rewards members also earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Ford Service.


*Dealer-installed retail purchases only. Not valid on prior purchases. Limit one offer per vehicle. Must be enrolled in FordPass® Rewards to receive FordPass Rewards bonus Points. Points are not redeemable for cash or check and have no monetary value. Point earning and redemption values are approximate and vary by products and services redeemed. See the FordPass Rewards Program terms and conditions at FordPassRewards.com for information regarding expiration, redemption, forfeiture and other limitations on FordPass Rewards Points. Points will be awarded within eight weeks of rebate submission. Offer valid 7/1/23 to 9/30/23. See participating U.S. dealership for vehicle applications and offer details. Expires 9/30/23. Motorcraft® and Omnicraft® are registered trademarks of Ford Motor Company.
EXPIRES: 09/30/2023

Earn 6,000 FordPass® Rewards bonus Points with the purchase of a Motorcraft® or Omnicraft® brake pad and rotor replacement. *

FordPass Rewards members also earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Ford Service.

*Dealer-installed retail purchases only. Not valid on prior purchases. Limit one offer per vehicle. Must be enrolled in FordPass® Rewards to receive FordPass Rewards bonus Points. Points are not redeemable for cash or check and have no monetary value. Point earning and redemption values are approximate and vary by products and services redeemed. See the FordPass Rewards Program terms and conditions at FordPassRewards.com for information regarding expiration, redemption, forfeiture and other limitations on FordPass Rewards Points. Points will be awarded within eight weeks of rebate submission. Offer valid 7/1/23 to 9/30/23. See participating U.S. dealership for vehicle applications and offer details. Expires 9/30/23. Motorcraft® and Omnicraft® are registered trademarks of Ford Motor Company.
EXPIRES: 09/30/2023

Low Price Tire Guarantee*

Why buy tires anywhere else, when your Ford Dealer offers all of this:


• 17 major brands
• 30-day price guarantee
• All makes and models

*Valid on dealer-installed retail purchases only. Requires presentation of competitor’s current price ad/offer on exact tire sold by dealership within 30 days after purchase. For online quotes, guarantee applies only to new tires sold on retailer websites. Excludes tires sold by third parties on marketplace sites and any resellers. See Service Advisor for details. Expires 12/31/23.
EXPIRES: 12/31/2023

The Works®* Synthetic Blend Oil Change and More

• Tire Rotation and Pressure Check
• Brake Inspection
• Vehicle Checkup
• Fluid Top-Off
• Battery Test
• Filter Check
• Belts and Hoses Check

*Up to six quarts of Motorcraft® oil and Motorcraft oil filter. Hybrid battery test excluded. See Service Advisor for exclusions and details. Expires 12/31/23. Motorcraft® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company.
EXPIRES: 12/31/2023

Lifetime Brake Pad Guarantee*


*Available for Motorcraft® brake pads purchased after 7/1/14 and Omnicraft® brake pads purchased after 7/1/17. Nontransferable. Replacement requires a copy of the original repair order and completion of any other necessary brake service, such as brake rotor service. Motorcraft or Omnicraft brake pads must be installed by a U.S. Ford Dealership, Lincoln Retailer or Quick Lane® technician to be covered. Pads only; labor costs not included. Commercial delivery vehicles, taxi, limousine, postal, police, tow trucks, racing and emergency vehicles are excluded. Restrictions and exclusions apply. See Service Advisor for details. Quick Lane®, Motorcraft® and Omnicraft® are registered trademarks of Ford Motor Company.
EXPIRES: 09/30/2023

Complimentary brake inspection*

Performed by an expert technician.

*Inspect brake friction material, caliper operation, rotors, drums, hoses and connections. Inspect parking brake for damage and proper operation. See Service Advisor for details. Expires 12/31/23.
EXPIRES: 12/31/2023

Motorcraft® Tested Tough® PLUS Batteries, $119.95 MSRP, or redeem 22,000 FordPass® Rewards Points. *

With 24-month battery replacement warranty.

Join FordPass Rewards today by downloading the FordPass App. **

*With exchange. Taxes and installation extra. Warranty includes COMPLIMENTARY towing on dealer-installed battery. Must be enrolled in FordPass® Rewards to receive FordPass Rewards Points. Points are not redeemable for cash or check and have no monetary value. Point earning and redemption values are approximate and vary by products and services redeemed. See the FordPass Rewards Program terms and conditions at FordPassRewards.com for information regarding expiration, redemption, forfeiture and other limitations on FordPass Rewards Points. Motorcraft® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. **FordPass App, compatible with select smartphone platforms, is available via a download. Message and data rates may apply. See Service Advisor for vehicle applications and limited-warranty details. Expires 9/30/23.
EXPIRES: 09/30/2023

Motorcraft® Tested Tough® MAX Batteries, starting at $149.95 MSRP, or redeem 28,000 FordPass® Rewards Points. *

With 36-month battery replacement warranty.

Join FordPass Rewards today by downloading the FordPass App. **

*With exchange. Taxes and installation extra. Warranty includes COMPLIMENTARY towing on dealer-installed battery. Must be enrolled in FordPass® Rewards to receive FordPass Rewards Points. Points are not redeemable for cash or check and have no monetary value. Point earning and redemption values are approximate and vary by products and services redeemed. See the FordPass Rewards Program terms and conditions at FordPassRewards.com for information regarding expiration, redemption, forfeiture and other limitations on FordPass Rewards Points. Motorcraft® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. **FordPass App, compatible with select smartphone platforms, is available via a download. Message and data rates may apply. See Service Advisor for vehicle applications and limited-warranty details. Expires 9/30/23.
EXPIRES: 09/30/2023

Have your battery tested at no charge. *

Be sure you have the starting power you need.

*Visually inspect and test battery using tester. Hybrid battery test excluded. See Service Advisor for details. Offer valid with coupon. Expires 12/31/23.
EXPIRES: 12/31/2023

Get Everyday Special Financing on Vehicle Service With the FordPass® Rewards Visa® Card. *

Enjoy 0% Intro APR* for six billing cycles from the date of purchase on Ford Dealership purchases over $499. Earn 11,000 FordPass Rewards Points** after your first purchase. After your six billing cycles expire, you have a variable APR of 23.24% - 30.24% based on the prime rate, depending on how you meet our credit criteria.

Important Information

Please see the Summary of Credit Terms for important information on rates, fees, costs, conditions and limitations. Minimum monthly payments required.

Please note you must pay your entire statement balance (with the exception of purchases made with this promotional rate during its promotional rate period) in full by the payment due date each month to avoid being charged interest on new non-promotional purchases from the date those purchases are made.

Special Financing Offer Details: Purchases in which single or multiple items are purchased in the same transaction totaling at least $499.00 at Ford Dealerships will be referred to as “Eligible Purchases” in your Summary of Credit Terms. All transactions are subject to approval. Accounts are eligible only if they are open, in good standing and not already subject to special terms. All other terms of your account remain in effect. Minimum monthly payments required.

*For additional information about Annual Percentage Rates (APRs), fees and other costs, see the Summary of Credit Terms.
**See the FordPass® Rewards Visa® Terms and Conditions in the Summary of Credit Terms. Points are not redeemable for cash or check. Please see the FordPass Rewards Program terms and conditions at FordPassRewards.com for information regarding expiration, redemption, forfeiture and other limitations on FordPass Rewards Points. Must be enrolled in FordPass Rewards.
Cards are issued by First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO®), pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A., Inc. Visa and Visa Signature are registered trademarks of Visa International Service Association and used under license.
EXPIRES: 09/30/2023

Motorcraft® Warranty: Two years. Unlimited mileage. Includes labor. *

Motorcraft parts are covered for a full two years with unlimited mileage. Even limited labor costs are included. *

*See your U.S. dealer for a copy of the limited warranty. Motorcraft® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company.
EXPIRES: 09/30/2023

Ford Parts Warranty: Two years. Unlimited mileage. Includes labor. *

Ford Parts are covered for a full two years with unlimited mileage. Even limited labor costs are included. *

*See your U.S. dealership for a copy of the limited warranty.
EXPIRES: 09/30/2023
Posted in Ford Service Center