[metroplex]

You're right. Their pastries seem to go bad very quickly. But their meat has always been top quality here along with their other products, you just have to watch the sell by dates because it varies. The Kirkland 5W30 is certified Dexos 1 Gen 2 and runs the best in one of the GTDI engines I used to work on, not to mention the least expensive oil available. Their new golf clubs are still unknown. The KS1 putter is well made but I still put better with my Evnroll. Their gas is Top Tier and 93 octane is always priced competitively with other gas stations 87 octane. With their Costco Visa you get 4% backon gas and 2% on their purchases plus extra 2 year warranty on appliances. The samples were canceled due to COVID19.

I think it is how they get their supply of grocery/fresh items. Like it comes in batches in large quantities, so the stock gets rotated out among the stores but not always at the same time. Their batteries are very fresh though, I've never seen batteries start off with such a high SOC. Even the Ford dealers have batteries that were sitting on their shelves for months.

The downside is I had to go to 3 Costco stores in the area to get the batteries I wanted and each of them was a different experience. The bigger Costco were not the best shopping experience for me. But I earn enough reward dollars from the credit card to pay for the membership several times over. But I was told they stock batteries based on demand at each location. The really big Costcos had more of the common batteries in stock/overflowing (Group 65, 34) but the smaller Costcos had very limited stock of most batteries. The Group 90/T5 seems to be uncommon although with such a large number of Fusions sold over the years you'd think Group 90 would be high in demand due to the small capacity and ACM/electronics killing them so quickly.

 

[Walleballr]

Sorry to revive but i used to buy at Costco when they had full 5 year batteries but yhey dont here anymore. Batteries last 3 years here in the desert unless you go with the sealed one. Theres only a rew battery factories but dozens of labels.

 

[metroplex]

Sorry to revive but i used to buy at Costco when they had full 5 year batteries but yhey dont here anymore. Batteries last 3 years here in the desert unless you go with the sealed one. Theres only a rew battery factories but dozens of labels.

No one seems to have anything more than a 3 year full replacement. Even DieHard Gold is now a 3 year warranty battery. For the desert we found AGMs to last longer so you'll have to fork out a bit more for the AGMs.

 

[Shawnski]

Regarding Optima batteries: I always ran the Red Tops in my off-road F250 and Yellow Tops in my dump trailer, excavator, and tractors. I was replacing batteries every 2-3 years in our 1966 T-bird, which basically just sits under a cover 98% of the time, even with a battery tender, when one of them over loaded and spewed acid all over the battery tray, radiator support, and vent box. I decided to abandon “vintage stock” appearance and install an Optima Red Top. Well, just last week I had to replace it because it wouldn’t turn the car over and I realized it had been in the car since April 2001!!

 

[metroplex]

Yeah the Tenders work great. I had an old Group 65 that was from 2008 still work fine in 2021. I wish they made an AGM for Group 90/T5 because the Cobalt battery sits in the trunk. It’s also important to use a good Tender. I have tried a bunch of different brands but alway go back to Battery Tender because they designed the circuitry and operation properly.

 

[Shawnski]

Yeah the Tenders work great. I had an old Group 65 that was from 2008 still work fine in 2021. I wish they made an AGM for Group 90/T5 because the Cobalt battery sits in the trunk. It’s also important to use a good Tender. I have tried a bunch of different brands but alway go back to Battery Tender because they designed the circuitry and operation properly.

Spot on! I’ve always use Battery Tender because my father-in-law had a collection of cars and had tried a couple other brands and warned me to stick with Battery Tender.

 

[metroplex]

Once upon a time I sat down and logged the voltage/current for the Battery Tender and other brands. The Tenders generally provide the bulk charge up front and during the maintenance (last) phase, it stays around 13.1-13.2 VDC with 80-150mA or as much to combat parasitic drain and keep a charge. This prevents boiling the battery or causing other issues. I had Black and Decker and Pulsetech and some other brands that would cycle on and off going as high as 14 VDC which eventually killed a few batteries. I strongly suspect the Pulsetech did in my Cobalt's original battery from 2008 when it eventually exploded in the trunk and found it would charge at 14 VDC even in the maintenance phase. I do have a BatteryMinder 1500 on my Ducati's Yuasa battery from 2011 though... I mainly use it because of the desulfating pulses. It keeps the battery at 13.4-13.5 VDC which is still leaving me suspect of it a bit, but it's all part of testing different chargers. I must have like 6 or 7 of the Tender waterproof units. I have a 5A and then just got a 4.5A from Costco when they were being sold.

For those that don't have a Tender yet, keep an eye out at Costco's website or in store and they may have the 4.5A for $40+ or so which is a great deal. Otherwise the 800mA waterproof unit is good too - as I use that in odd places like outside the garage year-round or in damp spots. It has enough current to maintain a Group 65. My oldest waterproof Tender is from 2007 and is still going strong. I think my dad might be using it for his riding mower.

 

[kouklo]

So have we come to a conclusion on what the biggest battery that will fit is? I have a 2017 FFS with a Steeda CAI. I'll eventually be putting in multiple amps, subs and A DSP. I'd like to go for a yellow top but it sounds like that might not be possible. I might have to go with a second battery but with the equipment I have now it worked beautifully in my last car with only one.

 

[Doug]

Yes I'm aware, I've been doing that for over 10 years. The problem is Advance Auto recently changed their policy and no longer accept the 25% or greater coupons for batteries. It's only 10% off now and the batteries are super expensive. Costco's Interstates are significantly lower in price. All made by Johnson Controls and have the same warranty (3-year).

Had a Johnson controls battery factory a few miles from the interstate store and any size 6 month warranty black label battery - your basic blem, was $60. That was Yuma, AZ and is hot as it gets. Now I'm in Phoenix, just as hot, 3 year old stock battery, gotta check and get distilled water in battery asap - 6 month and your at a 1/3 loss of water and rarely do they reach 2 years before death. They degrade strangely if you miss the first 6 month watering maintenance free is such the oldest lie....I also heard optimas suck now - I already know odessy gel cells suck and are $$$$.

 

[Doug]

Optima batteries aren't what they used to be.

Another great option is xs d4700. Fits right in the sport battery tray and hold down.

Heard blue top marine deep cycle optimas kick ass still. Who's not adding distilled water to battery? Can't not do this in Phoenix. Can't stand the battery companies lying about maintenance free while it's half evaporated in 6 months and dead in less than 2 years

 

[OX1]

Battery finally quit. Went dead from sitting just over the weekend about 3 weeks ago. Dead again this morning after about 4 days sitting.

 

[Fozzy]

Battery finally quit. Went dead from sitting just over the weekend about 3 weeks ago. Dead again this morning after about 4 days sitting.

Swapped mine out 2 weekends ago. Old one was new from 2017 dead battery issue. It wasn't dead but wasn't getting full voltage so changed it for upcoming winter cold. Coincidentally the idle was rough (engine hunting a little when stopped at traffic lights) before changing the battery and now its good.
4 years out of a battery isn't bad, considering the temperatures we get here in Canada. Replaced with a like for like Motorcraft battery. Ive had no complaints with it since the battery issue was fixed.

 

[OX1]

Had two complete random shutdowns again in the past month, hoping this was part of the cause.

 

[metroplex]

I thought I'd add an update to this:

Looks like the MKZ 3.0 uses the same battery tray as our Fusion Sport, but comes equipped with either the Group 94R flooded or AGM based on their as-built coding in 726-04-01 first 2 digits.
Our stock battery type is 12 (Group 90/T5) and would have to change to 0E for Group 94R flooded or 02 for Group 94R AGM. Probably changes the regulator mode for AGM or flooded.

Looking at the MKZ battery hold down, it is different. The new part is HP5Z-10718-C and is on the very edge of the tray. If you look closely at our tray, there are 3 bolt holes right by the airbox. Looks like the center hole is used to secure the new hold down. The other 2 holes are for wire harnesses, etc... It will be a TIGHT fit but 94R should fit in terms of length and height.

The question is, do you really need to go to a Group 94R? The weight difference is about 20 lb! I had trouble finding a Group 90/T5 with cell caps that can be removed but I think DEKA makes the only ones that unscrew so I may just go with a new DEKA or AGM in the future. The Group 94R, by all engineering logic, should have been the battery equipped in the Fusion Sport with all of the electronics on the 401A models especially with all the options. The Group 90/T5 is just simply a smaller and lighter battery, probably helps with weight distribution and weight reduction.

 

[maydk65]

Walmart tried to sell me a T5. I stayed with the 94R. I like my 800CCA. I think the max for a T5 is 650 or 700A.

 

[metroplex]

Walmart tried to sell me a T5. I stayed with the 94R. I like my 800CCA. I think the max for a T5 is 650 or 700A.

Do you have any pics of how the 94R fits in your Fusion Sport? Did you need to use a different hold down or does the stock 90/T5 hold down work fine? Did you have to move that wire harness a bit by the airbox? I'm still undecided on whether I want/need the extra capacity for 20 lb. of extra weight.

 

[maydk65]

My car came with a H7/94R battery. It fits fine in the tray. You have to take the air filter box out in order to get the battery in and out. The negative terminal sits way back under the wind shield cowl. The battery retainer that you mentioned above works perfectly with this battery. I currently have the DURALAST H7-DLG. I would have put in another EVERLAST but Walmart did not have any available and I needed a battery that day, as my old battery was a gone-er.

 

[metroplex]

Has anyone bought a hp5z-10718-c battery hold down recently (for the 17-20 MKZ 3.0)?

I ordered them and they arrived in sealed Ford bags but they are the wrong part. They are stamped GD9B-10718AB which seems like it is the engineering part number for GD9Z-10718-A which is the Continental 3.0 battery hold down. It is 110% the wrong size/design for the Fusion/MKZ, with one corner bent upwards and no hole provision for that 1 harness retainer.

It would seem odd for Ford to supersede the MKZ Group 94R hold-down with the Continental bracket when they clearly do not interchange.

 

[metroplex]

So I was right. I looked up the Continental 2.7/3.0 battery change procedures in the service manuals and they clearly show a different bracket (GD9Z-10718-A with the curved end and multiple bolts) versus the MKZ 3.0 battery bracket (HP5Z-10718-C) which is flat and is a direct-drop in for the Fusion.

Ford's supply chain system must have screwed up and packed the Conti brackets into the MKZ bags. There is NO WAY the Conti brackets could supersede the MKZ bracket. It doesn't fit. I checked and tried.

 

[metroplex]

Just an update: Ford parts dealer just wants me to return them for a refund and to pay for return shipping, so I'd be spending more to ship them back. Still can't find a way to buy the MKZ battery hold down.

That said, forget about Group 48 (Continental 2.7) and Group 94R (MKZ 3.0)...

I'm not sure how I missed it, but Group 47 / H5 is a perfect drop-in replacement for Group 90. Group 47 is slightly taller, but is the same height as Group 48 (Continental 3.7) and Group 94R (MKZ 3.0/Continental 3.0) which will fit in the Fusion since the Fusion uses the same battery tray as the MKZ 3.0 but a different hold down.

They even sell Lithium Group 47, although I am not sure anyone wants to pay $800 to shave 15 lb of weight at a reduced 40 Ah vs 60 Ah capacity...

However, I would totally go for an AGM battery at a price premium because I had a Group 90/T5 explode in the factory trunk location for my Cobalt. The AGM would have been a lot easier to cleanup... but I sold the Cobalt so its a moot point. I would still like to have the AGM for the Fusion though just to prevent over boiling in the summer heat with all that turbo heat so close to the battery.

It just seems odd that for Group 90 to be so popular on performance cars (C6 Corvette, Viper) that no one made a drop-in AGM or conversion kit to use Optima's for those vehicles. And Group 47 would totally fit into almost any application that used Group 90.

If someone asks you what year/make, the 2019 Fiat 500 uses Group 47 / H5.