Should I Put Back The Battery Cover With New Battery?

[koda2000]

Apologies to koda2000, his FIRST reply nailed it. FWIW, the Ford Workshop Manual refers to the cover as a "battery heat shield". Us "others" should learn to research and confirm, rather than assuming and giving wrong and misleading info.

2001 Explorer Sport/Sport Trac (Battery Removal and Installation) pdf
http://www.mysporttrac.com/~library/26139/battery-removal-and-installation.pdf

2001 Explorer/Mountaineer (Battery Removal and Installation) pdf
http://www.mysporttrac.com/~library/26139/battery-removal-and-installation (1).pdf

Apology accepted.

 

[swshawaii]

koda2000, you're a gentleman, scholar, and above all an Explorer guru.

 

[koda2000]

koda2000, you're a gentleman, scholar, and above all an Explorer guru.

well, i don't know about being an Explorer guru, but keeping 4 (now 3) of them working i've learned a thing or two about them. plus fiddling with cars, trucks and motorcycles for over 50 years don't hurt either.

 

[Dave 1955]

I still don't see how it's a heat shield..i guess ford can call it whatever they want..lol.

 

[Bobmbx]

I still don't see how it's a heat shield..i guess ford can call it whatever they want..lol.

Stand under an umbrella on a hot sunny day. Same principle. It blocks the radiant heat from the engine, but not the ambient heat of the engine compartment.

 

[SoNic67]

Stand under an umbrella on a hot sunny day. Same principle. It blocks the radiant heat from the engine, but not the ambient heat of the engine compartment.

No, it is NOT the same. Under umbrella you have airflow to carry away your sweat, that's why you feel cool. Batteries don't sweat.
Also you can bundle a water bottle with a sweater - it will still freeze inside the freezer. Thermal equilibrium will be reached.
For humans it works, because we are generating heat and we don't want to make too much of it by loosing it.
If the battery would generate 'cold' or 'hot', then yes, it would make sense to isolate it thermally. But it doesn't. So it will take the ambient temperature.

 

[Dave 1955]

I do think a battery does creates heat from chemical reactions somewhat.
That said high temps are not good. Seems if the battery was in the open, cooling of said battery would be more effective.
But hey..we are splitting hairs here! lol.
But it is interesting reading all the opinions none the less. cheers!
I know back in the day old timers used to put stuff around their battery's to try to keep them warmer at night.
Then there was this idea that if it was real cold out you should turn your headlights on for like a minute before cranking your car. They said it warmed and woke up the battery doing that..i never really bought into that though! lol

 

[deweyville65]

Hey Dave 1955. Whether you buy into the fact that "exciting" the battery before trying to start on a cold day or not, it in fact does work. Have you ever tried to start an NTC 350 Cummins at 0 degrees? Then you will see why we used to turn on the lights before starting. Same principal applies to Explorers, or any car in the winter, just on a smaller scale. However with the advent of fuel injection and the higher fuel pressure of diesel injection, the need is really no longer there.

 

[BubbaFL]

okay, then what's its purpose? Ford wouldn't spend 10 cents (or whatever the cover costs them) on every vehicle they make if they didn't think the cover served a purpose.

It's marketing.

Makes it look prettier when the vehicle is sitting on the new car lot.

Same reason they put plastic beauty covers on top of the intake manifold, etc.

 

[koda2000]

It's marketing.

Makes it look prettier when the vehicle is sitting on the new car lot.

Same reason they put plastic beauty covers on top of the intake manifold, etc.

yeah sure. that black plastic battery cover looks much prettier than the black plastic battery case. this is my last word on this subject. believe whatever you like.

 

[Dave 1955]

Hey Dave 1955. Whether you buy into the fact that "exciting" the battery before trying to start on a cold day or not, it in fact does work. Have you ever tried to start an NTC 350 Cummins at 0 degrees? Then you will see why we used to turn on the lights before starting. Same principal applies to Explorers, or any car in the winter, just on a smaller scale. However with the advent of fuel injection and the higher fuel pressure of diesel injection, the need is really no longer there.

I dunno. the juice you used for the headlights could have went to the starter.
As soon as you start cranking that should "excite" the battery or something! Cheers!

I have drove and ran old dozers back in the day..a few diesel 10 wheelers and what not.
Now I want a old d2 ..cool to start with the pony and a tuff little dozer!

 

[Dave 1955]

yeah sure. that black plastic battery cover looks much prettier than the black plastic battery case. this is my last word on this subject. believe whatever you like.

Maybe it was to make the battery look even bigger then it is!
I'm still going with the explosion shield for idiots that hook the jumpers up wrong! lol