It is time to replace the battery in my 2012 F150. Is there a trick to removing the cables from the battery posts, or is this a trick by Ford to force purchasing batteries from the dealers?

 

There is a little more to replacing the battery in your vehicle than we have been accustomed to doing in the past.
If you loosen the wedge clamp nut the wedge should allow the clamp to loosen and be removed from the battery.
These vehicles have what is called the "Battery Monitoring System" and the thought behind the whole idea is good, but can cause problems if you are not familiar with the system. Once the new battery is installed, the computer needs to be told the battery has been replaced or the system will not recognize the new battery and problems develop. You have the option of letting the vehicle sit for 8 hours ,everything off and undisturbed, for the system to adjust or go to someone that has the proper scan tool to communicate with the PCM (computer) and reset the system.

 

I loosened the wedges and the terminals will turn on the battery posts, but cannot be removed from the posts.

 

Sometimes with lots of corrosion the wedge won't release and requires a little convincing, also spread the terminal slightly to get enough space to get the terminal off.