Is there a way to check to see battery health with Dashboss? I know I can check charging system, but is there a way to monitor if the batteries themselves are going south on me?

 

I don't think an OBDII gauge will do much for you, because you'll always see the pair of batteries together, and the OBD reading is usually .1-.3V off from what you measure in the bay anyways. Unless you want to use a hydrometer and a DVM, a real load tester is the easiest:



I have the BA7 and use it on every auto battery I come across, it normally rides with my jumper cables. Starting voltage test memory is a nice trick, and on single-battery systems the charging system seems to work. On the 6.0 the glow plug cycle pulls OEM alts down too far for too long that test to really be useful.

 

Thanks Bryan. I'll check into those links you suggested too.

 

You can go to Advance Auto or some place similar and they'll run a load teat for free with a print out of the battery health.

I did this a couple of months ago and they told me my alternator wasn't putting out enough juice. Ended up getting a new upgraded one from Ed at ficm repair and all is good now.

 

The only correct way to watch battery health is to load test them. This test, as it says, shows how the battery performs under load. This is a essential test that determines whether you keep or toss your batteries.
I check mine before and halfway through Winter and Summer. Heat and cold will frequently kill batteries. At the cost of 6.0 injectors, (a byproduct of a weak FICM caused by low voltage) definitely not something you want to ignore.

BTW, a load tester can be purchased at Harbor Freight for around $50. It is one of the most "well used" tools in my arsenal!

When you do test batteries be sure to isolate them (remove one cable) before the load test, to get a true picture of that batteries health.

 

Thank you guys. Appreciate the tips. I was hoping I could check battery health with a touch to the screen but I guess it just aint gonna be that easy. My next purchase, however, will be a load tester. I'll keep that dude in my trailer storage compartment where I keep other towing related tools.