dumb batt question
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: SE MN
dumb batt question
My truck has not been starting in the mornings since it got colder out and when i jump start it i have to put the cables on the driver side batt to get it to turn over. Now my batts are both new and my charger sayes that they are both fully charged! When i hook the cabels up on the pass side it will only click. What could be going on? Also replaced clamps, and my truck runs fine once started. I can also start it up after it has been running but it turns over kind of slow.
Cargo Master
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,047
Likes: 9
From: Snohomish, WA
Sounds like the connections are not good. Did you by chance make sure the cable that runs between them is good? The starter gets it's power from the passenger battery, so you may have a bad ground somewhere.
New batteries are not always good! A voltage check will not show a dead cell 100% of the time, but a load test will. Keep that in mind if everything else checks out good.
New batteries are not always good! A voltage check will not show a dead cell 100% of the time, but a load test will. Keep that in mind if everything else checks out good.
Gone Fishin for Mark
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,354
Likes: 2
From: West of Houston
The starter, as well as everything else electrical on the vehicle draws current from BOTH batteries. You said that now both batteries are new. Hopefully they were replaced as a pair. A bad battery can damage a good battery. I would agree that you need to check the cable between the two. Also check the grounds on both batteries, at the post and the other ends as well. Then do a search here and verify that your glow plug system is operating correctly.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 25,090
Likes: 1,111
From: Rio Rico, AZ.
My truck has not been starting in the mornings since it got colder out and when i jump start it i have to put the cables on the driver side batt to get it to turn over. Now my batts are both new and my charger sayes that they are both fully charged! When i hook the cabels up on the pass side it will only click. What could be going on? Also replaced clamps, and my truck runs fine once started. I can also start it up after it has been running but it turns over kind of slow.
It runs right down the conductor inside the insulation and ruins the cable's ability to carry amperage.
Freshman User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 43
Likes: 1
From: Arizona City
If the jumper cables work on the driver's side but not on the passenger side, the ground cable from the passenger side battery must either be loose or bad. If you still have the factory type positive cable, it runs straight from the driver's side battery through the clamp on the passenger side to the starter.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 7,191
Likes: 4
From: Blairsville,Ga
Try hooking the positive jumper to the passenger side battery and neg to the engine,or run a jumper from Bat neg to engine block
If it starts the ground is faulty
kwik has a good point about cables being corroded internally,I have found this on 3 to 4 year old truck that have never saw any salt
If it starts the ground is faulty
kwik has a good point about cables being corroded internally,I have found this on 3 to 4 year old truck that have never saw any salt
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,089
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I have been having a sluggish start since it got cold. I suspected the starter b.c the place I got the truck from smoked it on several occasions trying to crank it when cold b/c of bad GPR. Personally witnessed it several times while trying to get near it enough to jump the terminals.
After reading here about cables and stuff, I took all my cables loose and checked resistance between the drivers side and passenger side on each cable. When i got the truck, they were really corroded and I suspected corrosion in the cable itself. The resistance was next to nothing. While I had them off, I shined up my posts and my cables and reinstalled. It was about 40 but that has been enough to cause the issues so I tried it and it made a big difference for me.
There was no corrosion as far as powder just not a good connection.
After reading here about cables and stuff, I took all my cables loose and checked resistance between the drivers side and passenger side on each cable. When i got the truck, they were really corroded and I suspected corrosion in the cable itself. The resistance was next to nothing. While I had them off, I shined up my posts and my cables and reinstalled. It was about 40 but that has been enough to cause the issues so I tried it and it made a big difference for me.
There was no corrosion as far as powder just not a good connection.
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Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: SE MN
Well took my truck to my mechanic and had my batts tested and they both were good so we looked at my cables and they looked like we should start there and try and replace them but when i went to ford and they told me they were going to cost 400 i about hit the floor! Is there anyother place to get a set of cables? Im also gonna replace my glowplugs as well since it has alot of white smoke when it finally starts. where should i look at ordering glowplugs?
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Blairsville,Ga
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2008
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From: Iowa
My 2000 f350 had a similar issue, the bolts were tight in the clamps( older orignal lead clamps), the posts were not overly corroded, but I found I could twist the cables off the batteries without turning a wrench. Cut the bolts out of the clamps, redrilled the holes, new bolts, cleaned up all the clamps and posts and she's back the way she should be. Even with the frozen bolts it ran 14.2 v and the voltmeter reading looked normal, it was just like bad batteries, would drop to 9v or less cranking slow and barely start in 40 degree farenheight weather.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: Rio Rico, AZ.