I am having some battery issues. Here's the history: Once over the summer I killed my batteries by leaving my orange blinky construction light on for about 10 hours one day without running the truck. I jump started the truck, took it home and put the batteries on the charger overnight. They have never been the same since but have always started the truck with no issues. About a month ago I was gone over a very cold weekend (my truck was at home and not plugged in) and when I came back I had to charge the batteries again. It wouldn't even jump off of another vehicle. Since then the batteries haven't died again but they progressively get weaker and weaker until they need to be charged again. This last time I topped them off with water (they seemed a little low) before charging. The next morning the batteries turned the truck over better then they ever have. I thought I had fixed the issue. But now three days later, they are showing signs of dropping off again. I have had them load tested and they test good. My charger is also one of those that will quit charging and tell you to check the battery if it's bad. That has happened yet.

Do I have bad batteries or is there something draining the batteries I don't know about? I have an orange blinky light hooked up to a switch but the switch has a light for when it's on so I don't think thats the problem. I also have the Scangauge II. Does it pull juice even when the truck isn't running?

Sitting here right now with the truck off the Scangauge is showing 12.1 volts. When the truck is running the Scangauge shows 13.9 to 14.2 volts.

Thanks,

Mike

 

If your alternator is Ford original, bet that it is just the batteries.

Verify cabling and alternator output after you change, as a dud alternator will kill a new pair of batteries.

 

Mike, sounds like your batteries have had it. I have been told by the Interstate battery folks that the 6.0s have some "battery issues" that may be secondary to a parasitic drain that is hard to pinpoint.

The question is how old are your batteries, if original, you got 5 years out of them. In the desert, 3 years is about it for battery life.

You can't risk low batteries with the 6.0, bad for the FICM. Regardless of the load test (mine also tested good), your continuing issues logically lead to replacement.

My 2 cents...best of luck, let us know what you do.

 

3 years is a lot because the heat causes the plates to die.

If you took a "northern" battery south, it would not even last a season in heat.

Some of my buds have a theory of buying the cheapest batteries that work in fall in Phoenix, and run it one year, then replace it right after the summer.

 

Forgot to mention. I live in Omaha, NE. So it's been plenty cold here.

 

Get the 2nd down from highest CCA batteries from Motorcraft, with the best warranty.

That will get you the most life.

If you have real heavy loads (e.g. run those lights a lot), you may want to do more .. upgrade batteries... etc.


I have a E van with the chassis mounted battery boxes --- I am exploring fitting bigger truck batteries, or the like there.


See this link for Motorcraft batteries discussion:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...ufacturer.html

 

Here is what you do:

1) Go to local auto parts store and get your batteries tested on their machine (should roll out to the truck and hook up).

2) Disconnect each battery so each can be tested independantly of each other for load testing. If one is weak and the other is not, one will mask the other since they are hooked in series for a diesel.

3) Have your alternator checked out for proper output... hopefully it is putting out 13.8 volts (or close to that).


This will tell you if one or both of your batteries are good or bad... if one is bad... you need to replace both... never mix old and new batteries on a diesel.

I think that the CCA rating for our class of batteries are 850 or slightly higher now (I can't remember).... check the manufacturing code date on any new batteries and look for ones that are fresh/new as possible (less than 4 - 6 months is OK).

My local Ford dealer had a great coupon and sale going 2 year's ago... so find your best price and negotiate with the dealer too... and they will install.

Good luck and by testing them... you will know what your dealing with or not dealing with.

 

Alternator output need to be measured in terms of both voltage and current.

Method:

Attach a clamp on current meter that measures up to the rated output plus a 20% overhead.

Then attach a volt meter to simultaneously measure voltage at the terminal.

"Load" the system --- you can do it with partly discharged batteries (say 20%, so as not to damage them), turning on every electric gadget.

If that is not enough, ad a couple of big resistive loads...

Chart output in Volts X amps as a function of engine RPM.

That is your "watt" output rating.

Note: whatever you measure at "cold" will be sharply degraded when you are in "hot" e.g. after a long tow / haul in the desert.

Also note: whatever output you measure is no evidence that it can be sustained for any length of time --- see my posts on duty cycle.

 

hi Geraloose, while I have you in battery mode, I park my 06 6.0L in a non heated garage for the winter with the batteries in it & hooked up, I leave a 1 amp trickle charger on it about every two weeks for a few days at a time, is that ok?

 

Do you drive this truck at all... or do you just park it for the winter?

A 1-amp trickle charger is not much of a charge and a few days here and there is not really doing much. I would suspect that your radios and other things that have a memory are using up this 1-amp trickle with no real benefit to the battery?

If your driving your truck and allowing for the motor to get warm and getting the alternator to charge... I suspect your OK. If your truck is parked for the winter, then just leave the trickle charger on it and forget it??

I find that trickle chargers work best for boat, Jet-Ski and Motorcycle batteries that are disconnected or removed from the vehicle and then trickle-charged.... but a few days here and there and the hassle of plugging it up and disconnecting it all seems like a lot of work... but I guess it does not and will not hurt anything. Just make sure it is a "regulated" and quality trickle charger so it will not over-charge whatever you have hooked up to it.

 

I have one of these installed in my truck.

Amazon.com: Schumacher SE-1-12S Fully Automatic Onboard Battery Charger - 1.5 Amps: Automotive

I use it for two reasons. If the car is running, and the truck is sitting, I keep it plugged in to keep the batteries maintained.

Right now, the car is dead and the truck is my daily driver. Unfortunately, I tend to make a lot of very, very short trips. And it's really freaking cold right now. Because of this, I don't think the truck ever has enough time to completely recharge the batteries after every cold start. After about a week of driving like this, it'll start to crank slow and I know that's not good for things. So every few days it spends a night on that charger and it seems to keep everything going.

 

Thanks for the feedback guy's, yes the charger is self regulated & goes on & off by itself, so I will leave it plugged in & let it do the job
PS: that worked fine last winter & I rarely start the engine during the winter.

 

The standard "trickle" that does very little harm is roughly up to 2AH.

With an automatic voltage cutoff once it is above a certain threshold.

Since you are splitting the output between 2 batteries, 1ah may not be enough - especially in your weather.

But it will at the very least, deal with the constant drain from the vehicle systems that stay powered up no matter what you do --- unless you disconnected the batteries.

That load, I measured at about 300 milliamps (.3 amp).

But it can surge if it "woke up" or people opened a door etc.

Do you have other constant drainers --- like alarms, etc. that also drain?

Need to estimate the total "idle" load before I give you a number.

 

Would I be better off to run the truck evey so often, if so how often? or put a bigger charger on it? As far as I know the only thing draining the batteries is the clock, no alarm because the doors are not locked.Thanks Gerry

 

Use what you have--- it is fine and good enough to counteract the 300mah drain of the body control module on standby.


It probably will not hurt it to start it and run it once a month --- ask what the Armed Forces do with their winter motor pool in the deep cold.

I think they start it once a month -- and just run it for a while after it gets warmed.

That way, oil and coolant is circulated.

Another reason to run it --- if you don't run the AC, there is no lubricant circulated, and it can either rust the clutch --- $$$ or ... cause the gas to leak out as the seals go.