2001 excursion 7.3
Had this truck for about a month and about a week ago I got in it after about four days of sitting and battery was dead. Well charged it up drove it around checked it for last few days and its fine. Jump in it tonight and battery are dead again. These are supposed to be new battery. They look new. Any known problems with this?

Thanks
Bob

 

1) Four days is nowhere near enough to discharge OK batteries on a stock vehicle. Either the batteries are not new, they were crap to begin with or had previously been discharged.

2) Once you heavily discharge a starting battery they are on the death march. The plates have warped and already have are about to short one or more cells. You may get a short life afterwards but they will die in a short period of time.

3) I have managed fleets of gasoline and light diesel vehicles for decades. My experience is that currently common diesel batteries have the following results: Mercedes (Spanish manufacture only), Motorcraft and the high end NAPA batteries are great, Interstate are very good, the generic/store brand units are crap and the rest fall in between. I've had generics fail in less than a year.

4) Always replace batteries in pairs. When one fails it generally damages the second enough that it fails shortly. Which can then damage the first. Etc. If both your batteries are not the same purchase date then it would not be unusual for them to fail in short period of time.

 

I have a short or a draw somewhere. Since this happened the second time I have disconnected the battery when ever I am going to be at a place for any length of time. It does have new Ford 750 batteries within the last 6 months. I am going to continue removing the cables until I can get it into the shop. For now its working