Hey guys,

So, I have a '06 F 250 6.0l King Ranch. 200,000 on it. 10,000 Miles on it since I got it and the top end was redone right before that including GLOW Plugs and Turbo all the way to the heads.

What I added:
an Edge Evolution CS
Python remote start/alarm
Eclipse Nav stereo
Extand AMP
Hard wired (direct to batt) Line for my topper dome light

Been having issues with starting and jumping the truck, as the weather has been getting colder it requires me to crank longer (obviously). What worries me is I had my charge hooked up but not charging yet and the battery was reading 12.7 as I turned the key on to let plugs warm up I dropped to 8.7.

Now, if I charge my batteries overnight and have my block heater plugged in it cranks right up and runs great. I drive it to work and it sits for 8-9 hours come out and it just cranks for maybe 10 secs adoesn't start and then my batteries are done. Will either just click or completely be dead.

All of my accessories turn on no matter what running board lights, stereo, dome lights, evolution cs. I unplugged everything (including radar detector, phone charger).

I have replaced the Alternator 2 times now. Batteries are large Interstates just over a year old. Had the Alt and batteries tested by interstate and my local parts dealer. Both said they where good to go.

I am starting to think FICM?
Or maybe just a Rouge ground?

The truck is getting looked at right now and having a parasitic test done on it. I have cleaned all my battery terms and wires etc. checked grounds. All the simple stuff I could think of.

Let me know guys! You've always come through for me! Let's do it again!

Don (oh did I mention I need to drive it to Co from MN in 3 days?)

 

the voltage number you gave us.... were those at the battery or on a dash gauge? have someone crank it for you and read the voltage at the battery posts with a multimeter. this could be the classic bad cable. voltage drop test will prove the cables either good or bad. the GP's should not drop the voltage that bad, either you have a short in 1 battery or a bad connection. if you turn the key off does the voltage come back up, as in do the lights go back to normal brightness.

 

Just disconnect the batteries over night and see if it cranks in the morning... If it does then you have a draw in the system over 30 milliamps or so..20-30 ok usually lower though. If not check alt for 14.4v while running at battery. If alt is ok batteries are junk.
If the batteries were drawn down because you left something on in the past their life could be shortened dramatically. GP's should drop voltage to 11.5 volts maybe measured at the battery. maybe even 12 volts on good batteries.



Dick

 

X2 on the batteries being junk they should be able to crank alot longer than that..

 

That was reading direct from batteries that the drop happened. So, how do I prove to interstate the batteries are junk? I brought it in once already and had them run their test and both batteries came back just fine, guy did all the tests in front of me disconnected them. Load tests, unhooked, check acid levels ect. Pretty through test overall, be hard to make my argument unless I leave the truck over night! Which they don't do.

Alternator is good, it's low right away, then as the truck warms under idle it goes up or I idle it up around 2000rpms it jumps right up. and driving it's all good. I have had it on 4 + hour road trips with this happening.

Seems the colder it got the quicker the batteries drained. A few weeks back the batteries were lasting a few day. Now that MN dropped to single digits or -'s it been doing the 8 hour or less drain.


Thanks for the advice, I am still not sold on bad batteries. Any good ideas for drains?

Don

 

Lights do tend to go back to normal. is that cables?

 

sounds to me like you have a major short when you turn the ignition. check over the positive cables for any rubbing etc. if you had a parasitic draw the batteries would not actually still be at 12.7 in the morning. possible short in glowplug circuit. you may have hook a multimeter with the ignition off, start turning things on, and watch for a "too large" drop. a short could be anywhere but i am leaning towards something that only draws power part of the time like glowplugs, for the reason that once its running it appears normal. if it was still shorting out it likely wouldn't show full voltage and might even spark up. btw what is your running voltage. doesn't sound like bad batteries to me either

 

My next line of thinking would be the starter itself , Have you had that tested yet , It might be junk ....

 

Thanks guys... I'll track the cables etc. and the starter should be too bad to check out. How where do I test the glow plug voltage?

 

So, it thew a code at me this me this morning. Cyclinder 1 glow plug... Any chance this bad boy could have been going bad for a while and sucking all that juice without throwing a code until now? Going to do my oil change and change that glow plug. Hope this helps it. Little more testing seems like no drop in voltage if in acc mode and no loss overnight, just as soon as you hit it enough to get glow plugs going it drops that voltage.

Ideas now?

 

sounds like the batteries are good. look for a weak battery cable or a glow plug circuit short to ground

 

It seems next to impossible to drain two strong interstate batterys in less than one minute , If it was a short it would either melt the cables or explode the batterys , either one or both of the batterys are junk or the starter is junk , Just my thought

 

So, with the glow plug code coming up. I turned the engine on and let them heat and no drop in voltage anymore. Sounds weird, but I really think that glow plug was going bad and was taking voltage like mad. now that the computer recognizes it's bad it is probably not heating it? So, my batteries are staying up.

I don't know enough about diesel motors to back this theory up. But, just seems to be the cause and effect.

Don

 

well lets get that plug out and test it. be careful removing it in case the tip has swelled

 

I looked it over and decided I am going to let someone else do the job. Anyone have hours I should expect?

I was trying to find that 9 pin plug to do a ohm's test on the one that goes to the valve cover. DIDN'T see it anywhere! HELP!

Don