I have been fighting a losing battle with a battery drain issue on my 2005 F350 6.0. I have replaced the alternator, and both batteries. The batteries seem to be draining while the key is off. any suggestions? Also I am having trouble with the truck initially starting. It will turn over for like 15 seconds and not start, than when I turn it over again it will start. Possibly glow plugs? and does anyone know if the glow plugs can cause your batteries to drain while the key is off?

 

Parasitic battery drain can be caused by a lot of things and may be hard to diagnose. You can do a search for that and read several threads. Have you had the truck code scanned? Glow plug problems will usually throw a code and not all codes will give a CEL. AFA hard starts that can be from no glow plugs or not letting them cycle long enough before cranking OR several other problems not electrically related. Try turning the key on and letting it stay for 30 or 40 seconds before trying to crank the truck. The glow plugs stay on for up to 2 minutes after the wait to start light goes out depending on several operating parameters.

 

What is your battery voltage prior to the first crank?

 

I had to trouble shoot a battery drain problem on a 1998 vehicle.

I removed a battery cable and put an "volt/ohm" (V/O) meter in series. I think I disconnected ground battery cable - does not matter if you disconnect positive or negative disconnecting ground just seems safer.

Just disconnect one battery cable and put a V/O meter in series by connecting one V/O meter lead to the battery cable and the other V/O meter lead to the battery terminal with no cable.

Make sure the "volt/ohm" meter is configured to measure DC current. One usually has to move the V/M meter positive lead to a different port on the V/O Meter.

Now you cannot start the vehicle with this configuration, obviously, as neither the connections nor the meter can handle such current. But such configuration can typically handle 10 dc Amps which should be plenty enough for KOEO (key-on-engine-off) and KO (key-off).

Note: Most inexpensive V/O meters only handle about 10 amps max and some only 10 amps for "minutes". Note also that vehicles have 10, 20 and 30 amp fuses. Thus it is possible that one will exceed the maximum current capabilities of the meter and blow the fuse inside the meter. No big deal, typically does no real damage and fuse is easy to change (get them from Radio shack). I have blown such fuses several times typically because I forget to return the positive meter lead to the normal port and try to measure some voltage - this blows the fuse quick as the meter is basically simply shorting the voltage source to ground through the current meter side.

Now there should be almost no current drain in the KO. If you have an amp or more drain you likely have a problem. (Tip: if you have access to a vehicle like yours with no battery drain problem one could test the KO current drain value to have a reference).

The vehicle I evaluated was seeing about 2 amps of drain which would kill the battery in about 1 week of no driving.

I started disconnecting fuses until the meter showed a significant current drop. When I pulled the fuse for the door locks, the current dropped to milli amps. So the problem turned out to be an electric door lock hanging.

By the way, for a vehicle with two batteries, both batteries need to be disconnected but only connect the V/O meter one of the batteries as noted above. By "disconnected" I mean the ground cable should be removed from each battery but only connect the V/O meter between one ground cable and one battery ground post.

If you disconnect all the fuses with no current drop, try wiggling wires.

 

Great Directions!
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I have a 2006 F350 King Ranch dually with a 6.0. I just took my truck and had the second power steering pump replaced and every since I picked the truck up from the shop the battery light has been on sometimes it starts sometimes I have to re jump with jumper cables I have checked the alternator and both batteries are new any ideas on whats draining my batteries if I have a grounding issue where do I start looking???

 

How did you test the Alternator??


You need a DVM and a Gauge reads live Data would Help but a DVM will start you in diagnostics

 

Hey First thing there Is a MAIN Ground Wire off the DRIVER SIDE Battery Follow it down to by the Power Steering Pump

Maybe it wasn't tighten or Loose or OFF from Pump work

Clean lower connect reattach and Tighten bolt to Ground cable by Power ster pump

 

I had the alternator checked at a shop and the batteries checked at advanced auto where I bought them and both are good. And yes ill look at the ground by driverside I think its a grounding issue just aren't sure where each ground is.......

 

Ok I traced the grounds on both batteries and there tight where else can I look????

 

Chase Ground off other Battery

Take DVM and check Voltage loss Between Battery Negative Terminal and Alternator case

DVM set to Volts DC

DVM hot lead at Alternator Case

 

SOunds like the Alternator might be Shot

that battery light on dash pretty accurate


We need readings from a DVM at Bear Minimum You can do the FORD Generator Pinpoint test with a DVM it works Great