O.K., so this may be a stupid question, but i got to ask. With a diesel which runs 2 batteries the system is 24VDC correct?

So if in case of a no start due to a dead battery (or batteries) can the vehicle be jump started by another car? And if so, what battery on the diesel do you hook up the jumper cables too? or does it matter?

Follow up question.... I'm adding an inverter to the vehicle, and plan to run the Pos, and Neg. leads direct to the battery. Can I connect an inverter to a 24VDC system, and also which battery is best to connect too???

Thanks for any info

Ben

 

Nooo!!! Don't do that. The 2 batteries are connected in parallel.

We have 2 batteries for the needed capacitance.

It's a 12V system.

 

A two battery system can be be either 12v and 24v depending on how the batteries are connected. If you're asking about the Ford Powerstroke series, they work on a 12v system.

You can jump to a Powerstroke vehicle to either battery, but it would be best to the weak battery if you know it.

 

I was thinking that, but I just haven't worked around these systems too much and wanted to make sure that I wasn't over looking something.

Not that I have a dead battery now, its just for reference when or if I ever did get one and was faced with doing a jump start, now I know its ok to do that...

Thanks guys...

 

If you ever do, replace both asap or you'll cook your ficm.

 

Any "battery" is technically a collection of cells - whether a 6 volt "lantern battery" or a 9 volt "transistor" battery. Take them apart, and you'll see they are constructed in series or parallel arrangements to make up the voltages and ampere hour requirements needed. A 12 volt battery has six (6) cells connected in series. Each cell must be the same in terms of specific gravity and charge level or there will be problems and the battery will soon fail.

The takeaway to all this, even though it appears there are two different batteries under the hood, electrically there is only a single 24 volt battery and the "cells" need to be closely matched or there will be trouble.

 

So you are calling out our trucks are a 24v system? I don't think the cells can be summed that way by voltage.

 

You don't think what?

Electrically, it is just a single large battery.

 

A single large 12 volt battery.

 

Yeah, but the cells are not summed as a 24v system due to the connections. In this configuration it's being summed by current, so if two 850cca batteries then 1700cca.

The wiring is not

2+2+2+2+2+2 + 2+2+2+2+2+2 = 24v effectively one big battery.

The wiring is

852cca=142+142+142+142+142+142
+
852cca=142+142+142+142+142+142
=
1704cca effectively one big battery at 12v.

In series you sum the voltage. In parallel you sum the current.

 

Doh!! YES.

More coffee please lol.

 

Been there, done that too. More then once.

 

We skipped over this part of your question. Fist off: I wouldn't recommend this on a 6.0 regardless of type of battery you run, since starting power can be a critical time to injure your FICM if you have low voltage. In particular if you have Starting batteries, they like to stay at pretty full charge or they will die early. If you use up that power in a deep cycle situation, you will kill your batteries, FICM and likely Alternator.

If you use Deep Cycle batteries, you will maybe not kill the battery as quick, but again on a lower voltage start you risk ruining other electrical components.

My suggestion would be to run a larger alternator, and a separate deep cycle battery bank for whatever your inverter needs are, using a solenoid to connect the sytem for charging only when the key is on, or better yet have it be a manual switch so you can begin charging the deep cycle batteries after the truck is stable on a cold start.

Just wanted to make sure we didn't lose sight of this part of your question...

 

The inverter is part of getting the truck rigged to be setup for a camping vehicle, so its somewhat critical to install on the truck. Thanks for the catch on this, I was planning on wiring this in the coming week, but do not want to FUBAR my system.

I like the idea of getting a bigger alternator, and separate battery for alternate charging issue, but $$$ holds me back for now.

As a workaround I do like the idea of having a manual switch to turn on/off the battery feed to the inverter, and only turning the switch on while batteries are in a steady state to charge items while driving down the road. This would be like the direct connect to the battery, but with the switch in between the battery and inverter.

In your opinion would this be hard on the system? And what type of switch would you recommend?

Thx

 

There are a number of variables you should be considering, probably starting with your camping power needs and how long the battery bank needs to run w/o charging.

The size of your current alternator is very important as a 6.0 should have a 140A unit as a minimum IMO, so adding loads to a stock 110A unit can be harmful. And from just your beginning point, I would still propose separate battery(s) that are deep cycle for just camping. And if you have enough alternator, I would have a switch to begin charging them once on the road (but I'd still put a solenoid in there so they can ONLY be charged if the key is On -- folks forget to turn off switches, trust me...). And yes I'd have an inverter with an Off switch or a switch to shut off power to it, because it will use power just at idle.

Now, another line you might want to consider is something you could use AT camp to keep the camping batteries charged -- have you ever looked at solar? Probably the best thing I "discovered" for dry camping...

Is the truck going to have a tent/shell/slide-in camper? or just be the vehicle that gets you there...

And here you think it is an easy question....