I know this isn't the '99 section but I spend most of my time on this site in this forum and the engine is the same. A lady friend of mine got a '99 7.3 CCLB auto dually in a divorce. She doesn't drive it but starts it once a week and yesterday it wouldn't start. It cranked about 10/15sec (after waiting for WTS light to go out) before it sputtered and tried to start but it quit. Then it cranked another 10sec or so and the batteries died. It was about 85deg so it should have started w/o GPs. Watching the voltmeter, GPs seemed to draw current. There's a lot of corrosion on both batteries so I know that needs to be cleaned up. Assuming the batteries aren't shot, after cleaning the corrosion, is it safe to hook jumper cables to a car to charge the batteries, but disconnect the jumper cables before starting the truck? Or should I use an AC charger? I've never jumped a dual battery vehicle - not even my own 7.3.

She wants to sell it but it's in pretty rough condition - possibly normal for that age with 160K on a work truck. It was used in a business she had with her ex. The valley of death has some wet fuel in it and there is a film of diesel on the fuel bowl, fuel lines and wiring in the vicinity. I could smell the fuel before I opened the hood or tried to start it and it hadn't been run in a week. She says it runs fine and uses no oil but is always rough to start. It rolls rather than barks to life. It's bone stock with flat factory downpipe and airbox. The engine cover is missing. Connectors and wiring on top of the valve covers appear new. She looked up the value and says it books for $7200 on KBB in its current condition. It was always parked in the sun here in Albuquerque and it shows. Body looks good as far as no rust or dents, but the white paint is faded (flat looking) and the blue interior is also pretty rough with 40/20/40 front seat and cracked dash. If I get it running I'll post it in the for sale section if she doesn't find a local buyer by then.

 

No car is going to jump start that truck with two dead batteries.

You'd be much better off pulling both batteries out and fully charging them with a real battery charger.

As for price you're not going to get anywhere near KBB if it's all beat up, leaking fluids, fading paint, etc. I'd say it's closer to the 3.5-4K mark.

 

If the batteries will hold a charge the car will do it. Connect to the passenger side battery and let it charge for 5 to 10 minutes.

 

It will charge just fine with any vehicle hooked up with a set of cables. Give it a couple minutes. Clean off the terminals as well. Considering it was 85 and it had a hard start, there could be a few different issues, but the next buyer can go down that path.

 

Check the hoop reservoir and make sure it's not empty.

 

Thanks for all that, guys. I'll help her with it soon. We'll try cleaning up the batteries first. I don't have an aux charger. Not sure if she does yet. Might oughta buy one or we might try charging with a car and disconnect the jumper cables before cranking it over. We were too tired and hot to mess with it then so I didn't dig out my voltmeter. I'll check voltage to see if batteries are completely dead, shorted or still up to 12V after pulling cables to clean it up. Since she's been able to start it repeatedly, I'm hoping they will hold a charge. She just didn't run it long enough each week to keep up the charge.

 

That's what I was thinking too but didn't want to say anything until we get it running. Comparing it to mine, which is clean and close to showroom condition (after fixing rear body damage from a drunk in May) I wouldn't want it except for parts.

 

Jump-starting this truck is no different from jump-starting a single-battery vehicle, other than that it needs more current (it's stil 12V). You *MIGHT* get some charge into the batteries from the jump vehicle if you run the jump vehicle's engine above idle for several minutes. At idle, it'll do next to nothing. No need to disconnect before trying to start it; you'll want some power from the jump vehicle present while starting. But as said, charging the batteries would be a better idea. If you have two jump vehicles, you could try connecting one to each battery.

And until she sells it, just starting it now and then is doing more harm than good. She should disconnect the batteries while it's parked, and run a maintenance charge (automatic low-current) on them if possible. Then occasionally start AND DRIVE the truck. Both to truly charge the batteries (just starting occasionally does not do that) and to get the engine up to full running temperature now and then.

 

start car and connect battery cables and set to 1500 RPM so alt can put out a decent amount of amps and let it charge for a while