Battery completely dead
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 108
Likes: 6
Battery completely dead
Haven't driven the truck much for the past few months. So couple days ago I went out to wash the truck and found it wouldn't even unlock with the key fob.. the battery is very dead. I pulled out the multi-meter and it measured about 2 V. I have a NOCO Boost GB150 4000A battery starter and thought it should be piece of cake to get the truck started. Nope. I guess it wouldn't work with the voltage being this low? I gave up and then ordered a noco genius 2 battery charger. After a couple of hours of charging, truck finally started with the battery starter. It was such a pain. I probably won't use the truck often in the near future so I'm thinking to leave the battery charger connected 24/7. The thing is the truck is parked outside so it's not very neat to keep an extension cord connected to the engine bay. Is there a better solution?
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 26,007
Likes: 575
From: Brentwood,CA
Did you press the boost button when trying to jump it? If a cord is out of the question and you don't drive it often take the batteries out and leave them on a float charger. Your current batteries are probably no good, they can't be taken to that low of a voltage without damage.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 1,643
Likes: 14
From: Central Ky.
If it sits for any legnth of time I would definitely put a battery tender on it. With All the electronics these trucks have, I'm sure they are using small amounts even while sitting.
mine sits in the garage through winter & I keep a tender on it if its longer than a week.
mine sits in the garage through winter & I keep a tender on it if its longer than a week.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 108
Likes: 6
Did you press the boost button when trying to jump it? If a cord is out of the question and you don't drive it often take the batteries out and leave them on a float charger. Your current batteries are probably no good, they can't be taken to that low of a voltage without damage.
Freshman User
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 43
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From: Houston, TX
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,795
Likes: 47
Rather than keeping the charger/tender on it, another option if you don’t use the truck for long periods of time is to just disconnect the battery
As was mentioned above, it is certainly possible that your battery on its last legs anyway (is it the original?)
As was mentioned above, it is certainly possible that your battery on its last legs anyway (is it the original?)
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,147
Likes: 366
From: Burlington, ma
They have those small Solar trickle chargers, you keep it inside the windshield. I heard it works very well.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 108
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Disconnecting it is a good idea. I will fully charge it, disconnect it, then wait for a couple days to measure voltage. If it's dead again, then it should be bad for sure. Yes it is from the factory. Only 2 years old.
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Logistics Pro
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Hotshot
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 12,339
Likes: 4,350
From: SW VA
A 2 year old truck and you don't drive it for months at a time? Why not?
You could just disconnect the battery from the truck. Throw a battery tender on it once a month for a day or two. This is what I do with my trailer winch battery that lives in my garage until I need it. It would solve your extension cord issue.
Or drive it once a week...
You could just disconnect the battery from the truck. Throw a battery tender on it once a month for a day or two. This is what I do with my trailer winch battery that lives in my garage until I need it. It would solve your extension cord issue.
Or drive it once a week...
Prolocutor
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 13,618
Likes: 1,245
From: Western MA
OP, if your truck is under 36k miles then yes, the battery is still under warranty. Your dealer will swap it out for free. After that, I second the idea of a solar battery maintainer if your averse to an extension cord....
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 1,555
Likes: 516
You don't need to run household current out to a battery tender. I use a 20' extension cord that plugs into the tender's charge cable. The tenders stay under cover in the garage and the charge cable runs out to the vehicles.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 10,137
Likes: 7,950
From: Texas
Another vote for a solar powered battery MAINTAINER; not battery charger. The maintainer will go into float mode when the battery is fully charged, where a charger will overcharge your battery. the maintainer, you hook it up and forget it.
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