KEEP NEEDING JUMPSTART!!!
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KEEP NEEDING JUMPSTART!!!
I'm not sure what is causing it but it just started about a week or two ago but ALMOST everytime I turn off my truck it'll need a jump to start back up. The ONLY thing that helps is if I unhook the battery as soon as I turn the truck of them for the most part it'll start right up when I hook the battery back up but sometimes even that doesn't work if it's been sitting a few hours. Once it starts it's fine and will stay running as long as I need it to but as soon as I turn it off and don't unhook the battery I have maybe 15-20min before it won't start again. Have no clue what could be causing it or even how to go about figuring it out, it does seem to take a few more clicks from the starter to actually turn over now so I'm not sure of something is going out or has went out in that area or if I have something that's draining my battery even when the trucks off. Nothing has been done recently or worked on to have effected anything, it just randomly started happening. Trucks a 2004 Ford F150 XL 4.6 if that helps at all.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 1,653
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Well you need to see the drain on the negative terminal . Its hard to deal with an ammeter in series with that lead because if you open the door it will peg ammeter out due to dome light and other functions a jumper around ammeter will help until it settles down or you pull those fuses . A good clamp on ammeter is better . Sometimes its the alternator itself draining batt- common problem .
Have you got aftermarket stuff like remote start , aftermarket stuff causes a lot of problems. New head unit ?
so many things are key on only , a bad brake light switch is known to do it . Door . locks,keypads are on ,drivers door wires are subject to a lot of flex failures.
You also could have a sticking relay on fuse panel that should be dropping out . Headlights /parking lights can come on . Pats system is on .
Have you got aftermarket stuff like remote start , aftermarket stuff causes a lot of problems. New head unit ?
so many things are key on only , a bad brake light switch is known to do it . Door . locks,keypads are on ,drivers door wires are subject to a lot of flex failures.
You also could have a sticking relay on fuse panel that should be dropping out . Headlights /parking lights can come on . Pats system is on .
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 1,653
Likes: 193
I wrongly assumed that the battery was fairly new and that the voltage was over 14 when running . Batteries are only good for 3-4 years at best. if you totally run one down they don't recover very well , they usually go bad shortly .
We jump around on here from some who don't have any mechanical skills to people who are awesome. We end up talking somewhere in the middle not to offend a poster .
Sometimes you wish you could be there so you wouldn't have to ask so many questions . But we hate to see one we can't resolve .
We jump around on here from some who don't have any mechanical skills to people who are awesome. We end up talking somewhere in the middle not to offend a poster .
Sometimes you wish you could be there so you wouldn't have to ask so many questions . But we hate to see one we can't resolve .
Trailering
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 17
Likes: 1
You have to figure out if something is draining the battery, or if the battery loses charge by itself.
You need a DVM, a voltmeter to do this yourself.
Find a time after driving it at least 30 minutes, shut it off, check the voltage. It should be 12.6 volts.
Remove a cable. Let it sit overnight.
Check voltage again. A good battery will keep the same voltage. It will still be 12.6 volts in the morning. Or after a week. Or longer.
If your battery is losing volts overnight or after a day or 2, when it's NOT connected, then the battery is bad.
As opposed to: If the voltage only goes down when you leave it connected, then something in the car is draining the battery.
THe next step is to find what's draining it.
You need a DVM, a voltmeter to do this yourself.
Find a time after driving it at least 30 minutes, shut it off, check the voltage. It should be 12.6 volts.
Remove a cable. Let it sit overnight.
Check voltage again. A good battery will keep the same voltage. It will still be 12.6 volts in the morning. Or after a week. Or longer.
If your battery is losing volts overnight or after a day or 2, when it's NOT connected, then the battery is bad.
As opposed to: If the voltage only goes down when you leave it connected, then something in the car is draining the battery.
THe next step is to find what's draining it.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 1,653
Likes: 193
The subject of battery life is affected by heat . Heat kills batteries , my summers are brutal here in Florida , We try and get the truck in the shade as much as possible .Up north we used to find the sunny spots. The typical case is come on fall your battery fails because its cool and electrons don't want to move because your capacity has dropped but the summer has degraded your battery so you conclude fall temps killed your battery . It just lets you know your battery is weak .
In the military we kept our electronics batteries in freezers. I keep a lot of batteries for portable stuff in zip bag in refrigerator . Let them warm up a little before use .
In the military we kept our electronics batteries in freezers. I keep a lot of batteries for portable stuff in zip bag in refrigerator . Let them warm up a little before use .
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,293
Likes: 18
Drive the truck to the auto parts store and get the battery/charging system checked out for free. Nobody on Earth can tell you what's wrong with it from here especially not even knowing the age of the battery.
BTW, the original one in my truck lasted 13 years.
BTW, the original one in my truck lasted 13 years.
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