About a month ago I posted a message that I've gone through three batteries in just a few months and thankfully I had a couple of you respond that I should replace the voltage regulator which I did. It seemed OK for awhile but then three weeks later another completely dead battery. Still scratching my head and loosing my hair?????? Please help again. 1978 Ford F250 351M.

 

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Are you checking the Specific Gravity of these batteries before going to the next one ?

Are these batteries draining overnight or are they going bad over time?

My tests for checking for power draining circuits are time consuming but,they are thorough.

Dennis

Dennis

 

First of all I'm not sure what "specfic gravity" is??? Second, the battery goes dead after about two to three weeks.

 

check that little light in the refrigerator. Just kidding. You might take a good look at the connector to the regulator. I have found them kind of loose before.

1977 Ford F-100
400m/c6/4:11/Gear Vender O.D.
Crane hydralic roller, forged, ported polished,Deamon,Edlebrock, yada, yada, yada
280,000 miles
Stock on the outside
modified/rebuilt everything

 

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Go to either Wal-Mart or Canadian Tire for a battery Hydrometer.
This device with a Rubber Bulb on the top of it allows you to extract some of the solution in the different battery cells to determine Specific Gravity.
One by one you can check to see if a Cell has gone bad on your battery ,This is a common occurance in today's batteries.
Specific gravity should register between 1230-1270
The hydrometers of today have a spot that says :
Good - Bad
Easy to figure out.
Never leave a Battery sitting directly on Concrete,this practice will drain and destroy a battery.

Use a 4x4 or something to set it on.

The rest is troubleshooting the circuits to find power drain.


I would say there is a good possiblity that some circuit is draining the power.
Dennis

78 F-150 429CJ 465,000 KM.(Original Owner)
68 Mustang 289 Sunlit Gold 80,000 Miles(second Owner)
64 1/2,260 Pre-World's Fair Mustang #8092
64 Fairlane 500 S/C,waiting for a 390 4-Spd

If The Girls Don't Find You Handsome,
They Should At Least Find You Handy!

 

The odds of six new batteries going bad are slim to none! Have you tried to charge your batteries after they have gone dead? Is your alternator lite coming on? Does the alternator light come on before you start the vehicle? If not, then I know your problem. Strangely enough, if the alternator gauge light is not good, your vehicle will not charge. This would explain why your light is not on and why the sytem is not charging. If the alternator light is flashing from time to time then your regulator or harness is the problem. To find out if there is a draw on the battery while the vehicle is off, simply disconnect the ground from the battery and with a test light connect one end of the test light to the ground cable and the other end to the battery. If the light comes on, you've got a draw on the battery. Don't get excited yet! Remove one fuse at a time from your fuse box. Test for draw on the battery after each fuse is removed. Remember where your fuses go. When the power goes away you have narrowed down the circuit that is busting your battery. It is common to see burned harnesses on these old trucks so prepare yourself. It's all repairable.
Good Luck, Have Fun,
KingFisher

 

 

That's an intriguing problem. Do you live near Tulsa? If so I'd sure like to see this firsthand. I must say that I have never heard of setting a battery on concrete will drain it or destroy it??!! I know that letting rubber tires sit on concrete for extended periods of time dries out the rubber compound. The batteries are encased in plastic. How can setting it on the ground drain it, unless it's laying on it's posts? Also, most of today's batteries are maintenance free. That means that they are sealed and do not allow for checking the specific gravity ot the acid. Do you have a sealed or unsealed battery? Are you buying new battteries, or used batteries? Do you have a headlight reminder buzzer tied into your circuit? Do you have any aftermarket lights added?

 

I sure hope you don't get something around 1230 to 1270. Should be a little more like 1.23 to 1.27 if those previous figures are correct. Think of specific gravity as density in comparison to water. Water is said to be = 1. An automotive hydrometer basically gives a rough idea of the ratio of water to coolant or acid (in this case). If I look inside my radiator after the truck has sat overnight, the coolant appears like antifreeze. If I start the truck with the cap off (and the T-stat opens) I notice my coolant isn't as clean as I thought. The antifreeze (chiefly ethylene glycol - If I remember correctly) has a specific gravity less than one. Since it's number is less than that of water it "floats" on top of the water layer. This is your classic oil and vinegar story. Olive oil has a specific gravity greater than one and vinegar (chiefly water) is very close to 1. The heavier of the two (oil) sinks to the bottom of the vessel. Now when it comes to battery acid and antifreeze, both mix quite readily with water, but they can seperate over time. Since some batteries bake off a bit of water over time, there's openings to add water if the hydrometer indicates that the S.G. is too high relative to what it should be. If your batteries are new and going south only after a few months - this isn't your problem. But now you know what specific gravity means.

 

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Thanks for posting that correction.
I DID forget the decimal point and I apologize.


Dennis

78 F-150 429CJ 465,000 KM.(Original Owner)
68 Mustang 289 Sunlit Gold 80,000 Miles(second Owner)
64 1/2,260 Pre-World's Fair Mustang #8092
64 Fairlane 500 S/C,waiting for a 390 4-Spd

If The Girls Don't Find You Handsome,
They Should At Least Find You Handy!