Battery dying???
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2006
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Battery dying???
Hello all I think my batteries may be crapping out on me (why do we have 2?) when the truck idles the battery light flickers and after I use gps it cranks kinda sluggish. How can I test the system and tell if my batteries (or which on) are 1) being charged by the alternator and 2) if they are holding the proper charge..
What kind of voltage reading should I be looking for on a charged battery and one withe the engine running?...... these batteries look like garbage, but I don't wanna go throwing my loot away... if I don't need...
Thanks all!
Jeff K.
What kind of voltage reading should I be looking for on a charged battery and one withe the engine running?...... these batteries look like garbage, but I don't wanna go throwing my loot away... if I don't need...
Thanks all!
Jeff K.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,568
Likes: 5,603
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
a charged battery will show between 12 and 13 volts. but that is not a good indication of a good battery, a better way is to load test them. with the engine running, you should have around 14 volts at the battery. the charge goes to the passenger side first, then crosses over to the driver side. a flickering light tells me that the alternator may be on it's last legs.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,782
Likes: 221
From: Huntington Indiana
The reason we have 2 batteries is - the required amperage just to run the glow plugs and the starter would just kill a single battery. It takes about 1000-1200 cca just to get it going in warm weather - take cold weather and add a lot more amps. This is one of the reasons to go to a lighter weight oil in the winter. To lesson the resistance you get from the cold oil at -10. 15W40 looks like grease at that temp.
If you change one battery you should do both. The bad one draws down the second battery .So just best to replace both at once.
If you change one battery you should do both. The bad one draws down the second battery .So just best to replace both at once.
Last edited by bigredtruckmi; Mar 22, 2006 at 03:28 PM.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,509
Likes: 3
From: Ladner, British Columbia
If you can't tell how old your batteries are then it is definetely time to change them.
- Always replace both batteries at the same time.
- Always replace with 1,000 CCA batteries or better, nothing less.
- Always clean your battery terminals before re-installing.
Postmaster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,417
Likes: 3
From: Durham, NC
Originally Posted by tjc transport
a charged battery will show between 12 and 13 volts. but that is not a good indication of a good battery, a better way is to load test them. with the engine running, you should have around 14 volts at the battery. the charge goes to the passenger side first, then crosses over to the driver side. a flickering light tells me that the alternator may be on it's last legs.
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,568
Likes: 5,603
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
actually bob, i am aware of that, i just stated it wrong. what i meant to say was that the charge goes to the passenger side, then to the driver side, but that both charge at the same time
