Battery Discharging
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 820
Likes: 11
Battery Discharging
Something is draining my battery. I haven’t been driving my Super Duty very much over the last 5-6 months. Everytime I jumped in it throughout that time it has had a dead battery. Last week I pulled the battery and gave it a good charge. I drove it a few days and it ran great but then I let it set over the weekend. Again, dead battery this morning. I haven’t had a chance to troubleshoot it but hopefully will have time tomorrow. I’m a good mechanic and know what I’m looking for. I just want to know if there are any specific problems with these trucks that I should look for.
Last edited by jokerforever; Jan 14, 2008 at 10:49 PM.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 113
Likes: 0
From: Lake Worth, Fla.
How old are the batteries. One that batteries cell will ruin the whole battery. I would test the batteries. What I did on my truck when the battery went away. I replaced both of them just seem like the right thing to do. If you go to the auto parts store. They should be able to test your alternator or alternators if you have two. Good luck
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 154
Likes: 0
From: Stationed in Beaufort SC
Have the batteries load tested. If one is bad then replace them both. I just replaced both of mine with Duralast Gold top 850 CCA, 1000 CA. You wouldn't believe the difference when it comes to starting the truck. Fires right up. Have them test the alternator also.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 820
Likes: 11
FYI…I have a single battery, gas engine.
The battery was only six months old. And in that time I doubt that I put two hundred miles on it. I’ve been traveling a lot and left the truck setting at home. The battery was a yellow/gold top Duralast. I took it today and had it load checked and it came up bad. It was replaced under warranty so that solved that problem.
Now a new battery shouldn’t just go bad just setting like that so I started looking around. I found that do have a direct short somewhere. So far all I’ve eliminated is the alternator and then I ran out of sunlight. At this point it could be anywhere and I’m thinking about taking the d@mn thing it to Carmax this weekend.
The battery was only six months old. And in that time I doubt that I put two hundred miles on it. I’ve been traveling a lot and left the truck setting at home. The battery was a yellow/gold top Duralast. I took it today and had it load checked and it came up bad. It was replaced under warranty so that solved that problem.
Now a new battery shouldn’t just go bad just setting like that so I started looking around. I found that do have a direct short somewhere. So far all I’ve eliminated is the alternator and then I ran out of sunlight. At this point it could be anywhere and I’m thinking about taking the d@mn thing it to Carmax this weekend.
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 339
Likes: 2
From: Upstate NY
We used to have an F250 that did the same thing... turned out to be the radio went bad and was draining the battery. I suggest pulling the radio out of the truck and then seeing if it still drains the batt.
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Tuned
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 396
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Originally Posted by jokerforever
........ I found that do have a direct short somewhere. So far all I’ve eliminated is the alternator and then I ran out of sunlight. .....
Even a fresh new part can have a early failure. I would not totally rule out the battery as being the only cause.
Hootbro
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 5,844
Likes: 6
From: Albuquerque
Originally Posted by jokerforever
I found that do have a direct short somewhere. So far all I’ve eliminated is the alternator and then I ran out of sunlight.
Good luck...
biz
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