Battery Draining Problem
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FTE Legend
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 80,542
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From: Norlina NC
Battery Draining Problem
I need help tracing a problem... the battery in my truck keeps dieing and cant figure out why... the battery in my stang is 5 yrs old and can go 3 weeks (sometimes more) without needing started... the battery in my truck is BARELY a yr old.. and having problems with it... replaced it last yr cuz it kept dying.. and couldnt remember hold old it was.. just knew it was old.. and now it seems like the same problems are coming back again.. it was charged mid week last week... mom took it to church on sunday and said it cranked over with no problems at all then... but when i went to try and start it yesterday it was dead dead... it tried to turn the engine over twice (very slowly) and then started the "im dead" clicking... being only a yr old i shouldnt be having this problem...
Anyone know how i could trace to find out if somethings or whats drawing on the battery even when the trucks off that could be killing it so fast? I pulled the battery today and its sitting in the garage atm on a trickle charger... (2amp charge) gonna probably leave it there over night to see if i can really bring it back to life...
Anyone know how i could trace to find out if somethings or whats drawing on the battery even when the trucks off that could be killing it so fast? I pulled the battery today and its sitting in the garage atm on a trickle charger... (2amp charge) gonna probably leave it there over night to see if i can really bring it back to life...
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Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Virginia
You can hear the fuel pump running if that's the problem. Here's a way to test and find out what the drain is. Hook up a testlight like the diagram below, and then start pulling fuses. Make sure the domelight is off. Disconnect any added stuff like amplifiers that are going to the battery. If none of this makes the light go out, take all the wires off the alternator and see if the light goes out.
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Joined: Aug 2005
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From: MA
Shawn, before you get ripping things out to far, Have you checked to see if the alternator is charging??
Put a meter across the battery with the truck running.. If you are reading 12V or less then the alternator is not charging.. It should read around 14V if the alternator is working..
Next I would check and clean all the battery cables and grounds..
If that doesn't help then you need to look for a short as described above..
Put a meter across the battery with the truck running.. If you are reading 12V or less then the alternator is not charging.. It should read around 14V if the alternator is working..
Next I would check and clean all the battery cables and grounds..
If that doesn't help then you need to look for a short as described above..
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 164,379
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From: MA
I just thought of another option..
My son had a 77 F250 that when it sat the break pedal would relax and turn on the brake lights.. He put a bungie cord to fix it till he did the brakes..
Have you ever looked at the truck at night to see if a light is on anywhere?
My son had a 77 F250 that when it sat the break pedal would relax and turn on the brake lights.. He put a bungie cord to fix it till he did the brakes..
Have you ever looked at the truck at night to see if a light is on anywhere?
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Thread Starter
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FTE Legend
Joined: Jan 2009
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From: Norlina NC
test light lit dimly when i put the battery back in the truck.... and got 14.78v when it was running...
gonna see if i can find the cell checker thing in the garage and test the cells...
gonna see if i can find the cell checker thing in the garage and test the cells...
Thread Starter
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FTE Legend
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 80,542
Likes: 97
From: Norlina NC
i just thought of something... i thought mom was the last to drive it on sunday... but i took it to get it inspected tuesday... so that means the battery died in only 4 days...
lil ms. innocent
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,558
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From: Harrington, Delaware
Shawn, before you get ripping things out to far, Have you checked to see if the alternator is charging??
Put a meter across the battery with the truck running.. If you are reading 12V or less then the alternator is not charging.. It should read around 14V if the alternator is working..
Next I would check and clean all the battery cables and grounds..
If that doesn't help then you need to look for a short as described above..
Put a meter across the battery with the truck running.. If you are reading 12V or less then the alternator is not charging.. It should read around 14V if the alternator is working..
Next I would check and clean all the battery cables and grounds..
If that doesn't help then you need to look for a short as described above..
Thread Starter
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FTE Legend
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 80,542
Likes: 97
From: Norlina NC
apparently it was a draining problem after all... suggestion i got from one of my other sites i checked the battery cells individually (took me a couple days to find that cell checker of dads)... 4/6 cells came out "high fair" they were teetering on the line between good and fair... and the last 2 cells were "recharge" so theyre pretty much dead cells to me... this is apparently the root cause of my problem.. we had a couple days last week between tuesday when i last drove it and when i tried to drive it sat where temps got into the 20's and 30's... which as everyone knows when temps start to drop batterys charges drop as well... was killing off the charge enough apparently to make it worthless in starting the truck...
looks like its time for a new battery..
looks like its time for a new battery..
