I know this is off topic but anyone have ideas on what could cause a drain on the truck. Its a 01 Dod#E, the only added option to the truck is an alarm with remote start. This has been in there for years!! Everything works like it should. Do you guys think think that the alarm is killing the battery? I was going to try to unhook it this weekend and see if thats it but any help would be GREAT>

 

You need to hook up a volt meter to show current draw. (One of the electrical gunus will step in here and correct me - I can do it - not explain it.)
Then start pulling fuses till it stops.

 

Roger,

Sounds as if there is a draw on the battery. There are several ways to go about diagnosing it. First, lets start with the easy stuff, take a look at the glove box light, touch it...is it warm? If it is then it might be staying on. Do the same with the underhood light.

If it isn't something obvious like that then its time to dig a bit deeper. If you have a volt/ohm/ammeter or a test light you disconnect a battery cable and hook the meter or the test light in series between the battery post and the cable. Note: its normal for modern computer controlled vehicles to have up to a 50 milliamp draw on the battery.
I prefer the test light method...basically if the light lights then something is staying on. If the test light is really bright then its something big like a light bulb of some sort.....don't forget to disable the hood light if it comes on automatically when the hood is open.

The majority of the time a drain on the battery is caused by a light staying on. The draw will be fairly high in this instance......bright light on the test light....amp or so on the meter. If the light is dimmer or the reading is in the milliamps then its probably some kind of control circuitry...either computer, radio, alarm, etc.
Sometimes you can get lucky by pulling fuses one by one until the test light goes out (or the meter goes to zero) and that will tell you which circuit to start looking in (don't forget that the dome lights try to come on when you open the door...start with the courtesy light circuit fuse)

I hope thats kind of clear
Bobby

 

I've yet to have a vehicle that didn't draw on a battery when it sat. I just disconnect the cables. They make a flip switch too that you attach the cable to and then to the battery that you can use if you let it sit often.

 

I should say it only takes a few days than it goes dead.

 

How old is the battery?

If the alarm has an ignition kill, it may be running the coil 24/7, seen that.

 

last month

 

Then I'd say it's a bad battery, or is not getting charged fully. Is that when the problems started?

 

no before thats when the battery tested bad and would not take a charge, removed the alt and had it tested all set as well.

 

Have you checked the battery cables for corrision at the connections. You live in CT and the cold wx, moisture, plus old battery ? may have caused it to die. Corrision affects voltage use and the ability for the alt to keep the battery charged. chuck

 

replaced both and cleaned everything and coated with dielectric grease before install

 

what battery do you have?i was reading some where a lot of people are having problems with the new optimal battery right from the get go.they say some will not hold a charge and self drain very fast.

 

its not a optimal battery, i think its from a cain store.

 

Your best to use a voltage meter that can measure amps.It needes to be connected in series with one off the battery cables.All late model veicles have a small draw that will light a test light.No more then 80 millie amps.Any thing more then that will start to drain the battery.Set the meter up the read D/C amps.Disconnect the positive cable and hook one lead of meter to battery the other to the cable.Will then see how many amps it drawing.Becareful most meters are fuse at 10 amps and will blow the fuse in the meter if over that.I dont think your draw is close to that or the battery would be dead over night not after a few days like you said.Then you can start pulling fuse to see which circuit the draw is on.Beaware that when you open the door you will see a draw from interor light.If it has any aftermarket devices disconnect them first.They are more often than not the proplem.Hope this helps.Also have that new battery checked.

 

Another way you can find a circuit with a parasitic draw is to pull one fuse at a time, let it sit overnight, check the battery in the morning. Keep trying fuses untill you find the one thats causing the drain. Not the greatest way, but if you've tried everything else...