Battery issues
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New User
Joined: May 2010
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Battery issues
I have a 84 f 150 and at first I thought it was a dead battery but whats happening is my truck will start but if i leave it off for long periods of time it wont start (acts like battery is drained) but its picky about that because for example when it started up perfectly when i was goin to work today started up fine when i was going to and from my break, started up fine when i was comin home, but on my way home i stopped at the gas station and when i went to start it back up after that it was dead! I had to get a jump. it was only sitting for 5 minutes maybe. I have installed a brand new battery and a brand new alternator. what could be my problem?
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 546
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From: Reading, PA
get a multimeter and check it. There may be a drain or a short you haven't seen.
I will say from experience that MY problem when the exact same thing was happening was an internal short in the battery that wound up melting a hole through one of the battery posts (on the battery itself) a new one cleared it right up.
However that's VERY uncommon. i would check the battery voltage when it's acting dead and see if it is truly dead. Then if it's not try jumping the starter solenoid and if it cranks over it MIGHT be the solenoid going bad.
I will say from experience that MY problem when the exact same thing was happening was an internal short in the battery that wound up melting a hole through one of the battery posts (on the battery itself) a new one cleared it right up.
However that's VERY uncommon. i would check the battery voltage when it's acting dead and see if it is truly dead. Then if it's not try jumping the starter solenoid and if it cranks over it MIGHT be the solenoid going bad.
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I have done that. I took both terminals off and sanded them down and the ground was on the chassis when i bought it not on the engine.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,951
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From: Virginia
The large ground wire needs to be on the engine. The factory had a clamp that grounded the frame and the engine, but if you don't have the original cable, hook the cable you have to the engine, and then run another short one to the frame.
The priority current user from the battery is the starter, and it's bolted to the engine, so you need to run the large cable to the engine block. The engine is mounted in rubber mounts, so the frame ground won't do you much good as far as the starter is concerned.
The priority current user from the battery is the starter, and it's bolted to the engine, so you need to run the large cable to the engine block. The engine is mounted in rubber mounts, so the frame ground won't do you much good as far as the starter is concerned.
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