Truck battery recommendations

treitz3

Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »

I think the issue is that bow tie on the front

Damn Ford drivers....always gotta go shootin' at the mouth. That is, until they need a tow from a Chevy.

:biggrin:

VR3

You just remember Tom - our trucks have the same mileage and I am only on my SECOND battery and my alternator is -fine-

treitz3

Yeah, yeah, yeah....

Well, I just got back from Advance where they did a diagnostic check of the battery, starter, charging system and drain test. The battery met or exceeded the required standards. Better have, seeing as how it's less than a week old. Starter tests normal. Charging system checks normal; with no load, she's at 14.41 volts, 4.2 amps. With a load, she's at 14.31 volts and 2.3 amps with everything on. There is a 20mv ripple with the charging system which apparently also tests normal.

Here's where the issue lies. The drain test revealed that with the truck powered down, keys out of the ignition and only one door open, 2.09 amps are still being drawn from the battery. That's a lot of juice. So, off to AllData.com to try and investigate what may be the cause.

disneyjoe7

I'm thinking you got a bad rectifier in your alternator.

VR3

You wouldnt have this problem if your truck had tiger blood and adonis dna!

disneyjoe7

Tom,

May I suggest you go to another local repair company to see what they say.
Advance I may buy wax for my truck, parts NO or advise NO.

Is these places near you?

Belmont Alternator & Starter
Mount Holly, NC


Or

Russel Generator and Alternator and Starter Service
Charlotte, NC


I would go there

treitz3 wrote: »

Yeah, yeah, yeah....

Well, I just got back from Advance where they did a diagnostic check of the battery, starter, charging system and drain test. The battery met or exceeded the required standards. Better have, seeing as how it's less than a week old. Starter tests normal. Charging system checks normal; with no load, she's at 14.41 volts, 4.2 amps. With a load, she's at 14.31 volts and 2.3 amps with everything on. There is a 20mv ripple with the charging system which apparently also tests normal.

Here's where the issue lies. The drain test revealed that with the truck powered down, keys out of the ignition and only one door open, 2.09 amps are still being drawn from the battery. That's a lot of juice. So, off to AllData.com to try and investigate what may be the cause.

treitz3

Well, I did find this out.

"When diagnosing battery draws on trucks equipped with the automatic dual zone HVAC controls (RPO CJ2), technicians should keep in mind that the control head does not completely "go to sleep" until after 150-250 minutes, or up to 4-1/4 hours, from when the ignition key is turned OFF. This is a normal condition. In these cases, DO NOT replace the control head."

The normal parasitic drain should be around around 30 mA, not 2 amps.

Also found this...

Tracking Down the Source of a Parasitic Load

If the battery in a vehicle becomes discharged in a shorter time than described earlier, the vehicle may have an out-of-specification parasitic load. Refer to Service Information (SI) for procedures for locating parasitic drains. Follow these steps:
1. Build the vehicle.

2. Select the Engine section.

3. Select the Engine Electrical sub-section.

4. Select Diagnostic Information and Procedures.

5. Select Battery Electrical Drain/Parasitic Load Test.

You will need the J 38758 Parasitic Draw Test Switch and a digital multimeter set to the 10A scale.
Important: Read the procedure and follow the steps exactly as described in SI. The following is a summary, not the complete procedure.

The test switch permits you to place an ammeter in series with the battery negative cable. Before performing the test, the engine must be run and all accessories must be operated as instructed. After shutting the ignition off, turn the test switch off. Now, all the current being used by the vehicle is shunted through the ammeter where it is measured. If the reading is out of specification, the procedure explains how to pinpoint the cause.

Now I just need to figure out where the Service Information (SI) for procedures for locating parasitic drains are. I'm glad I posted about battery recommendations because all this time, I thought it was just cheaply built batteries from NAPA. Thanks guys.

Shut up Trey.

Oldfatdogs

On My old truck 71Gmc I have had this problem,first time was voltage regulator.Cheep fix IIrc less than 20.00 to fix. Second time was after I had a alarm put in, I went trough 3 battery's. It was a ground issue,I took out the fuse to alarm and no more problems.Just some thoughts hope this helps.

exalted512

It's a long way to do a test, but the way I check for what is draining is by putting a multimeter on the battery like mentioned in that article (disconnect the negative and put one lead on the cable and one lead on the battery).

Then start pulling fuses. Pull a fuse, look at the current, see if it changes, if nothing changes, put it back, go to the next. If you have a light under the hood, disconnect it. Eventually you'll pull a fuse and the current draw will drop...you'll have a better idea of what's drawing power.

EDIT:
If you dont have a multimeter, you can buy a $2 test light at harbor freight and do the same thing. Put the clamp on the cable and the needle on the battery. If it lights up, you have a current draw. Its a little more tricky this way though. You'll have to pull the fuse wait 5-10 seconds, then put it in and see if it gets brighter when you put it in. If its a smaller current draw, the light will slowly get dimmer and its hard to tell, but as you soon as you plug it back in you'll be able to tell the difference.
-Cody

exalted512

I use Kinetik batteries...4 of them. Combined 9800 cranking amps...haha.
Here's three of em, the other is under the hood:

-Cody

disneyjoe7

^^ You need one hell of charging system to keep them happy.