Truck Battery Issue July 13, 2009, 10:38:33 pm Yahoo Message Number: 103887Hi Everybody! About a month ago my LD truck battery died, wouldn't crank at all. Thinking it needed to be replaced (6+ years old), I bought a new battery, which worked fine...for awhile. Recently, I tried to start the truck after about two weeks and the new battery was dead! I jump started it and then have started it daily for awhile. If I start it every day, it's fine. If I miss a day, it won't start. Putting aside for now the possibility of a bad new battery (since the old one died as well), I need to troubleshoot what may be draining it. The alternator is charging fine. There are no lights on inside the cab. I have a Kwikee leveler system installed, FYI. Would the best approach be to hook up my voltmeter/ammeter and determine what is pulling a load? Would I do that at the fuse panel, or should I start at the battery terminals? Anything to isolate what might be draining the battery (if that is the case) would be helpful.I appreciate any advice! Thanks!!Dan & Ann 2003 26.5 RB Monterey, CA P.S., I learned from this that the genset starts using the coach battery. :-)
Re: Truck Battery Issue Reply #1 – July 14, 2009, 12:02:36 am Yahoo Message Number: 103890"Would the best approach be to hook up my voltmeter/ammeter and determine what is pulling a load? Would I do that at the fuse panel, or should I start at the battery terminals?" What I'd do is this: first, put a DC ammeter between one battery terminal and the cable, so you can see how much current is flowing when everything is supposedly shut off. Then have a friend pull fuses one at a time, and see what effect that has on the current flow. When there's a substantial drop, you've found a likely culprit.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: Truck Battery Issue Reply #2 – July 14, 2009, 12:11:08 am Yahoo Message Number: 103891an amp meter in series.but I once found that I had a small drain by hearing the "spark" when I took off the battery cable and touched it to the battery post. I could hear the "spark", in the dark I could see it.Just can't have anything that uses power like a clock. And this was a long time ago before lots of electronics but I still would try because it is easy and free to do. Have to be in a quiet area however. Not sure the milliamps or microamps you could find this way. Then since you would have the cable off - hook up your meter in series on the high amp scale and work down to the smallest amp scale__
Re: Truck Battery Issue Reply #3 – July 14, 2009, 11:53:40 am Yahoo Message Number: 103899There are several possibilities... Don't discount that you got a faulty new battery. The first thing I would do is drive it till I thought it ought to be fully charged then take it in and have the battery load tested. Autozone and Advanced Auto will both do this for free at many of their stores. Sometimes they don't have anyone on staff that that can do it but usually someone will be later or another store down the road can do it. I would also check the charging system and make sure it is really working not just bringing the battery back to say 13 volts... Only after I was sure I had a good battery and charging system would I start looking draw phantom current drain. And the advice given already is a decent way to start looking for that.Garry
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Topic: Truck Battery Issue (Read 11 times)
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