7.3 No Start

[sgg93]

I've been chasing an electrical gremlin for several weeks now, as I was having a problem getting the driver side battery to charge. On a hunch, I decided to change the battery cables, as I suspected there was some internal corrosion. I changed the positive cable with the one from NAPA, and then changed the negative cable on the driver battery, also with one from NAPA. On the driver battery, however, (the most suspect looking cable of the bunch) the folks at NAPA had provided me with the wrong cable, so after taking it loose, I realized the problem, and simply re-installed the existing cable. After doing this, I was faced with a no start. I have a wait to start light, and the tach shows RPMs when cranking. I then put both batteries on the charger and got them to full charge. I attempted to start the truck again, and was confronted with a no-start. The check engine light shows when cranking, and I have oil pressure when cranking. I still have a wait to start light. This is exactly how the truck behaves with one dead battery, but since both batteries were fully charged, I knew this wasn't the case. After 3 attempts to start the truck (maybe 5 seconds each), there wasn't enough power to turn the starter over. I noticed the ground cable on the driver battery was warm, but the one on the passenger battery was not. I deduced that there was a problem when the driver battery was almost dead when I put it back on the charger. I checked the HPOP reservoir, and it was within an inch of the top. I also checked both of my ground connections on the block and cleaned them. With this in mind, I'm tempted to believe the alternator is faulty (which is what has been causing my battery issues), and that this over a long period has degraded my driver battery. Static voltage on the terminals of the passenger battery was 12.4, and the voltage when cranking is 10.3. I'm going to load test the batteries tomorrow, in hopes that I find the driver battery faulty. I still suspect the alternator as being the root of my problems, but wonder what's causing the no start.

UPDATE:

I load tested both the batteries this morning, and one failed. I was awarded two brand new ones from my local interstate dealer. After replacing them, I noticed something new. When I turn the key to run, I hear a rapid clicking or a slow buzz from underneath the hood for a few seconds, and during this time, the check engine light is on. Then it goes off, and the wait to start light comes on. The truck still fails to start. I also became aware that the key was in the run position yesterday when I was disconnecting and reconnecting batteries. Swapping the relays around in the main fuse box under the hood didn't change the issue at all.

[catlinB]

Check your underwood maxi fuses ? What about getting fuel ? Dose fuel come
Out when you turn the yellow drain on your fuel bowl ?


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[catlinB]

Underhood. Sorry. Stupid iPhone


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[erics diesel]

the buzzing and clicking could be a bad gpr

[sgg93]

I do have fuel in the bowl, and the fuel pump was replaced in november. The GPR was replaced with a Stan-Cor last year. What troubles me is the check engine light. Makes me wonder if I've fried the IDM.

[jcorkin]

Id guess the buzzing to be the gpr, when you crank the truck do you get any smoke out the exhaust? Does the tach move while cranking? Have you fully charged the batteries since getting them?

[sgg93]

I put them on the charger after two short cranking attempts. Again, the driver battery was low, while the passenger battery was not. I'm not seeing any smoke when cranking. The tach is moving when I'm cranking it, and the cranking speed is good. The only reason I doubt that the buzzing is the GPR is that it's slightly different in sound, it's more of a fast clicking than a buzz. The fact that there is a check engine light only when I'm hearing it is also a cause for concern. For some reason, it seems as though the truck is only pulling power fromt the driver battery. Would a bad ground cable (it's old, and not in the best of shape), cause the truck to pull from only one battery?

[madpogue]

Originally Posted by catlinB

Underhood. Sorry. Stupid iPhone

Thinks it's a 100-year-old typewriter....

Are you load testing the batteries while they're isolated from one another?

So you have two brand new batteries, and the driver's side one is already weak? Try charging it, by itself. What CCA are they?

Yes, a bad ground will make it hard to pull power from that battery. Try putting a jumper cable from the negative of that battery to a good ground, or to the negative of the other battery. Along with the existing weak ground wire, it might just provide enough copper for a good ground. But that's just temporary; keep looking for another ground cable.

[sgg93]

Yes, I load tested them independently. The batteries are 850 CCA apiece. I pulled the cables and charged it up by itself. Took about an hour and twenty minutes on a ten amp charge.

[jcorkin]

no smoke indicates lack of fuel, is the tach moving while cranking? if its not i would get a new cps if it is when was the last time you replaced your fuel filter? a bad ground can wreak havac in an electrical system, id invest in a new ground cable for both batteries.