06 F250 dead...911

[mbmacs]

Appreciate this forum, never registered untill now because I think I have major issues......Yesterday, got low battery warning while starting the truck(waited for glow plugs to heat up), figured it was b/c of the glow plugs. So this morning I go out, and wait, and wait, and wait, wont start, seems like battery is dead, check them both, 1 on drivers side shows green ball, passenger side shows orange. So I got my charger and try charging it. Wait about 5 minutes, try to start, and no luck, click click, starts trying to start itself, lights flash, etc. I get out, and the charger is bouncing up and down. I disconnected it. Got a deep cycle battery and tried jumping. Starts to spark at terminal. Finally get a hold of my buddy with a tow truck. He comes, puts a booster on it. As soon as we complete the cable hook ups, truck trys starting itself, only problem is keys are not in the ignition. We disconnected cables from boost pack, tried other battery, same thing. Now the left side is showing orange as well. Same thing happened when we tried jumping from his truck battery. I took the right side battery out, was hot, even though it had been like 20 minutes at this point. I disconnected the left side, tried hooking up the deep cycle to right side cables, as soon as I did, deep cycle started smoking on cables........I am so lost, missed a bid opportunity already and I am about at my wits end. Any suggestions, ideas? Got enough $$$ to get 2 new batteries, but thinking they might just smoke up as well. Bad week getting worse I guess.

[kinghawg98]

Disconnect both batteries and test them individually. The little colored 'eyes' don't mean a thing.

Are you sure the battery was not installed backwards? No reason it would smoke at random unless you have found a horrid connection

[mbmacs]

The batteries were as they have been installed for the year plus I have had the truck. The deep cycle I used to try to jump it was correct, as was the jumper cables from the other truck and the boost pack. I am just concerned that if I put 2 new batteries in,has soon as I hook them up, they will start smoking again.

[mbmacs]

Pulled out both batteries. Both show 8 volts,load tested both down to 3 volts. Going to get 2 new ones now. but still unsure about the smoking and the starter engaging itself with no keys.

[smuesse]

Might be a bad starter or solenoid?

[mbmacs]

Updated....Replaced both batteries. When I went to hook up the first one, as soon as I put the cables on, the starter began to engage again, with no key, in park. So I pulled out a hammer, smacked the starter, and all better. Guess I need to go get a new starter, or at least get this one tested.

[psd_va]

if it acts up once i wouldn't trust it when it is doing what is doing i wouldn't want to worry if and when it is going to happen again i would just replace it.

[Hardline]

The low voltage probably arced the lugs in the soleniod and caused them to weld themselves together. You once had a battery problem. Unfortunately looking at the little eyes and trying to continuing to start it you now also have a starter problem. I've seen it many times. The ones I love are when the operator runs a machine out of fuel and then cranks on it until they melt the starter armature completely out.