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Truck wont crank I’m stumped

2K views 18 replies 8 participants last post by  joeydover 
#1 ·
About two weeks ago I went to start my truck and found out the hard way that I had left my lights on. Well I get jumped off, drive it all day, and it cranks fine the rest of the day. Next morning it cranks really slow and doesn’t start, and I hadn’t left any thing on. Again having to get jumped off. Same thing, all day it dose great. Next morning it starts but latter in the day I come out to start it and it turns over really slow, but I cycle it a few times to the point that it felt as if I had killed what battery it had left, but then all of a sudden it spins over really fast and starts. So I take it to Advance they tell me the battery on the driver side is bad. So I put a new battery in it. Dose fine for three days, then goes back to the slow turn but wont start. So I have the batteries tested again and the battery on the passenger side is reading 500 cca, it should be 850. So when I go back the next day to get a battery they test it again and now it reads 843. What the crap is going on? So chose not to buy a battery, and it dose great for three more days, and then this morning I get up to start it and turns over really slow and then clicks. :dunno: I’m about to rip my hair out, and my wife is about to leave me. Any advice would be appreciated. If it maters it has 178k on the clock, I bought it six months ago with 160k. I have changed the fuel filter twice, Oil twice and now using Valvoline Blue. Used a lot of injecter cleaner over the past 18k. it’s a 2001 7.3 4X4 auto. Thanks Jesse
 
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#2 ·
I would say your batteries are dead again....I would think your having a charging problem. I would test your alternator, you can take it in and they should be able to test it also. I just put a new one in my truck it ran 205 total with core fee.
 
#3 · (Edited)
They tested the alternator it is reading 14v. I thought of that too. It beats the heck out of me Thanks
 
#4 ·
Its obvious the batteries are likely dead again, but why they are not recharging is the question. The only other suggestion I have is to replace that other battery. I know since I've owned my truck I replaced my batteries in pairs. The the alternator light starting coming on, so I tested and it was bad so I replaced the belt along with a new alternator.

Thats all I have, next :)
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the input, I'm still not to sure what to do, Its like a shot in the dark. Thanks
 
#6 ·
i kow with the duramax at work the batteries would not hold a charge at all because they were so bad, we would have to jump it every morning and replacing both batteries solved the problem
 
#7 ·
Thanks, I guess I will just buy a battery and see what that dose. Do you think it has effected the brand new battery?
 
#8 ·
The only thing on the new battery might be the charge.
 
#10 ·
I would doubt it, the only thing I can think of is that the new one is drained. If it did kill it the battery should have a warrenty.
 
#11 ·
also check your starter draw, shouldnt draw more than 400 amps. mine was slower turning in the mornings but fine al day, checked the starter was pulling almost 700 amps and thats when it was starting fine. Put in a new starter and made a huge difference in cranking speed. Heavy draws are also hard on the batteries, high amp draws could also be caused by bad or corroded connections at bat. or starter. My new starter was $240 at Napa, good luck
 
#12 · (Edited)
It's recommended to replace batteries in pairs the reason for this is that the old battery will draw the new one down to it's level.
Buy a cheap volt meter from the local hardware store (I belive that you can get a decent gardner bender for about $20) and then you can monitor your battery voltage when it won't start and see what is going on. plus that way you can monitor battery voltage going down the road to see if it's actually charging good all the time.
 
#13 ·
I just finished installing a new alternator. 110 amp single. 2001 f-250. i had some post earlier last month about my truck loosing power after 1/3 throttle. Check fuel pressure at bowl, dropped tank, Clean out, changed filters, it was like it was running out of fuel under med to hard acceleration. No codes! Then finally truck started slow starting when you turned it over. This happened two days in a row. Load tested both batteries....Passenger side was fubar! Like it had no resistance at all. Ive never seen one so gone. other tested fine...well they wouldn't prorate it for me anyway.....it held 12.3 v at 600 amps....acceleration problem disappeared. Hmmmm......a few days later alternator went out. Ive worked on motors since I was a kid....this one is fun....BTW...my alternator intermittently worked. Dummy Gage always read battery voltage with needle dead center over little battery. hooked up multimeter in cab and it was apparent. Let us know what you find....good luck
 
#14 ·
I had a similar problem with batteries. my truck would turn over like a champ but would not start. I had an intermittent problem with an open circuit on my primary battery. changed it and problem solved. as far as your problem is concerned, if your alternator is working good and your batteries are verified to be good I would start going through the charging and battery system wiring. Bad grounds, corroded connections, loose connections could likely cause a scenario that looks and feels like a battery/alternator problem. I am not sure if your charging system has some sort of inline regulator. If it does, that could be a weak link as well.
good luck
 
#15 ·
Thanks for all the responds, so far today all good starts. Except for yesterday evening it started but defiantly a drained start, like the battery was weak. So something is draining it, what do guys think that could be? I will check it out tomorrow. I just hope its an easy fix, but my luck… probably not.
 
#16 ·
You replaces both? And have you run the alternator diags found in text section?
 
#17 ·
I haven’t replaced both batteries yet, and what text section are you talking about?
 
#18 ·
#19 ·
My x just had the same problem. had to repleace both batteries. even though it sounded like it was spinning over fine it would not allow the engine to make enough rpm to bring the injection pressure up hig enough to start. I had 1 good, battery 1 bad. Replaced 1 not good enough, replaced both problem solved. also my gas powered dump truck had a dead cell in 1 battery and would drain the other one over night.dead cells will drain one battery to the next. try an ed-18 interstate battery tester tons better than the parts store junk tests starter & alternator in squence also.
 
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