[horsehauler]

Last winter i had several issues with a dead truck, as in when i opened the door there wasn't enough juice to run the interior lights. well i thought i had that fixed by replacing one of the batteries, because i no problems with it at all. but I went out to drive to work this morning and...you guess it nothing:doh:. Both of the batteries are still under warranty, I think I will just have them replace both of them. one is only 8 months and the other may be 2 yrs old. i have had the truck checked out twice to see if the is something wrong with the charging system or if something was draining the batteries. I normaly only drive the truck to work once a week and then on the weekends. i had no problems with it last wednesday, but i didn't drive it this weekend. do you agree with me on the batteries or is there something else i could be over looking?. by the way the batteries are duralast gold .....

 

[usnavyad]

Im kinda in the same boat like ill go to crank in the am runs fine i get to the store shut it off tirn back on. And nothing, but if i turn it back go to crank it again it will start i also have new batteries im so lost on this on lol

 

[horsehauler]

do you still have power to your lights and glow plugs when this happens?

 

[HVAC SuperTech]

NAVY-Id say you have a switch issue.

tot he OP- take both your batteries out, and have them checked independantly. one may be bad, and not allowing the other to charge properly. have you checked the firewall solenoid or the starter? bioth can cause issues like this. could check your glow plug relay also.

 

[horsehauler]

Navyad - Iwould agree with HVAC supertech on the switch being your problem.

I wouldn't think the starter solenoid or starter would cause no power. I replaced GPR and Glow Plugs in Feb of this year.

 

[justinlogue5_0]

do you still have power to your lights and glow plugs when this happens?

What he said ^^^

If you still have power to all the lights then it might not be the batteries. You could check for a battery draw by leaving the key off, disconnect the + on both batteries, then take a test light and place it between the the hot post and the hot cable. If the test light lights up then some thing is still on killing your batteries.

For safety sakes, have each battery tested again while disconnected from each other. That way theres no question.:thumb:

 

[usnavyad]

What switch works with ignition system i do have lights and glows plugs it happens randomly

 

[justinlogue5_0]

I think they are talking about the ignition switch.:dunno:

 

[zambonimaxx]

If it all comes back good, check your alt again. To the OP if your truck has dual alts, make sure to check both independently, or else the test may not be right. I had the same problem, but I expect to go through a set of batteries per 15 months or so...29 palms is hell on batteries...120-50-100-80-30* lol...and I know VA, used to haul for Penstock Farms in New Market, the weather there is just as predictable temperature wise.

~Phil

 

[horsehauler]

well, got home from work yesterday and jumped the truck off and took it straight to auto-zone. they checked the batteries and said they were good but needed charging.(duh! really) the alternator also show good. he seemed to think that i wasn't driving it enough, this could be true. i also told him that i had never had any problems like this when i had interstate batteries in it. but he said if i had anymore problems to bring it back and they would replace both batteries.

 

[justinlogue5_0]

Make sure you don't have anything drawing on your batteries while its sitting there un used.

 

[horsehauler]

WELL..... I think i have found the problem with the dead batteries. I bought two new batteries and thought I might have the problem licked, but the first cold morning we had there wasn't much punch... the problem finally raised its ugly head enough to see at a glance. It was the GPR, I put a new GPR in last FEB. when i had the glow plugs replaced, well 11 months later it was toast. it must have not been sticking all of the time but just enough to be a problem. i have to admit it was my fault, i went with a stock GPR over going with the stancor model due to it being $20 cheaper and i was in a money crunch.
I have now let my truck set for almost a week and it will start like i have been driving it all day long....so maybe thats all it needed all this time(knock on wood)..

 

[horsehauler]

*******Update**********
winter is rolling around again and i have been driving the truck every couple of days and everything seemed okay, until it started dropping down in the teens. then it got were it acted as if the batteries were dead and i just had both of them replaced in febuary. so i had them checked and they said they were okay, so i finally went off the deep end. i took meter and checked the amps that were being drawn, which was 540 milliamps. which is way too much, but i traced it down to what i think was causing my problem by pulling fuses one by one. i think it was my oe radio causing the problem(fingers crossed) but after the truck sets about 20 minutes the draw go to zero. And now a month has gone by this morning it was 18 outside with 22mph wind and blowing snow. did NOT plug the truck up, i let the glow plugs cycle turned the key the motor rotated for about 1 1/2 seconds and she fired right up. i still have no radio, but i think that is a small price to pay to able to just get in a go.....

 

[HVAC SuperTech]

Wow, old thread with a good ending....

Great deal man. I'd look into an aftermarket radio, and check wiring diagrams to see which wire(if any) has a draw on it. Could have just been the radio.

 

[AgTires4295]

I drive mine maybe once a week (if that). To keep the batts up to par, Ive mounted a solar panel from Harbor Freight. I think it was like $25 but it works really well. May help you limp along while leaving your radio plugged in. You can just barely see it mounted on the center-bottom windshield in my sig pic.