question about batteries

[surreyboy]

hey every one , i have a question about my batteries . im away for 2 weeks at a time for work & when i come home , my truck is dead , i hook up a charger & let them charge over night & everything is fine , the truck starts & starts fine for the 4-5 days im home but then im gone again for another 2 weeks . my question is , can the batteries get to a point where they only charge to 50% ? the reason i ask is the if the truck doesnt start on the first crank of the key , the batteries will die ?? they can turn the truck over maybe 20-30 times then there dead ?? what would one suggest ? or how could i test the alternator to make sure its charging properly ?

thanx

[BIG JOE]

Originally Posted by surreyboy

hey every one , i have a question about my batteries . im away for 2 weeks at a time for work & when i come home , my truck is dead , i hook up a charger & let them charge over night & everything is fine , the truck starts & starts fine for the 4-5 days im home but then im gone again for another 2 weeks . my question is , can the batteries get to a point where they only charge to 50% ?

1. Yes.. they will take whats called: A Surface Charge.

the reason i ask is the if the truck doesnt start on the first crank of the key , the batteries will die ?? they can turn the truck over maybe 20-30 times then there dead ?? what would one suggest ?

2. A Surface charge is just what it sounds like.. it's not a Deep, Full charge. Doesn't last long.

or how could i test the alternator to make sure its charging properly ?

3. Key Off, with a volt meter, you should read 13.? volts. Engine running, it should read 14.? volts.

thanx

The BEST thing to do: Get EACH battery (independent of each-other, Load Tested. If One, or Both test Weak ? Replace them BOTH, with new batts that are less than 90 days old, and preferably.. with the same Build Date.

Auto Zone and the like, will usually Load Test them for Free.

Joe

I'm think'n, by what you've described.. yer Batteries are shot ?

[BJS]

yes your batteries can get weak enough that if it doesn't fire off on the first try then it'll die, I just replaced my batteries because of that exact problem. I'm sure that it didn't help that my Stancor was dying.

I'd replaced my batteries about 3 years prior as warranty replacements from AZ (I should have suspected since this set makes my 4th set in 8 years) and since both provided plenty of voltage and my starting voltages never dipped below 9.9V I figured I was good to go. Before I replaced the batteries I went so far as to swap to a SD gear reduction starter which bought me about 2 months before I had to bite the bullet and buy the batteries, I wasn't going to put in another set of AZ batteries.

[Dogman]

Originally Posted by BIG JOE

The BEST thing to do: Get EACH battery independent or each-other, Load Tested. If One, or Both test Weak ? Replace them BOTH, with new batts that are less than 90 days old, and preferably.. with the same Build Date.

Auto Zone and the like, will usually Load Test them for Free.

Joe

I'm think'n, by what you've described.. yer Batteries are shot ?

X2 what joe said
but to add to this is find you a smart charger. There small and they mount under the hood. When you leave plug it in and it will keep the batterys charged. They shut off when not needed and they test the batt. too.

[Dogman]

Here is the on I have. Work great
Battery Tender Power Tender Battey Tender 021-0157-1 $39.90

[DaveBen]

Those work really well. I have one on my stand-by generator.

Dave