Electrical Problems?

[threejacks]

Yesterday I tried to start my truck and it turned 2 or 3 times and then started to click. I thought maybe I had corrosion on post, looked clean but I did wiggle cables to re-set them. Made sure WTS light cycled and truck started slowly. Drove it for an hour or so, everything fine, even started 3 or 4 times while gone.

Today, turned over 2 or 3 times, no start. Battery post show no corrosion. Cleaned all battery connections, checked starter connections. No start. Put jumper cables on from car and after 5 min. truck started. Gauge reading normal.

Alternator 12-14 months, batteries 2 months old 1000 CCA. Went to 2 places to check alternator, both places check good. Went to battery supplier and batteries check good. We did check each battery diconnected from the other. Truck started 7 or 8 times while on this trip with no problems.

Any suggestions as to what may be wrong on this one?

 

[whatabudro]

Look for something draining the batteries down. Is it only happening after the truck sits for a while, then all is normal after it starts the first time?

 

[threejacks]

The truck set overnight and then driven an hour or so each time. I am going to be driving it about 250 miles tomorrow (if it starts). That should give me a better look if it's something else.

 

[Crumm]

Could be a Starter or Starter Solenoid problem.

 

[whatabudro]

Is there a load when you take the batteries on/off, lots of sparking?

It could also be the starter or solenoid like Crummy said. We had a 92 F450 superduty with a 460 that had a bad solenoid that would drain the batteries unless it was disconnected everytime you parked it.

 

[rtxcoon]

just a diagnostic idea....get it started and run it for awhile to get the batts charged....when you park it overnite, disconnect the batts positive side...

if it starts in the morning (spinning really good start) you have some sort of batt drain going on (short, light on, drain)

if it doesnt, then the batts (or a batt) is bad....not keeping a charge

 

[threejacks]

I am going to put small maintainer/trickle charge on tonight to be sure it starts in the morning and I will be driving it for 4-6 hours, 2 1/2 to 3 hours constant and then back home. It should be charged full charge and then maybe disconnect and see what happens.

Batteries checked good by two different places. Bought new 3/14/2006.

 

[MUDWHISTLE]

Yeah like whatabudro said shut the key off and make sure nothing is running,like cb, dome lights or any other lights and disconnect and connect the battery terminal and se if it arcs when you toch the posts, if there is an arc there is a draw on the batteries when everything is off.

 

[threejacks]

There is no arc at all when removing or reattaching cables. There is no extra wiring, no CB, no extra lights. The only thing not factory is trailer plug that is hard wired to factory wiring when purchased truck in Nov 1994. For the last two or three weeks truck has only been driven once a day for 10 to 15 miles and then parked for another 23 hours. Could it be batteries are not recharging long enough and actually slowly going done little by little. I will know more after going on a longer drive.

 

[BJS]

I've had a very similar problem with my commuter ranger immitation, In that I have good contacts at the battery but it will occaionsally not start there will be enough juice that you get warning buzzers until I hit the starter then It's like I have dead batteries, I can hear the starter solenoid click but then nothing and there is enough battery drain that the radio looses the programmed stations. I knew the negative post terminal was a bit loose on the battery so I replaced the cables & tested the battery all showed up fine for a while then it started happening again. Again the consitant fix was a switft smack on the negative terminal. Then it'd work again. I replaced the battery and found upon dissection of the battery that there was a hairline crack (not with arc spots around it) That showed up in the internal attachment of the negative post.

The short drive cycle is what my diesel sees quite frequently and I have no problems with draining batteries even when I'm running w/o a chip so my gp's fire on every start.