RAM truck is a battery eater

[clovisb31]

Why can't I get more than 3 years out of a set of batteries? OE batteries lasted maybe a week after original warranty expired. Replaced with Interstate/Costco version flooded lead acid type. Again within about 3 years, just beyond the warranty/free replacement period. The flooded lead acid type always seem to start leaking acid
and corroding the terminals just prior to failure. So...in an effort to get longer life and no acid leakage. I switched to the AGM type. Everstart Platinum from Walmart to be exact. 4 year free replacement warranty.
So one week shy of 3 years ( last week) BOTH batteries went bad. Typical no start click of the solenoid. Cold morning. Got both batteries replaced for free (4 hour wait time and discussion with the Walmart auto shop manager about how to properly load test 2 batteries separately and NOT while connected in parallel...but that's another rant). AGM type batteries are SUPPOSED to last longer and be more reliable than the flooded lead acid standard OE batteries, but not in my case. So, looking like I'm destined to be replacing batteries every 3 years
regardless of type/brand? I don't recall my F250 as a battery eater, but that was 10 years ago.

Also...when you start getting dash display warnings such as " Service ABS barking system" and "Service four wheel drive system" ... don't ASSume these are correct. A low voltage situation caused by batteries failing will also trip these warnings. And they WON'T set a code in the OBDll either.
Just so ya know.
Rant off.

 

[AH64ID]

What year is your truck?

How often do you drive it?

Lastly, modern batteries just aren’t what they used to be so between lower quality batteries and the electronics that never fully go to sleep on a modern rig I’ve started putting my truck on a tickle charger if it will sit more than 3-4 days to try and improve battery life. Time will tell if it works or not as my current batteries are only 2 years old.

 

[BigPapa]

We’ve had the same battery life in our Ram diesels in our fleet. They get driven everyday except weekends. We’re running flooded ACDelco Golds.

 

[Tuesdak]

Why can't I get more than 3 years out of a set of batteries?

Where do you live? Are you using the OEM battery blankets? Offhand every 10F over 70F cuts battery life in half so in the Phoenix, AZ area one is on borrowed time in year 3. Generally the heat damage shows up for cold starting. Short trips with the power sucking grid heater don't allow the batteries to fully charge and they start to sulfate to death. December is generally the time my RAM batteries die.

Where were the batteries under the hood of the Ford vs the RAM's that are near the hotter firewall area under the hood? Duramax pickups have one battery at the firewall and on by the radiator. Fan rotation etc. all add up to the firewall battery usually failing first from being hotter.

One member got some outstanding life from the Batteries Plus X2's in part by using a battery tender on them often. X2's are simply relabeled NorthStar that's now owned by Enersys that also makes Odyssey batteries.

 

[Turbo Terry]

Interesting post. My batteries are now a bit over 36 months old . They are on a Noco 2 amp while in the garage. No real short trips but I did get the yellow 4 wd dash light a couple of days ago but only once and not again. I was going to change them at 4 years old ?????? Going to get expensive every three years right?

 

[Diesel85]

Depending on when you bought your truck during the 2020-2023 "world issue", it is know that there is questionable batteries.

When I was shopping around back in 2022-2023 for a truck, jump starting and replacing batteries in brand new cars and trucks was common.

Surprised no recall on it.

 

[Turbo Terry]

My truck was built in August 2021 delivered November 2021 so batteries are 40 months old and how old were the batteries before they were put into new truck. Makes you wonder

 

[Diesel85]

My truck was built in August 2021 delivered November 2021 so batteries are 40 months old and how old were the batteries before they were put into new truck. Makes you wonder

There is a date code stamped into the plastic. Folks were finding 2019 batteries as far out as 2021 in brand new trucks.

Don't think when you bought your truck in August 2021, you were getting 2021 batteries.

 

[Lordsman]

Interstate batteries aren't very good anymore in my opinion. The last ones I bought lasted a few days and were frozen when I returned them. Their warranty is a lot less than it used to be. Got my $ back and bought a different brand. This was on a 2003 5.9. My 2014 has Mopar batteries that were 2 yrs. old when I bought the truck over 2 yrs ago. So they're 4+ yrs old now and still working fine. I use a Schumacher tender to maintain them. I'll buy new ones next spring and will be Walmart AGM H7's. Can't beat the warranty.

 

[BigPapa]

Most of our trucks are’17 models.

 

[06 Dodge]

I got almost 14 years from the ones in my 06, I'm just now coming up on 3 years for my 22, so far no problems of any kind, also it can sit for anywhere from 3-10 days without being started

 

[clovisb31]

What year is your truck?

How often do you drive it?

Lastly, modern batteries just aren’t what they used to be so between lower quality batteries and the electronics that never fully go to sleep on a modern rig I’ve started putting my truck on a tickle charger if it will sit more than 3-4 days to try and improve battery life. Time will tell if it works or not as my current batteries are only 2 years old.

Wow...lots of varied responses here.
We live in the central part of Kalifornia, where summers get over 100 degrees for weeks at a time. This of course means engine compartment temperatures well above that. A literal oven for the batteries to sit in all summer. It's a daily driver so it doesn't sit
for several days while the small parasitic draw from the "always on" electronics will kill it over the course of probably 2 weeks.
Just for info it's a 2015 2500 Big Horn crew cab with 185K miles

 

[Ozymandias]

Well, flooded lead acid batteries generally don't like the very high charging voltage that our trucks pump out occasionally, they'll boil and die fast.
One always need to read the spec sheet of a given battery if it can take it or not.
Not all batteries are created equal.

 

[clovisb31]

Interesting post. My batteries are now a bit over 36 months old . They are on a Noco 2 amp while in the garage. No real short trips but I did get the yellow 4 wd dash light a couple of days ago but only once and not again. I was going to change them at 4 years old ?????? Going to get expensive every three years right?

At 3 years old I'd be load testing those batteries.
My wife has been complaining for several week that the dash warning "Service electronic brake system" And "Service four wheel drive system" were coming on intermittently when she first turned the key on the the diesel fuel warmup procedure. And sure enough, when I went to check it out it wouldn't do it for me. I just chalked it up to " she doesn't know what she's really seeing" and didn't give it much more thought. She kept insisting the messages were repeating every time she started the truck. So I plugged in the scan tool to see if any pending codes were stored, even though the CEL was not lit. NO pending codes.

The day before Christmas she drove it to Paso Robles and parked it outside, overnight, in the cold. Next morning...." Click" DEAD!
I always keep a portable jump starter hand so no problemmo to get it started.

RAM diesel trucks and Harvey Davidson motorcycles...best battery eaters in the business.

 

[Ozymandias]

I got almost 14 years from the ones in my 06, I'm just now coming up on 3 years for my 22, so far no problems of any kind, also it can sit for anywhere from 3-10 days without being started

2012 Durango, still on the first battery.

 

[Ozymandias]

Doing the gridheater cycle every time you start it sure doesn't help batteries and is also totally unnecessary to start the engine.

 

[clovisb31]

Well, flooded lead acid batteries generally don't like the very high charging voltage that our trucks pump out occasionally, they'll boil and die fast.
One always need to read the spec sheet of a given battery if it can take it or not.
Not all batteries are created equal.

And this is why I switched from a Flooded lead acid to an AGM type. "Supposed" to last longer and not suffer from electrolyte boiling and acid leaking past the post seals, along with other differences. Higher cost too. Typically priced from a low $179 at Walmart to over $400
for some "higher quality" brands. For example...Odyssey H& AGM battery $300-350 depending on where you buy. Or Optima's at even higher price. Huge price differences for AGM's in this size. So how do you know you are getting a better battery by paying twice the price?
Answer" You don't

 

[AH64ID]

My 18 had a lot more of a parasitic draw than my 22, which is probably more similar to your 15 but that still seems excessive.

Does the truck ever give the battery saver mode message?

Any aftermarket electronics on the truck?

There is a date code stamped into the plastic. Folks were finding 2019 batteries as far out as 2021 in brand new trucks.

Don't think when you bought your truck in August 2021, you were getting 2021 batteries.

Where at? I was trying to find a date stamp on my OE batteries yesterday but couldn’t. I didn’t remove one thou.

 

[Diesel85]

My 18 had a lot more of a parasitic draw than my 22, which is probably more similar to your 15 but that still seems excessive.

Does the truck ever give the battery saver mode message?

Any aftermarket electronics on the truck?




Where at? I was trying to find a date stamp on my OE batteries yesterday but couldn’t. I didn’t remove one thou.

It is on the side. Only way to see it is if you remove it.

 

[AH64ID]

It is on the side. Only way to see it is if you remove it.

Gotcha, was hoping maybe there was a way to decipher the gibberish stamped in the top.