2011 batteries dying????????????????

[KYOUNG]

My 11Dodge 3500 laramie is getting where if not driven at least weekly, will loose enough amperage to not have enough to start.

After the first time it did this, it started the next day because it was warm. Any way I drove it 35 miles the next day to work and disconnected the batteries and they were showing 12.78 and12.82 on my olm meter. Than hooked up and running seems like over 14 volts.

Are these batteries bad?? I know that everytime i unlockn it or do anything the lights come on all the door locks and mirror lights and radio. I s the nav sucking the battery down too?

Any ideas or do just need to ponyup for new batteries, these are going on 4 years?



Kevin

 

[JR]

You need to test them again once theyve been disconnected from the truck for a period of time, that will give you a better idea of wether something is drawing them down or they are not holding a charge. You could also take them in and have them load tested. Most any auto parts store will do this for free and give you a print out of the results.
Batteries should last longer than 4 years but thats not to say yours may be shot already.

 

[Road Dog]

You can't tell much by measuring the voltage. You need to load test them. Most battery and automotive shops will test for free. You could have a load that doesn't turn off or you could have a bad alternator. To find a mystery load takes some work with an amp meter. Remove the ground from both batteries and put an amp meter in series (between the -ve post and ground wire) with one battery. The amp meter should be set to at least 10A. The reading should be close to zero if everything is ok. If not, then pull fuses until the mystery load goes away. If it takes a week to discharge then the load is around 0.5A - 1A.

 

[slingshot383]

It seems to be a common issue that the factory batteries are not lasting very long. It's a bite that there is over $300.00 going out of your wallet so soon, but better to have good batteries than a pair that will sooner or later leave you stranded in a parking lot.

 

[Hoefler]

All three ( 05, 08, & 2010 ) of my Ram's batteries needed to be replaced at about 2 years old.

 

[KYOUNG]

Well I ended up at an Oreillys and had batteries checked, one was good and the other said charge and check. So I had him replace both batteries and good to go I hope for several years.

 

[LarryM]

Well, this is me too! I had the original batteries go bad after two years, I drove the truck averaging 60 miles a day back and forth to work. I thought that the OEM batteries just gave up the ghost. I replaced them with interstate batteries to the tune of $350+ dollars and they lasted only 6 months. Electrical checks of the shutdown draw were within specs and both new batteries were charged and checked prior to install. I now have the third set in this truck since new, everything checks out and I am checking with a voltmeter every few days. So far, shut down voltage averages 12.66 volts and no problems. Hmmmmm! I wonder...........

 

[Hoefler]

When I had mine replaced at the dealer, they had to reprogram the computer.