Archived Batteries? Generator? Neither or both?

[Newf Limo]

Started my truck on Friday to allow it to pre-warm before the wife took it to work. Had been sitting for about a week, and we just had a pair of -3 degree nights. By now it was sunny, darn cold and windy (17 degrees) and the truck cycled and fired up just fine. It ramped up, 3 cyl idle for awhile while i got some hay out for the horses, then i set it back to idle and shut it down.



1 hour later,



Wife drives to work, (10 miles). About 2 miles down the road, the CHECK GAUGES light, followed a little later by an AIR BAG light. She thinks the Voltage gauge and temp gauge were reading naught. She thinks the temp climbed normally as she progressed but the Volt gauge didn't move.



When leaving work a few hours later, she went out, pre heat cycled the key and started the truck. It was a little slow turning over but did fire up. Ran a moment, gauges went wonky... puff of smoke... engine died and then there was nothing. Turned key, and everything was stone dead.



Brief history: Replaced original (wonderful) batteries with Car Quest batteries Jan 08. Sept. 08, had to replace one battery because it evidently was broken inside or hade failed in some way. I had to pay $35 or $40 for the prorated BS. These batteries have been remarkebly unimpressive ever since. Excessive corrosion at terminals and everything around them. They never have been real strong at turning over the mighty Cummins either.





Today,



Went to her office and yanked out the batteries. Getting harder to do as the terminal nuts are being eaten away. Brought them home and put one on the charger. The gauge read a draw of 7 amps. Three hours later it reads 5. I decided to see if the other one would take so long. Hooked it up and the charger read fully charged!



Before I took the batteries out of the truck, I cycled the key to read the codes. 1682... 1693... p0500. ( I have the Service manual). I did NOT try to start the truck. About the time the codes finished, the battery power completely depleated.



As much as I would love to go out and spend $400 on batteries and a brand new generator, I am laid off from work so have to be frugal and accurate. Can't just start throwing parts at it.



So, 1682 is charging system voltage low. 1682G is a generator lamp, which she said she did not see.



1693 is just notice that a fault code is set in ECM and PCM



P0500- No vehicle speed sensor. I don't get that one. Normally at the rate she drives, I would expect that because the sensor can't read past Mach 1. 0. :-laf But the truck was cold and she knows not to drive that hard before it warms up. So, I don't understand that code.



So, how do I know that the Generator is actually working, and why would I have a completely dead battery, a full battery, and no voltage and no signs of a broken battery cable. The corrosion was cleaned up a couple months ago and was not too bad.



What do you reccomend?



Dang that was long. Sorry



Dennis

 

[Grizzly]

Sounds like a bad alternator or a bad connection to it.

 

[Newf Limo]

Now it is getting weird.



Just went out to check the progress of the charging.



Battery 1 was the one that seemd to be slow to charge. The charger read 3 amps so i disconnected it and measured the volts with a multi-meter. 13. 84V. I hooked the charger back up and it read "fully Charged". (like magic)



Battery 2 was the one that, when i hooked up the charger, it read "Fully Charged". (as indicated by a 0 amp reading and a green 'fully charged' indicator light. ) When I put the multi-meter to it... . 8. 7 volts I then hooked the charger back up. It is drawing 2 amps and taking a charge now, though I had checked a few times before, wiggling clips and what-not.



Battery 2 is also the older of the two batteries (by 9 months).



Not liking having to guess at this stuff, and it isn't making sense.

 

[BLNRAY]

voltage can be mis leading,have both batteries load tested,most parts stores will do it for free.

 

[Newf Limo]

Thanks,

Will do that tomorrow. Meanwhile, i will search the archives for good quality reasonably priced batteries. Or is that an oxy-moron. I would do the Platinum diehard batteries but, $180 each???? sheesh! I used to use Interstate batteries many years ago, and wonder if they are still any good. I will likely have to take a big loss on my 1. 5 tp 2 year old "70 month" batteries from Car Quest. I don't think i wan to pay the pro-rated difference on the warranty again for junk, just to have all the same problems. It would be, however, a good opportunity for CarQuest to offer really good customer service! Maybe i will have to post my experience as this unfolds, assuming the batteries are the problem.

 

[Missouri Mule]

When you change out batteries you need to do both at the same time.



Try Optima Red Tops I have had good luck with them (On my second set).



As far as charging goes (as per 96 model but would be about the same for other years).

Check Alternator output. The battery temp sensor (under driver's side battery tray) and ASD(automatic shut down relay, located in PDC) send data to the EVR (Electronic Voltage Regulator, located in PCM) which uses this data for alternator voltage output).

 

[Grizzly]

I'd get two batteries from Costco. Can't beat the price and the warranty.

 

[ttbird]

I'd get two batteries from Costco. Can't beat the price and the warranty.

I agree, on my second set from them, Kirkland I think, in fifteen years after OEM batteries died.

 

[MMeier]

X 2 on the Optima red tops. Have to wonder how far the corrosion has traveled up the cables also.

 

[DLane]

My Guess is your Batt. are fine and your truck was just not warmed up before being driven. My 2K does this as well, if not warmed up completely after sitting over night with temps in the teens or lower. Couple miles up the road the check gauges light comes on and volt gauge drops to zero. If you continue to drive running off your cold batterys they go dead fast and no more lights heater exc. Mine will continue to run because of the p-pump so the couple times it has happened I have been able to turn around and make it back home. But my batt. and alt. are fine working as expected just a glitch when low temps combine with not taking time to let the engine warm properly.

 

[Newf Limo]

Thanks for the input. I would have to buy a membership to Sams's club so that adds to the price. Got one last year but ended up never using it. I will still do a price comparison with that in mind, comparing them to the Sears Platinum Batteries. I wonder if the optima handle the extreme cold the way they seem to handle the extreme heat. From some postings, it seems they don't fare so well in Texas and Arizona, and some have said that the quality dropped after the the company moved to Mexico. Of course, my truck was made there and the quality was about as good as dodge gets.



I will test the existing Batts. today and if they check out good, I will test the other things as well. Gotta' get my truck home firts though. As far as pre-warming goes... I pre-warmed the truck before my wife took it. She was returning a few hours later and it usually won't even ask for a "wait to start" period in that short of a time. Been running that truck in -20f temps for many years, this has never happened. Sorry DLane, but I think your truck has a gremlin,

 

[Hoefler]

Both batteries are bad. They may show a surface voltage, but do not have enough to get the job done. If the batteries are shorted, the alternator will kick out from over heating or burn up. As said above, get them load tested. Leave them out side over night with a full charge, then test them, most likely you will have one or both test bad.

 

[Newf Limo]

Yup hoefler, they were out charging all night just for that.



If i got the Optima 34/78 red top, I could attach acessory leads to the front post and the main cables to the top post? If so, what kind of bolt (material) would you use to avoid corrosion from dissimilar metals (electrolisis)? May have to order them online...



Optima Battery Optima Batteries Free Shipping! Best Service! Deep Cycle Batteries Yellow Blue Red Top Optimum

 

[Newf Limo]

MMeier,

I agree totally. I will have all new cables made when i am back to work full time. These batteries have been very destructive.



I did manage to get my truck home this morning. I had chharged bothe batteries over night. I took them to Parts Plus and they tested them. The Newer of the two tested good and charged (760 amps) and the slightly older one tested as crap @400 amps and dropping. It also showed as defective, as in a possible internal short. Hence the Generator shutting down and the Check guages light and code 1682.



The bad battery had been on the drivers side. So, i switched places, fired the truck up and drove the 5 miles home. The Volt gauge read like it was chargeing for about a block, then the meter went to zero and the check gauges light came on again. I still made it home. Once home I turned the truck off and restarted it and the Volt guage read good again. So i think my generator is ok. I shut the truck back off so as not to push my luck. I have decided to go with the Platinum Batteries from Sears die hard since they are the Oddyssey batteries in a different wrapper and a hundered dollars less than buying them from Oddyssey. Go figure... .



Just been hearing to many bad things on the Optima's and for 10 dollars difference, I would rather have the 4 year replacement and 100month prorated warranty, and i can get it honored at any Sears (as long as they stay in business. ).



Thank you for all the help guys! I learned a lot about this charging system. Who knew that it was so advanced. I think if this had happened in the older trucks with just the basic alternator system and no ECM/PCM assistance, it would have eaten my alternator/V regulator as well.