2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Dead Batteries overnight

[kid]

I have a '98. 5, 2500, 4X4, automatic trans. My problem is that my batteries have been going dead over night. I have just moved to Idaho from North Carolina and the temperature is a lot colder. I tested the voltage across the battery posts and got what I expected, 13-14ish volts. (My volt meter is not that easy to read) I also know that the batteries are new. A little research told me that it might be my fuel preheaters and that they are running all the time. So I started looking in my back issues and I can't find out how to check them, where they are, what they look like, and how to replace them. I'm not a good mechanic, but I can bust my knuckles with the best of them and I want to fix this myself. I need some help!



Kid

Mountain Home AFB, ID

 

[B.G. Smith]

The fuel heater is in the filter housing I believe, the intake air heaters are the big users and the relays for them are under the battery on the drivers side. You could check to see if they are stuck closed by using a volt meter and test from a known ground source to each of the big terminals on the relay, one should show battery voltage, the other open. A bad diode in the alternator would also draw the battery down. With truck running you should see 13. 9 to 14. + voltage at the batteries. bg

 

[kid]

I'll snoop around and see what I get. I did get right at 14 volts with engine running between the battery posts so I think the alternator is still good. I also get a good recharge when I run the engine every day to keep the batteries charged. Thanks Kid

 

[JGK]

Kid,

Go down to the local Shucks or Autozone or NAPA and have one of the guys load test your batteries. Take a wrench and be prepared to remove the ground cable on one prior to the test so they are tested individually and not hooked together in parallel. The load tester will give you a much more accurate reading of the true capacity of the batteries. A volt meter will show proper voltage, or the push behind the electrons, but it doesn't show the quantity of electrons (amps) available. Load testing will.

I did a load test a month or 2 ago on my 6-1/2 year old Interstate red tops (Optima reds with Interstate sticker). They showed CCA reserve amps of about 450 each. About a week and a half ago I jumped in the truck to head to work at just after 6 am and all I got was a bunch of clicks. They were gone. I even boost charged them a few weeks prior to this and it didn't keep them alive. When their time is up, its fast. It took a jump from the car and a spare RV battery I had in the garage hooked in parallel to get the truck going that morning.

The only thing that should be using your batteries overnight is your radio which takes very little juice. The fuel preheater shouldn't be an issue. They just have to have the amps to crank the engine.

If your batteries load test at under 500 CCA and your truck sits out at night, these Idaho nights will kill them.

-Jay

 

[AABEN]

YOU need at lest a 1000cca per batt that is a heaver batt. The 03 came with 750 cca per batt. You only get what you pay for. where you are you need to plug it in at night.

 

[cahammer]

kid welcome to Idaho i would think it would be your fuel heaters also we have a tdr sub chapter here in idaho come see us at IdahoBombersForum. Com - Idaho Diesel Truck Club or IdahoBombersForum. Com - Idaho Diesel Truck Club we have quite a few members in mountain home if ya need some help