Factory Batteries Take a DIRT-NAP at 18 month old!!!!!!!!!

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OK... i was waiting to post this till I made sure it was the battries and not the alt. Last month I went to take the Black night of the high-way out for a cruise and turned the key got a {{{{{{{click click}}}}}} after a few choice words I pulled up the family truckster and jumped my poor Ram, off i went and passed it off as me leaving the interior light on. Last week, after washing my truck I take it for a spin to blow most of the water off before i towel dry... same thing {{{{{{{ click click}}}}} Now I knew I had a problem... I had my buddy load test the batteries and the one went down to 8 volts!!!!. So after only 18 months and 9600 miles, they were pushing up daisys, and was forced to buy 2 new batteries. Jus wondering how long everyone esles batteries lasted... JB

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99 Black/Agate, Quad,Long bed,4x4, SLT,Auto,HX-40 16cm2 & ATS Exhaust manifold treated to Jet-Hot 2000(Gray),DD stage 3 injectors,4 wire Blue Box,"True" 5 inch Jet-Hot Coated exhaust from turbo to Tailpipe(Over the Axle),Borla Shoot-out Muffler,Suncoast converter, BD valve body and pressure-loc,Mag-Hytec trans pan,Amsoil ATF-4,Mobil Super Delvac 1300,fuel line up-grade from lift pump to filter and from filter to injection pump,Auto meter Ultra lite gauges:Boost,EGT,Fuel Pressure,Trans Temp, Valentine 1, EZ-pass

 

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Mine lasted only 2 years. Replaced them with Die Hard,, but will probabaly go with Optima next time.

 

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My wife's Durango battery lasted 10 mos. , 10,000 miles. Dealer replaced it free.

 

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Sorry to hear the bad news, Quad... John just made a pre-emptive strike on his batteries and changed to the Optima yellowtops. Wow! They look pretty in there.

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Rob Hanson
1999 "Big Red", 3500 SLT QC 4X4 6 spd, 4. 10 LSD, Braided SS fuel lines, Mag-Hytec Rear Cover, Cummins E-Brake, Blue Box, Bosch 275HP injectors, All-steel Cowl Induction Hood, Rhino, Rosewood Kit, Scotty System, SportComp Gauges, TorkLift SuperHitch, Teshonka Brake Controller, Rear Flood lights, Cobra CB, DeeZee Running Boards, BD 2WD Low kit, Air Lift bags and a Geno's "I tromped a Ford" decal. Member of BOMB! (WW NW Chapter)

MyPics.com (pics updated 10/14/00)

I'd rather be... .
Cummin than Strokin.

 

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Sorry to hear about your battery problem JB! I agree with Rob, I also am a firm believer in Optima batteries. I needed batteries for my track loader, removed my ETH batteries and upgraded to Optimas! I would rather jump the loader than the Ram!!!

Chad

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2001 ETH,3500QC,4x4,SLT,6spd,4. 10,White/Agate,Straight Exhaust.

2001. 5 ETC,3500RC,4x4,SLT,5spd,3. 54,Red/Agate,Straight Exhaust.

 

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I have to replace the batteries on the truck I'm selling. Went out there to start it and it didn't even click. I put it on a battery charger all day and it wouldn't take. They were bought in Dec 97.

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Curtis Harris

FOR SALE
"Big Red" See Truck for Sale

MY NEW TOY
1997 Club Cab Dualie
correctly valved 5 speed. White, Brown Manf. brushguard,Sprayed in liner, Stock plate and AFC properly adjusted. That all for now. More to come.

 

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My batteries are the ones that came with the truck in April '95, 147K miles ago. I took the caps off before many months had gone by and have been checking the water every oil change since then. It's remarkable how often these maintenance free batteries need water. When these give up the ghost I'll get some Optimas.

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Joe George
Eureka, CA

'95 2500 CC auto 4X4,3. 54,Combo EGT/boost guage,custom switch panel,PacBrake,TST #5,BD valve body,Automatic motorhome steps on both sides,Foldacover hard bed cover,Cummins chrome kit,Black steel grill guard,Front hitch receiver

 

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Just replaced the stock batteries on my '95 2500 with Optimas. My '95 3500 still has the stock batteries cranking strong. Only one of the 2500s batteries ended up being bad,the other one will more than likely end up in a tractor.

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95' 25004X4,AT,Driftwood,Banks,Warn fender flairs and running boards(Play truck)95 3500,5 speed,driftwood,Banks&phscotty,34,000 GCVW apple and tractor hauler(work truck)

 

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None of the 7 new Chyrsler vehicals that my family has bought have the OEM batterys lasted for more then 18 monthes before they started to go bad. Even when I worked for Dodge in the early 80's we had battery problems then back. I've always replaced them with Interstate Megatrons of Optimas

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2001 3500 ETH/DEE, Black and loaded, chief transportation for two hayburners.

 

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Mine are still going strong after 26 months.

One thing to rember is that the factory doesn't just buy 2 at a time and that pallet full might have sat there for awhile after deivery. You could have ended up with batteries 2 years old to begin with if they didn't rotate stock properly

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4-sale or Trade
'99, 3/4, QC, SLT, 4x4, ISB, 5sp, 3. 5xlsd, tow pac, HD tcase, tow mirrors, camper pac, White over driftwood, Mist gray interior. With less than 19,500 miles.

 

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Well, I have a 96 purchased in 96 new, and it still has the origional batteries after 71,000. They are starting to crank a little slow if it sets for several days, but that never happens #ad
. It did have the radio, amp and KC daylighters on for several hours the other night nad cranked just fine.
I had a 85 chivy half ton that the stock batteries died in december 95. It had only 20,000 on it. But when they died, they went from working to not very fast, 10 miles. #ad
The origional alternator died a few weeks later due to it missing the battery.

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1996 2500, 4x4, 5 speed
-- email address removed -- Great Lakes TDR
PURDUE STUDENT 
GO
BOILERS

 

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Quad, mine died on the way to work. Blew the 140 amp fuse so the other battery started to die. I made it to work, but had to have it towed to the dealer. They replaced both batteries and fuse. No charge! ~23,000 miles, 24 months.

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99 3500 QC 4x4 a/t loaded Driftwood/agate Proper Valvement, PS, Line-x

 

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98. 5- no problems yet!

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98. 5 2500 QC,SB W/ camper shell, whitw w/driftwood lower 2wd,3. 54, loaded w/o leather,chrome Westin step bars, BD tc/vb w/trans temp,4" BD exhaust from turbo back, firestone airbags, heavy duty pullrite hitch, Bug sheilds, 4x4 type mud flaps front and back, Amsoil bypass & air filter.

 

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Just got word that two Cummins trucks a friend of mine has both puked the batteries at 45k. They are both 98. 5 trucks.

I guess I will be replacing my batteries next summer.


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Y2K 2500 QC Sport 4x4 LWB
72 Dart 340
89 LeBaron GTC 2. 2 TI

 

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Delco Voyagers are great batts.

They are maintenance free, marine, deep cycle batts, and even have built in spark arresters.

I've used the **** out of them and my last set lasted 10 years, even with running my big transmitters & inverters off of 'em. Never had a problem , and they always take a good charge and come back up to the top even after being abused and run dead over & over. 'nuff said, I already put a couple of 27's in my truck. 69 bucks each.

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2k, 22k miles, QC, 4x, 6sp, 3. 54,285/75r16 bfg/at, stock air cleaner (reliable), silencer ring "in" (runs better), popup cmpr, 9000 lbs. 14. 5-16 mpg (w/camper), 17. 5-19 (empty). VA, DD1's, PS Boost module, DD Elbow... also, Nitrous Oxide piped direct into the block (stealth - to keep the warranty), twin turbos, 10 gallon per minute fuel pump, ECM right out of Don Garlit's Top Fueler (he gave it to me) (for letting him ride in my truck), Super Modified DD1 Injectors ("Hand Honed" with a 1/4" reamer & my 12v (thats "volts" not "valves") Makita). More BOMBING to come!!

 

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JB, you may want to check out the TSB regarding the glove box light... just in case you may be suffering from that problem. It's just like the refrigerator light dilemma... . does the light really go out when you shut the door? #ad
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Just a thought.

 

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Shortshift,

You are right about the Delco Voyagers. I had 3 on our Ranger Bass boat that lasted nearly 10 years. Lots of cycling on the 40 lb thrust trolling motor(2 Group 27M batteries), running the electronics, and cranking the outboard(1 Group 24M Battery).

No leaky posts or acid all over the tops either--the battery compartment stayed clean too. I finally replaced them on the boat when we sold it last year.

Bill

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Y2K 3500QC, 6 Speed, 4. 10, SLT+, Camper & Tow Pkg. , Westin Chrome Nerf Bars, Mopar Flaps, Reese 20K Hitch, EGT & Boost Gauges, RPM 45 Gallon Aux. Fuel Tank, Highway Products 5th Wheel Toolbox, ECM Controlled PacBrake, Painless Wiring Kit, Mag-Hytec Diff. Cover, Rancho 9000, Air Lift 5000 Air Bags, 80% Towing Hitchhiker II 31', 2 slideouts, 19,750 GCW, Lance 990 Camper, Torque-Lift Camper Tiedowns

 

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Mine are good so far, with 18 months and some cold weather, but the Delcos or Optimas are starting to look good...

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1999 Sport 2500 QC LB, 4x4, SLT, 5 Spd, 3. 54, Camper Package, Trailer Package, Linex liner, SmittyBilt nurfs, K&N filters, 245/70R19. 5 Toyo M680Z, 19. 5" rims, SilBlade wipers, NO silencer ring

 

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Hey JB, my OE batteries are still good. I have an idea... . I'll give 'em to ya... ... . although you'll need to pay the freight. #ad
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Anyone using the "new" ones I saw the other day at WallyWorld? Look like they have a "relationship" with the Optima's (dont recall the brand - and there was no price posted). They had 700 crank amps and I think they listed a MAXX-N1 for us (1k cranking?? or was it 900). The ones I saw were MAXX but just took a "quick" look. Might be cost effective (3yrs free replacement 9yrs total warrantee - SHEES cant remember name but most of the other stuff - anyhamizers??). Oh WHell, if someone has knowledge about these - let us know, please??

SOTSU!!
\\BF//