RAM truck is a battery eater

[John Jensen]

How big of Noco do I need and how long do they last. Just another battery

I have a Noco Genius GBX55 in my Ecodiesel and a Noco GB150 in my 3500 6.7 HO. Others report that their Noco GB40 also starts their 6.7 okay. IMO the GB40 is marginal.

I recharge mine once a year if not used, They are Lithium batteries so hold their charge very well

 

[AH64ID]

I have the GB40 in the wife’s Gladistor and a GB150 in my Ram.

Being lithium batteries they will last a long time, a lot longer than the batteries in your vehicle.

 

[Tuesdak]

Might be time to buy one of those Noco boost jump starts to carry behind the seat.

Um, No. Put two of the jump packs on my 2018 when it had a bad battery and a murdered discharged battery. Even sitting for time and trying it wouldn't even crank even bypassing the grid heater. You are better off with good heavy jumper cables because that's what it took to get it started so we could go to the battery store and get them replaced.

 

[Ozymandias]

I'm going to try my hand at a replacement battery blanket replacement due to vermin damage! I'm going to use the same insulation that is used in "oven mits", with a heavy canvass cover over this inner. I like the insulation as it has an inner radiate barrier. This may be whats need, and since I just replace my batteries with Walmart AGM H7's, should be a good test on longevity. Got 4 years from Champions from Pep Boys. Still have them and they're holding 12.3v. I have cores available for trade to keep "newest" old batteries for genny and other needs. If I ever need to replace the bed and go with a flat bed, will for sure move them from engine bay! Would be able to set them up similar to the way a "big rig" has them done. Will keep updates coming' or start new thread.

Why not just order a replacement? They aren't expensive, doesn't need to be Mopar, just fit a Group 65.

 

[Grumpy8811]

Why not just order a replacement? They aren't expensive, doesn't need to be Mopar, just fit a Group 65.

they are H7's or Group 94R in the newer trucks.

 

[AH64ID]

Um, No. Put two of the jump packs on my 2018 when it had a bad battery and a murdered discharged battery. Even sitting for time and trying it wouldn't even crank even bypassing the grid heater. You are better off with good heavy jumper cables because that's what it took to get it started so we could go to the battery store and get them replaced.

That only works if you can find someone to jump you. I have both jumper cables and a big NOCO jumper pack because I spend a lot of time where other people aren’t.

 

[John Jensen]

Um, No. Put two of the jump packs on my 2018 when it had a bad battery and a murdered discharged battery. Even sitting for time and trying it wouldn't even crank even bypassing the grid heater. You are better off with good heavy jumper cables because that's what it took to get it started so we could go to the battery store and get them replaced.

What make and model or amperage rating jump packs were/are you using?

 

[clovisb31]

Might be time to buy one of those Noco boost jump starts to carry behind the seat. I don’t want to get stranded remotely. Click click click not good

That's how I jump started mine, with a small portable jump starter. They contain Lithium Ion batteries and stay charged for a year or more. Better than jumper cables as you don't need another vehicle to connect to.

And it's not "CLICK, CLICK, CLICK" when these batteries die. It's only ONE CLICK.

 

[Topzide]

@Ozymandias, I'd rather make a better"mouse trap" so to speak. I also have the material laying around and with the heart of winter upon us, plenty of inside time to knock it out. Figure the the better insulation should help maintain temps better. Will also be able to make the top flap more secure than whats out there. Most of the replacements don't have the top flap, and the Mopar ones are $50+ each!.

 

[Grumpy8811]

@Ozymandias, I'd rather make a better"mouse trap" so to speak. I also have the material laying around and with the heart of winter upon us, plenty of inside time to knock it out. Figure the the better insulation should help maintain temps better. Will also be able to make the top flap more secure than whats out there. Most of the replacements don't have the top flap, and the Mopar ones are $50+ each!.

I've often wondered if the battery blanket does anything worthwhile.
All any insulation can do is slow the rate of heat transfer, it can not eliminate it.

 

[JR]

The chipmunks loved my batt blankets so much they turned them into nesting material. I opted for the blanket delete at around year 2 of ownership.

 

[petersonj]

I have a John Deere tractor with an Optima battery ($99.00 at the time) installed in February of 2006. That battery is still working fine today after 18 years and 10 months, and over 2,400 hours of operation. No trickle chargers, no blankets, no jump-starts, and the battery has never been removed. Only the alternator has ever charged the battery.

The tractor gets used year-around and is stored in an open equipment shed. I live in Eastern Oregon - so, lots of cold winter morning starts.

I know - apples and oranges - but, still...,

- John

 

[AH64ID]

I have a John Deere tractor with an Optima battery ($99.00 at the time) installed in February of 2006. That battery is still working fine today after 18 years and 10 months, and over 2,400 hours of operation. No trickle chargers, no blankets, no jump-starts, and the battery has never been removed. Only the alternator has ever charged the battery.

The tractor gets used year-around and is stored in an open equipment shed. I live in Eastern Oregon - so, lots of cold winter morning starts.

I know - apples and oranges - but, still...,

- John

View attachment 142638

Back at the end of the era where optima made great batteries.

I bought a yellow top around 2000 that I once drained so low (left a dome light on for 6 weeks). It took 3 or 4 battery chargers before one would even recognize it as a battery and 3 days to recharge. That was in 02 or 03. I moved it to another rig in 06 and sold that truck in 07 with a perfectly good battery.

Sadly Optima’s reputation has gone downhill since then.

 

[BigPapa]

A lot of the new “smart” chargers won’t start charging a battery if it’s below 7-8 volts. If you connect a charged battery to it with a set of jumper cables and then start the charger, you can then disconnect the good battery and it will continue to charge.

 

[AH64ID]

A lot of the new “smart” chargers won’t start charging a battery if it’s below 7-8 volts. If you connect a charged battery to it with a set of jumper cables and then start the charger, you can then disconnect the good battery and it will continue to charge.

Yeah, they need to see something.. my yellow top was at 0.0V.

 

[endoscott]

good question on the life of these things. I just bought a jump start pack based on the review from the project farm guy for my SIL. I got the Gooloo for $109. Yes the NOCO came in #1, but the Gooloo will work on a completely dead battery and it's 1/3 the price of the NOCO and was #3 in the ratings. It seemed really heavy duty and well made. Will see how it holds up over time.

 

[nukegm]

good question on the life of these things. I just bought a jump start pack based on the review from the project farm guy for my SIL. I got the Gooloo for $109. Yes the NOCO came in #1, but the Gooloo will work on a completely dead battery and it's 1/3 the price of the NOCO and was #3 in the ratings. It seemed really heavy duty and well made. Will see how it holds up over time.

project farm does great tests/reviews. sometimes i watch on cc without sound. sometimes a tad overwhelming. very informative " channel " i have a 2000 noco. its great. started my 02 5.9 no problem. never tried it on my 18 2500. cheers!

 

[Ozymandias]

Yeah, they need to see something.. my yellow top was at 0.0V.

Same applies to common hand tool battery's, if the charger doesn't react anymore just but-end another known good battery to them for 10-15 minutes and afterwards the charger will recognize them again.

 

[Diesel85]

Same applies to common hand tool battery's, if the charger doesn't react anymore just but-end another known good battery to them for 10-15 minutes and afterwards the charger will recognize them again.

Some of our cordless tool battery packs (we run both DeWalt and Milwaukee) and some of our older packs will go down to 5v or less and the charger doesn't like that. I've taken them home on my bench power supply and "rejuvenate" them at 21v for a few minutes and it's enough to get the charger to be happy to charge them. Can get a few months out of them before they just go haywire. Some just ain't having it, some cells just are internally shorted and just take out the rest of the cells in the pack.

We got a local battery supplier that rebuilds cordless packs, but they've gotten just as expensive as just going and ordering them online.

 

[Tuesdak]

This is why chargers don't charge "Low Voltage." Video of a shorted cell in this Optima, their favorite way to die when overdischarged now. Before Optima's didn't care about overdischarge so much as I used one for a CB power source in the early 1990's and charged it only when the CB died. I used it to start a car for awhile after that abuse as it only suffered a loss of RC. Today an Optima would be all like this with a shorted cell:

Filling the room with hydrogen gas. Old school manual charger...