Service 4WD and Batteries

[JR]

Ive got the battery saver mode message 2 days in a row now. Not even cold - mid teens at night.

Guess now is as good a time as any to find out whether a set of group 31's will fit in the gen 4's.

 

[SnoKing]

Over the last year I have pushed the start button and the did not start. Each time the grid heaters had cycled. On second push it started.

This morning I pushed start, grid heaters cycled and it did not start. Second or third push of start and the Service 4 wheel drive system message come up on EVIC. I disconnected the grounds and measure voltage, drivers side was 12.71 and passengers side 12.65. hooked batteries back up and it started.

We leave for Arizona in three weeks, so I replaced both batteries. Truck is 4 years old with almost 60K on the clock to me and was built in Dec 2014.

Hopefully everything will be good to go. SnoKing

 

[nukegm]

comrade sno - the voltages you measured at the batteries , to my understanding , show the batteries were fully charged. from what i have read, anything over 12.6 volts is almost 100% charged. happy friday comrade

 

[Newsa]

Over the last year I have pushed the start button and the did not start. Each time the grid heaters had cycled. On second push it started.

This morning I pushed start, grid heaters cycled and it did not start. Second or third push of start and the Service 4 wheel drive system message come up on EVIC. I disconnected the grounds and measure voltage, drivers side was 12.71 and passengers side 12.65. hooked batteries back up and it started.

We leave for Arizona in three weeks, so I replaced both batteries. Truck is 4 years old with almost 60K on the clock to me and was built in Dec 2014.

Hopefully everything will be good to go. SnoKing

My Original batteries died just short of 4 years. Bought the truck Sept 2013. Batteries died late July 2017.

It was likely the batteries...... Not working reliably under load

 

[SnoKing]

comrade sno - the voltages you measured at the batteries , to my understanding , show the batteries were fully charged. from what i have read, anything over 12.6 volts is almost 100% charged. happy friday comrade

I know that, however that does not mean that one of them is in the process of failure. Given the history of other's battery life I thought it was prudent to just replace that. Stores were all busy and had extended wait time to load test them. So I just replaced them myself with Interstates from Costco with 42 month full replacement warranty. Was the only place I could find that had warranty coverage across the country with good customer service. Discount Tire does not do batteries, Firestone does not do H series batteries, and Les Schwab is not in Arizona where we spend 7 months of the year.

It appears that the modern electronics just shuts down start under conditions of low voltage. OEM batteries only had MOPAR labels/numbers on them. Could have be made by one of 5 or so manufactures as low bidder. OEM where 730 CCA and Interstates 765 CCA.

 

[Road Dog]

The bet way to check the batteries is with a load test. A battery might show a full 12.6 volts but can't deliver the 800 cca (cold cranking amps) it should. Any battery shop will have the hand held tester and will usually test for free. A load tester is under $30 on amazon.

 

[kthaxton]

The bet way to check the batteries is with a load test. A battery might show a full 12.6 volts but can't deliver the 800 cca (cold cranking amps) it should. Any battery shop will have the hand held tester and will usually test for free. A load tester is under $30 on amazon.

This is correct, voltage can be good, ability to produce amperage might not be good.

My truck is a 2015, purchased in October of 2014. In July, on vacation (of course) in CO, my batteries failed. Both failed the load test.

 

[SnoKing]

This is correct, voltage can be good, ability to produce amperage might not be good.

My truck is a 2015, purchased in October of 2014. In July, on vacation (of course) in CO, my batteries failed. Both failed the load test.

These kind of posts are why I just went ahead and replaced mine.