Symptoms of a Dying Battery (-ies) ?

[Diesel Thunder]

Well, here's the story:



Today after work I get in to start the truck and it fires up a little slowly and has a very rough shaky idle. Some blue and white smoke belched out of the exhaust for 5-7 seconds--then cleared, but the rough idle remained. It was 48 degrees outside and the truck sat for 10 hours. The grid heaters are doing their normal cycling during the rough running.



So, I turned on the manual high idle and the truck RPM bumps right up to 1100 and runs perfect. So I increased the idle up to 1500 and still smooth.



Turned off high idle and truck idled rough. High Idle on = runs smooth.



Now after the grids shut off and the alternator started charging... idle smoothed out slightly and got progressively better over the next five minutes. It drove fine on the way home.



Fuel Pressure... checked and fine

Volt Guage... charged above 14V the whole way home (12 miles interstate)

Fuel Filters... factory and 2 micron changed 1000 miles ago

Power Service fuel additive... check



Could this be due to the factory batteries dying on me? Was the load from the grids too much on the cold batteries for the injectors to all fire correctly?



Only had 1 puff of smoke one time prior... bought truck new, no engine mods/programmers ever. Intake/Exhaust only.



Thoughts?



Thanks in advance

 

[Mishkaya]

If the starter motor cranked OK I would suspect an injector issue. If the starter motor was slow, then it could well be the batteries. When I had hard starting issues and smoke, it was always the injectors on my '05... :{

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

These are similar symptoms to what my 02 recently exhibited.
I thought it was possibly a bad grid circuit because I wasn't experiencing the typical voltmeter swing when cold, hard (longer thanusual time) starting, smoking right after starting. My favorite mechanic said it would more than likely be the batteries, and tested them - one tested bad, one still good. Had both replaced and the truck started so much stronger and runs great.

I would surely have the batteries checked first.

I know... Yours is a Gen 3 and mine a Gen 2 - Gary, my mechanic, said it is a typical issue with all the Cummiins.

 

[p-Bar]

Ya I'm with the battery test. Grid heaters on a cold morning with bad batteries = low voltage which won't work the injectors properly. If you have a multimeter I would hook it up in the morning after the grids have cycled and see what your voltage is . Don't rely on the feel good gauge in the dash they are junk.

 

[rbattelle]

Are the little green indicator balls still visible?

Ryan

 

[juicedcummins]

My 05 has done the same for the last couple of years @ least. IT is just the nature of the beast.

 

[MMeier]

Check the batteries, and replace them both... even if only one comes up bad .

 

[CStringer]

Dumb question... how do the batteries come out? Is there a trick besides removing the pistons for the hood?

 

[EricBu12]

Probably a clamp at the base of the battery. . Haven't looked at my 09 but that is my guess

 

[Diesel Thunder]

Thanks for the tips.



The truck hasn't done it since.



I wish these batteries had the built in hydrometer indicators, but they don't.



Interestingly, I have a small area of corrosion forming on one of the terminals--seems to have come quickly... Gonna put some baking soda/water on it today.



I'm gonna get the batteries load tested this week.



As for the injectors, my oil level has stayed right at normal and I currently am awaiting results from an analysis at Blackstone from the last oil change--really hoping not to see any fuel contaminants.



Thanks for your suggestions, I will keep this updated.



Cheers...

 

[Skydiver]

Diesel Thunder, After you drive your truck (to fully charge both batteries) Remove a negative lead from each battery and allow to sit 24 hours. After 24 hours good batteries will read 12. 6 volts each.

Some good reading.



Batteries -- and Other Electric Stuff by phred

 

[MVenditti]

Injector, mine did it also until fuel burned off then ran good.

 

[SSell]

FWIW... . just replaced original batts in my '05 with a set of COSTCO's finest (cheaper than walmart at $72 ea, supposedly made by johnson controls & generally get very good reviews, 36mo free replace, 100 mo pro-rate). Truck cranks much more "positively" & doesn't "suck down" at idle while the heaters do their thing (idles more smoothly?). Very subtle but I think it runs differently. I'm thinkin' I pushed my luck running those batteries as long as I did, they both test fine & measure 12. 7V after sitting couple days but I KNOW they were waiting for me to get way the heck out in the boonies so 1 of them could quit.....



oh yeah---1 bolt removes holdown clamp at bottom/side of battery, no handle so work a strap around it so you've got some grip to pull it out.



cheers!