What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Truck keeps killing batteries.

DrkZide

DrkZide

Loading...
Joined
Oct 28, 2010
Posts
838
Reaction score
0
Location
Littleton, CO
Problems with this truck just won't stop. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the bad weather but if the truck sits for more than a few days then the battery goes dead. I just put in a new battery Saturday and it was dead this morning.

Would this have anything to do with the starter that won't stop trying to start?
 
sounds to me like you might have the starter selinoid stuck closed.
when you turn the ignition the selinoid closes the high current connection to provide the starter with the current needed to start the motor.
If it were to be stuck closed it would continue to try to "start,ie engage/spin the starter" also if it were stuck closed it would supply a path for the battery to discharge .
 
Would it also destroy the battery? The old one is bulged out which I don't remember buying it like that. Should I just replace the starter?
 
DrkZide said:
Would it also destroy the battery? The old one is bulged out which I don't remember buying it like that. Should I just replace the starter?
Click to expand...
Or at least the solenoid.
But these days you can take the starter and get it tested for free, if it's toast change it, if the solenoid is bad change that.
But yeah that is why your battery is dying.
 
That's what I came in to say. Just test the solenoid - you can do it by removing the power from the battery to the starter motor (big cable) and then send 12v to the solenoid. It should click on, and then when you stop the power it should click off. If you don't hear 2 clicks, then your solenoid is shot. Replace it.
 
Jessie James said:
That's what I came in to say. Just test the solenoid - you can do it by removing the power from the battery to the starter motor (big cable) and then send 12v to the solenoid. It should click on, and then when you stop the power it should click off. If you don't hear 2 clicks, then your solenoid is shot. Replace it.
Click to expand...
I said to take it in for testing because they can test everything in case the starter is bad so he doesn't replace a solenoid then find out he had a bad starter and have to do it all over again.:dunno:
 
could be freezing...

Yes it is possible.. A full current direct short to ground or full load for an extended period of time, can cause an electrical circuit to over heat even at -16 deg.
could just be expanding gas in the battery.
 
oakknight said:
could be freezing...

Yes it is possible.. A full current direct short to ground or full load for an extended period of time, can cause an electrical circuit to over heat even at -16 deg.
Click to expand...

Yeah freezing can kill a battery but to swell it means overcharging or high current draw for extended time (both produce alot of heat)
 
imiceman44 said:
Yeah freezing can kill a battery but to swell it means overcharging or high current draw for extended time (both produce alot of heat)
Click to expand...

How can you have "high current draw for extended time"? High current draw will kill the battery pretty quick. Remember engine not starting and killing the battery? He has said it happens after a few days. And freezing will bulge the battery. I know my lawn mower didn't overcharge the battery last winter. It froze and swelled enough I had to pry it out of the battery box.
 
British Slave said:
How can you have "high current draw for extended time"? High current draw will kill the battery pretty quick. Remember engine not starting and killing the battery? He has said it happens after a few days. And freezing will bulge the battery. I know my lawn mower didn't overcharge the battery last winter. It froze and swelled enough I had to pry it out of the battery box.
Click to expand...

A few days is a long time, I suspect his draw is killing the battery within half a day.
 
Would the solenoid be causing the short? Keep in mind the starter already doesn't stop (even with the keys out) unless the motor turns over. I'll pull both when I can clear the garage out, get a small heater and kick this flu
 
Yeah, I think he has two semi-related problems.

The starter solenoid or wiring that is causing his starter to either run all the time, or try to run intermittently.
And the resulting dead battery which froze.

As most of you know, the electrolyte in a charged battery is mostly Sulphuric Acid, which has a freezing point of between -65F when fully charged to a specific gravity of 1.250, and -93F if charged to 1.75.

But, when its dead, the electolyte is mostly water, and will freeze at about +15F at a reading of about 1.120if I remember right.

So, I think his battery went dead, and then froze solid bulging the case and ruining the battery.

Also, most stock starters will not stand long term cranking, so if his cranked continuously until his battery went dead, he is probably going to need a new starter as well as a solenoid.
 
OK, 20/30 seconds should not hurt a good starter. I suspect you have either a wiring problem or a starter solenoid problem that is killing your battery.

When it gets good enough outside to work on it, you need to pull the cranking wire off the solenoid and briefly hook up to a good battery to see if it tries to crank by its self.
If so, its the solenoid. If it trys to crank when you try hooking up the starting wire, then it is somewhere in the wiring.
 
A very high current draw like a starter load or a short , more than a few seconds is long term , sorry for being unclear.
 
Did you resolve this problem? If so how did you do it? I have to disconnect my battery after every day I use it or it will be dead within a few days. It also kills the battery after a month or so if left connected. I havent paid for the 8 new batteries I have had to get in the past five years!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom