Battery help please....thanks!

[taxreliever]

I know, from older threads, that we have some pretty darn good battery experts and wondering if I need a new battery for my 77.

I had a tender plugged in all winter, too!

Unplugged it and she started up right away, no problem.

Over the next few weeks after the initial start up, I used the rig 2 or 3 times; started up fine.

Let it sit for a good 3+ weeks and started it up to pull it out to show a friend; started up fine.

Only sat about 1 week since that last start up and I went to start it and while there were lights, there wasn't enough juice to even get the motor to crank even once.....

Hooked up the battery charger and it showed 11.3 volts.....charged it at 5 amps for a few hours this morning and it charged it to 13 volts and she started up right off.

I'll let it sit for a few days or longer and see how she goes, but with the above scenario, do I replace the battery.....hate doing that....I go through more batteries.....ugh!

I even kept it on a tender......I can't imagine anything in that rig that would draw current without the keys on.

 

[m78]

I'd start with cleaning the battery posts. Evan if they look decent.

 

[taxreliever]

I'd start with cleaning the battery posts. Evan if they look decent.

Thanks Mark.....I thought of that and they really do look super clean, but before I did that, I decided to check the voltage.....11 is low, right? And after I charged it to 13 volts, she started right up normally.

 

[m78]

Are you checking voltage on the post of the battery or the lug on the wire thats connected to the post. ?

 

[taxreliever]

Are you checking voltage on the post of the battery or the lug on the wire thats connected to the post. ?

Oh....maybe I should unhook the cables before checking?

I just hooked up the clamps on the charger/reader to the battery posts with the cables still on them as it sat.

 

[m78]

You should probably get a volt meter. Then check the posts.
If there's corrosion between the post and lug, it wont allow enough current thru to turn the starter

 

[taxreliever]

You should probably get a volt meter. Then check the posts.
If there's corrosion between the post and lug, it wont allow enough current thru to turn the starter

If that's true, then wouldn't it still not start after I supposedly charged the battery?

Or is it possible, the 11+ volts would have been enough, but not enough of it's current was flowing through to be able to start it, but the fully charged battery did?

Thanks Mark!

 

[cbaker65]

Could also be dirty enough to were the altinator isnt putting the
charge back into the battery.
I think the battery post will even get enough glaze on it too,were
it efects the battery.I think the humidity in the air causes the lead to
glaze.When I lived in Texas,I was constantly cleaning the post..

 

[Big Jim F150]

Try cleaning your terminals, and after you clean your terminals both the posts and clamps put a little grease on them to prevent corrosion, and also check your alternator and voltage regulator, also check your battery cables especially where pass by the frame rail, or where they might be grouped together and where the insulation might get cut and or chafed, also chec the end of your cables near your clamps for any bare wires, and also have your battery checked for dead and dying cells which will draw a battery down . By the way how old is your battery? For age will also cause them to not hold a charge, for I had to replace the battery in my 2007 Chevy Colorado DD after about seven and a half years, when the battery was guaranteed for six years.

 

[SuperCab]

How old is the battery? A battery tender can sometimes fool you into thinking your battery is still good when it no longer is... We went through that with Duncan's truck on the quad trip last year

 

[DNFXDLI]

11 volts is dead Ken, couple of things come to mind along with what Mark mentioned.
Get yourself a load tester...a Harbour Freight on is fine, that will put a decent load on the battery and give you a good idea of what condition the battery is in.
It sounds like the tender is working from what you said, but they do crap out, I've had 2 of them do that to me..might want to check though.

Is the only modern thing you have just a stereo?...if so that is not normally enough of a parasitic load to draw the battery down in the short term.

 

[SuperCab]

You mean Harbor Freight. No crown spellings here!

 

[DNFXDLI]

Hehehehehehe!!!!

Also Ken, batteries as you know do just crap out....it sucks, but they do.

 

[fatherdoug]

Ken, my experience is, if the battery is at 12.0 volts, it is dead. A good battery should be 12.5 volts. You might also want to check the battery when running. The battery should indicate 14.5 volts when running if the alternator and battery are in good shape.

It is also possible you have a dead cell?

 

[taxreliever]

Could also be dirty enough to were the altinator isnt putting the
charge back into the battery.
I think the battery post will even get enough glaze on it too,were
it efects the battery.I think the humidity in the air causes the lead to
glaze.When I lived in Texas,I was constantly cleaning the post..

Going to check this....thanks!

Try cleaning your terminals, and after you clean your terminals both the posts and clamps put a little grease on them to prevent corrosion, and also check your alternator and voltage regulator, also check your battery cables especially where pass by the frame rail, or where they might be grouped together and where the insulation might get cut and or chafed, also chec the end of your cables near your clamps for any bare wires, and also have your battery checked for dead and dying cells which will draw a battery down . By the way how old is your battery? For age will also cause them to not hold a charge, for I had to replace the battery in my 2007 Chevy Colorado DD after about seven and a half years, when the battery was guaranteed for six years.

I like the grease idea....thanks!

Not sure how old it is....going to check it now and see if I can find a date on it.

How old is the battery? A battery tender can sometimes fool you into thinking your battery is still good when it no longer is... We went through that with Duncan's truck on the quad trip last year

This is what I was afraid of....if everything else is good, I probably just need a new battery.

11 volts is dead Ken, couple of things come to mind along with what Mark mentioned.
Get yourself a load tester...a Harbour Freight on is fine, that will put a decent load on the battery and give you a good idea of what condition the battery is in.
It sounds like the tender is working from what you said, but they do crap out, I've had 2 of them do that to me..might want to check though.

Is the only modern thing you have just a stereo?...if so that is not normally enough of a parasitic load to draw the battery down in the short term.

I have two modern things on it, stereo and an aftermarket alarm system, but that's it. The other things added to it, but only come on with the key in the "on" position, are the additional tail lights in the tailgate.

Ken, my experience is, if the battery is at 12.0 volts, it is dead. A good battery should be 12.5 volts. You might also want to check the battery when running. The battery should indicate 14.5 volts when running if the alternator and battery are in good shape.

It is also possible you have a dead cell?

Thanks Doug.....it appears the battery may not be good anymore.

 

[taxreliever]

So, the terminals look pretty good.....the negative side has a tiny bit of corrosion if you look real close, but I'm thinking the quick-disconnect might be an issue also, which it has in the past.....there was always some corrosion that built up very quickly on the disconnect switch, which I've been meaning to replace, just hadn't hadn't made the time to do so.

The disconnect worked awesome at car shows and such.

Also, I believe this is the same battery that was in the rig when I bought it in 2010, so probably time for a new one anyways! Any recommendations, or just your plain wally world 800-1000 cranking amp battery will do for this thing?

 

[taxreliever]

 

[fatherdoug]

So, the terminals look pretty good.....the negative side has a tiny bit of corrosion if you look real close, but I'm thinking the quick-disconnect might be an issue also, which it has in the past.....there was always some corrosion that built up very quickly on the disconnect switch, which I've been meaning to replace, just hadn't hadn't made the time to do so.

The disconnect worked awesome at car shows and such.

Also, I believe this is the same battery that was in the rig when I bought it in 2010, so probably time for a new one anyways! Any recommendations, or just your plain wally world 800-1000 cranking amp battery will do for this thing?

You will get a myriad of opinions on this one. I've been happy with Interstate brand. Duncan has a battery that he uses, but I can't recall the name. I also tend to change batteries after 5 years, regardless of the warranty, because of our remote location.

The best battery I have experienced was a Panasonic in our Not-ford. It went 9 years without a hiccup. Alas, Panasonic does not sell batteries on the retail market.

Also did you clean the terminals with a "battery brush"? They are sold at any parts store, and come apart so you can clean the inside of the terminal as well as the outside of the post. Doing so will remove the oxidized layer of lead off of the post/terminal, which allows for an easier trip for all those electrons.

 

[smokey]

From looking at that disconnect I would hazard to guess it is a BIG part of the problem.
The battery could be bad also.

 

[m78]

^ agreed. Do away with it.