Suggestions for truck electrical problem

[JB4310]

Brian,
I think you just saved your self the hassle of having your batteries go dead and have to be jumped or get stuck away from home, or worse, battery bombs.
I had a 95 Ram with Cummins, I got exactly 6 years on each set of batteries (changed them twice), with mine there was no warning except maybe one slow crank just before no crank. With my 5.9 you couldn't let off the key fast enough, that's how short it cranked before it started, I think that's why it gave no warning.
I have the new 6.7 Cummins in a 3500 Ram quad cab/chassis, this engine cranks longer than the 95, maybe 2-3 seconds.
John.

 

[RonMar]

Thew last battery I had to replace went just like that also, no warning at all, just a failure to start and no charge/unable to take a charge.

Jinman, that is an interesting one. If your charge voltage is normal now, I bet that battery had an internal short. A battery with a short/minus part of a cell, will overcharge when connected to a standard regulated alternator. An alternator is dumb and it's regulator voltage adjustment assumes that it is attached to a properly functioning battery. That overcharge condition would have eventually depleted/boiled(gassed off) the battery electrolyte which led to a exposed spark and Boom...

There was a gentelman who posted about a battery explosion more than a year ago on his tractor(battery under the seat) that turned out to be IMO, most likley the result of an alternator overcharge condition(16V) after the alternator was replaced.

I am an ET by trade, so checking charge voltage when I check battery electrolyte levels and change the oil and other such maintenance is kind of second nature to me...

 

[jinman]

Update - Last night I cleaned all the battery terminal connections and reinstalled everything.. Today I drove it to AutoZone and got two new batteries. So far it has not made any more noise.. time will tell though..

Good choice! I have two Duralast Gold batteries in my truck and I've never had a problem. I think they are some of the best. I'm not saying there aren't other great batteries, I'm just saying that Duralast Gold is in that great group.

 

[jinman]

An alternator is dumb and it's regulator voltage adjustment assumes that it is attached to a properly functioning battery. That overcharge condition would have eventually depleted/boiled(gassed off) the battery electrolyte which led to a exposed spark and Boom...

Actually, I think the problem was normal Texas heat and a fellow who didn't keep his eye on the battery. Everytime I've checked the charging system it was putting out about 14.65 vdc. I don't think I can find anyone or anything to blame except the guy lookin' back at me in the mirror.

A better question might be how I know the electrolyte was low. After all, if I had checked it , I would have filled it. And since the battery blew up, there was no way to check the electrolyte. Well, since there was so little acid around the battery, I'm assuming that the electrolyte was low. I really have no way for certain of knowing that.

 

[thatguy]

UPDATE - It appears that the problem was a loose connection where the accessories attach to the driver side battery.. Since cleaning the accessory connection I have had no more problems.. I dont get to drive the truck that often so it has taken me a while to make sure the problem was resolved..

thanks for all the help

Brian