My Truck eats batteries!!

[shearingmatt]

I bought a new I-24 Interstate battery in May for my 66 D-100 and it doesn't work at all! It won't hold any charge at all! I idled her for about 45 minutes and the solinoid barely clicked at all. Brought the alternator into AlPro and they tested it seems to be working properly although it has a bearing going out, so it does need replacing. Put out 14 volts. Brought the battery in and it dropped from 11.8 volts to 3. Gaa!! Haven't driven the truck in the last couple of months, which is part of the problem, but it still shouldn't do that.

So.. While I am putting a new battery and alternator in there. Is there any advantage to a battery that puts out more than 530 cold cranking amps? (Might it keep the headlights from dimming every time the RPMs drop?

How about an alternator that puts out 40 AMPs (what a truck with special equipment would have) instead of 35 AMPs (stock). This truck will be hauling an RV and trailers a lot next summer and I am planning on putting a couple of flood lights on there for driving windy roads in the dark. Also has an EI installed, not sure if that makes any difference at all.

In the past I have had some issues with electronic system. I can't leave the truck off (no issue its its just a few days) for too long without the battery dying, I am presuming there is a drain somewhere but have no clue where. I have had issues with the EI, but I just installed a ground to the engine block, but haven't driven it enough to see if that fixed it. Thanks all!!

Matt

[digdoug]

Matt,

When buying a battery for a truck that you intend to keep,get the best,biggest battery you can.You get what you pay for with car batterys.Another good idea is to get a plastic box to put it in.This helps insulate it from extreme hot and cold.It will make your battery work better and last longer.It also helps protect you and your truck from a battery explosion.When you buy a new battery,take it in the shop and charge it over night.If it isn't fully charged in the morning,take it back and get a new one.Like all automotive parts,just because its new doesn't mean its good.

With your truck turned off,remove the neg.post of your battery.Check for a arc as you do.If it sparks,you have a dead short that needs fixed.

Doug

[Jeffc]

Agree Doug.
Matt I posted over at Norms site.

[MountainMoparRobin]

Your cranking amps will be determined by the size of the motor and compression, A group 24 battery should have more than 530 cold cranking amps, it should be more in line with about 650 and more, Interstate does a large production of batteries and yes some get out the door without the acid level being correct, Example I have a 440 and I've got a battery that was produced dead 3 years ago, its a group 34 (which is the most popular with Mopars) it has 750 cold cranking amps, my truck will go a week at a time without being started and it still has just enough umphf to do it, but my battery is located in the bed on the passenger side, and after its started the 120 amp altenator puts a good hot charge on it for the first 60 seconds and the battery fires like new everytime after. The 90's and up Dodge Trucks have group 27 batteries they are huge, but the battery has no more cold cranking amps than the group 34.

[wideblock]

the crew cab has a duralast 800cca, and a 60amp dual field alternator. i still show a drain on the gauge when i run my driving lights with the headlights. but on those cold mornings, when shes being overly cranky about waking up, those 800cca's come in handy. if i were you matt, id still be looking at where your drain is. sounds like you havent fixed it. untill then, when your not driving the truck, simply pop the positive cable off the battery. i do that anyway if the trucks gonna sit a while. something as simple as the radio clock can draw it down over time. when you replace the alt, you ought to swap up to the newer dual field. they put out better and more consistant. im still useing the same old factory reg on mine as well, so it doesnt take a whole lot to make it work.

[shearingmatt]

Thanks for the help!!!!!!!

&%$# The darn interstate shops down here won't exchange without a receipt (never mind that I was assured that it was a newly manufactured battery when I bought it so they could see that it was manufactured less than a year ago) so it looks like I am going to have to wait for Christmas vacation when I can take it back to the shop I bought it from, and strangle someone if they won't credit the amount I paid for the battery for a bigger better one....

Called a couple of auo parts stores down here, and they don't seem to be very helpful looking for anything non-stock... Al-pro couldn't even tell me how many amps the stock alternator that they wanted to sell me put out. NAPA did find a 45 amp one, but I was hoping to go a bit beefier. Any ideas how to go about this? Or should I wait until I can go into the NAPA at home where they are actually useful? THANKS!

Matt.

[Jeffc]

ask for a 69 or 70, see what there rated

[wideblock]

i beleive mine is from a 70 modle, 60 or 65amp if memory serves. i used the electronic replacement for the stock reg and wired one of the fields to the battery ground. works like a champ. charges fast. but still goes dim at idle

[shearingmatt]

The dome light (which hasn't worked in a long time) was bleeding electricity from the battery! Since the done light works all the time (not just when the ignition is on) that explains the issue.

Matt

[Roger]

Matt, I'm glad you found your draw on the battery, I am running a 875CCA from a 2005 BMW 745i, I got it at work for free, a body shop wanted it replaced because it was dead, I charged it up and it was good. I have let my truck sit for 2 days with the radio on, and over 3 weeks without starting and it still fires right up. I think the key is the BMW battery is a deep cycle battery, like a marine battery. And if you disconnect a battery post it is reccommended to always disconnect the negitive terminal first. That way if you happen to touch metal with your wrench or pliers while loosening it, you won't weld you tool to the post or grounding point and the possibility of the battery blowing up is lessened.

[MountainMoparRobin]

When you take it to Interstate they will probably recomend them charging it back up, instead of replacing it, the batteries (most) can be brought back up at least 3 times before there shot, Also if you decide to go the dry cell type be prepared, they start at $129.00, and that won't be enough for your truck.
When giving the parts house the application just tell them its a 70 Charger 440 R/T. I got my 120amp altenator rebuilt in 1990 and here it is 2006 almost 2007, very, very, reliable, even with the aluminum housing its still heavy, but I will eventually have a large amp stero system and DVD player hooked in for surrond sound in the truck, with the PS2 game system, (so my daughter can watch movies and play games while at the local hangout).

[rock]

I lived with battery drain so many years I had a spare battery and a good charger and a good hydrometer. Course, I wasn't ever addressing the problem! Finally this year I swapped in a GM 12si alternator, rewired the truck to add in relays for the lo and hi headlites, horn , and added spare for future ac and radiator fan and electric water pump. Also added in a battery cable for an engine to body ground strap and a cut off switch at battery. What a difference!! I didn't know lites could be bright or horn could sound so good, and of course, never an exciting moment with a dead battery and places to go. Mine is a '64 that had NO relays and only the pitiful little ground web strap. Also a slant six, so I moved the alternator to the driver side down low to shorten the belt. SOunds like a lot of work, but it really wasn't!
rock
'64d100