Charging issue.....i think

[pennsylvaniabo]

So I live close to my work, and drive my truck there daily. This is roughly 1 mile each way. I know not the best for a diesel, but it is what it is. Anyhow, once it starts getting colder, or if I make multiple short trips like cutting wood along a road, it seems to have issues. For example I went to work Friday and Monday, but the truck sat all week end. Fridays temps were in the 50's on both days, till this morning which was low 40s. Well the truck just wont start.

This is the 3rd or 4th time this year it has done this. The cables are tight, the starter and alternator are less than 1yr old. It wont even spin the truck enough to fire once. Now if I plug the block heater in and the trickle charger, it fires great. My thoughts are that somehow cycling the plugs twice or more in a day without driving for longer periods of time, seems to be killing the charge in the batteries....

The batteries are 2-3 years old and are a group 78 i think(size that fits the batt boxes), though not deep cycle.

Thoughts? I just feel like with everything in good order there is no way it should kill 2 batteries that easily?

 

[chris142]

The short trips are not long enough to recharge the batteries.you need a battery charger and to charge them once a week I would guess.

 

[pennsylvaniabo]

It fires great running a truck mounted trickle charger for 3 hours each morning with the block heater....but it doesn't have this issue in the summer unless short runs like gathering wood.

 

[OLDBULL8]

It takes about 20 miles of driving to recharge/replenish batteries after one start and GP cycle. When you gather wood, just let it idle, very little fuel is used. As far as that one mile to work, get a bicycle.

 

[pennsylvaniabo]

Yeh yeh get a bike, but gotta take kids and stuff as well.

 

[chris142]

3 hrs on A trickle charger is not enough. It will take many hrs to fully charge your run down batteries. Assuming that they are not damaged from a low state of charge. Lets guess that you have 2 batteries with a 100 reserve capacity. It will take 20 hrs to recharge just 1 with a 5a charger. 40 hrs for 2 batts @ 5a.