Batteries drained overnight

TronDD

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Ok, I think diodes in the alt are bad. I get a reading on the multimeter in both directions.

Tim.
 

bbjordan

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It appears it could be bad diode(s). Some auto parts places will test your alternator for free. If you can find a place to test it, why not?
Might be a good time to do a 3G upgrade if that is the problem.
 

TronDD

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You did.

I still don't understand how that could power the truck, though.

Thought about doing the 3g upgrade. Have to see how much is involved with that.

Tim.
 

HS108

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I shouldn't have read your thread. I go out to start my truck this afternoon... guess what no juice... jinxed myself lol

Edit: Mine was an easy fix, wiggled the cables and banged the relay and it cranked fine. Just have to narrow down which one fixed it lol
 
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icanfixall

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Think of a diode as a water valve. When the engine shuts down the current that tells the doide bridge to close shuts down too. So the diodes open. No flow of electricity flows thru them. Now if one "forgets" to close its going to drain the pool of electricity out of the battery. Electricity flows thru wires like water flows thru pipes. Valves are needed to stop the flow..
 

TronDD

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Draining the battery makes sense. Powering everything doesn't. If the FSS (for example) is off when the ignition is off, there is a break in the pipe (or a closed valvue in the plumbing analogy). How can power flow through and turn the FSS on when there is a break? That's what I'm not understanding.

Tim.
 

PackRat239

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Make sure BOTH batteries are good and matching. I just went thru the "draining Battery" trouble. Testing showed some items being the drain, and sometimes others on. Tried everything listed here. Store said alt. tested bad. Replaced it. Same problem, just less cash. Finally took both batteries to a store I trust, and found one bad battery and one good. The bad was draining the good one, causing the problems I was having. Replaced both for good measure, and no more troubles, even after sitting for a couple of weeks. Starts GREAT now. Something to think about.
 

icanfixall

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Packrat. Batteries will react off each other. It was explained to me once this way. Think about two differant containers of a fluid.. Lets say water for simplisity. Now connect both of the two containers togehter with a hose. Now remove some of one of the containers. Watch the other full container flow water over to equal the level on the partly mt container. Same princible works with batteries. If one is bad or low on voltage the low one will pull from the normal level battery. They will pull down the good battery to the level of the bad battery. That could be down to nothing because of a dead cell. Hope this help. I know its expensive but we should replace both batteries when one goes bad. Now if you can determine the condition of the good battery is just as good as the new battery don't replace it but know this... That good old battery will go bad before the new good battery.
 

TronDD

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Ok, still got power with the alternator completely disconnected. Bad diodes or not, that isn't my root problem.

Was able to narrow it down to the black/orange(ish) wire on the starter solenoid. Guess where that goes. Right into the "slightly" melted connecter heading for the glow plugs. I ended up breaking the connector trying to get it part. It was more melted on the inside than on the outside. Hard to tell what was making a connection in there but I'm guessing that's my problem.

It got dark before I could verify for sure, but it's a know problem area. Makes a lot more sense to me than the alternator. ;)

Tim.
 

icanfixall

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Are you refering to the engine main wire harness connection plug.. If so just take it apart and make single wire connections from the wires on both sides of the plug. All that plug is used for is removing the engine easily. Just unplug the harness and pull the engine. But you really don't need that multi wire plug. Or find a wrecked truck and cut that plug from the harness. I know your ruining the wire harness for others but hell. Do what you need to do. Not very many owners are looking for an engine wire harness but I still hate ruining something..
 

TronDD

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That's the one.

I damaged the chassis side of the plug. This pins are still in place and good so I think I can get by with running the glow plug wires externally and just taping up the plug to keep the water out for now.

Tim.
 

TronDD

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Well the plug doesn't really go together tightly now. Power cut for a split second while driving. Guess I'll have to replace it. :( If I can find a new harness, I'll pick one up as mine is pretty corroded anyway. Otherwise, I'll replace the connector with a weather pack.

But running the glow plug power bypassing the connector solved my problem with the truck not shutting off.

Tim.
 
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