can i add a third or even forth battery ?

[triverrat]

I have a f 350 super duty 4x4 1987 will adding another battery or 2 increase my cold cranking power? and i use extra lights on the back alot to see while loading and unloading! ive got a switch that has three settings on it.battery A,B and both , i was going to use that to run my lights and to back up my original batterys for cold starts or dead battery.is there any spiecal way that they need to be wired or is this too much for my altinator?sugestions and advise welcome ,thanks

 

[79jasper]

Why not just get good batteries?

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

 

[Hydro-idi]

You can start a dead cold idi engine with one good battery if you also have good cables and starter.
But yeah, put 4 on there lol.
Sounds like your truck has other problems with it.

 

[Thewespaul]

New cables will help more than a fourth battery

 

[no mufflers]

I think three is plenty.

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I have since made different terminals.

 

[DaveBen]

Check ALL of your cables, both ground and positive. Make sure they ALL are clean with NO CORROSION. Clean all posts and joints. There are grounds running form the engine to the chassis. You will be amazed how well they work after the cleaning.

 

[towcat]

I have a f 350 super duty 4x4 1987 will adding another battery or 2 increase my cold cranking power? and i use extra lights on the back alot to see while loading and unloading! ive got a switch that has three settings on it.battery A,B and both , i was going to use that to run my lights and to back up my original batterys for cold starts or dead battery.is there any spiecal way that they need to be wired or is this too much for my altinator?sugestions and advise welcome ,thanks

I do night work also. best thing I did to reduce the battery demand was switch over to LED lighting. check Amazon and fleabay for good ideas.

 

[Black dawg]

You can start a dead cold idi engine with one good battery if you also have good cables and starter.
But yeah, put 4 on there lol.
Sounds like your truck has other problems with it.

"cold" is relative.

 

[u2slow]

I used to run 3 batts in my E350 work van.

Two for cranking... custom mounted and cabled from boxes I mounted inside. 1 'house' gel battery I used my inverter with. Tied in with an ACR (auto charging relay).

 

[Hydro-idi]

"cold" is relative.

If you have a "well maintained" engine with a good starting system & glowplugs, these engines will easily start at 0 F. If you have a ****** starter, 4 glowplugs burnt out and a crappy IP that is original, then yes you will need 4 batteries to get that heap going lol.

 

[jwalterus]

"cold" is relative.

If you have a "well maintained" engine with a good starting system & glowplugs, these engines will easily start at 0 F.

0° is NOT "cold", it's chilly

At 0°F I will go out to start my truck in a t-shirt and gym shorts

At -10°F it's "a little nippy"

Cold begins when the temps drop below -20°F

 

[Black dawg]

If you have a "well maintained" engine with a good starting system & glowplugs, these engines will easily start at 0 F. If you have a ****** starter, 4 glowplugs burnt out and a crappy IP that is original, then yes you will need 4 batteries to get that heap going lol.

OP never complained about any starting issues, just extra for some work lighting and "backup" for cold starting.
I do agree, with everything in shape these will start fairly easily at 0.

 

[Black dawg]

I have a f 350 super duty 4x4 1987 will adding another battery or 2 increase my cold cranking power? and i use extra lights on the back alot to see while loading and unloading! ive got a switch that has three settings on it.battery A,B and both , i was going to use that to run my lights and to back up my original batterys for cold starts or dead battery.is there any spiecal way that they need to be wired or is this too much for my altinator?sugestions and advise welcome ,thanks

IF all your batteries are in shape, connections and cables, probably the best thing you can do is to put a 3g alternator on it, as the original puts out very little idling.

 

[raydav]

My van spends a lot of time running accessories without the engine running. So I added four batteries with a 200A relay in between. The two original batteries run only the engine. Accessories, including head lights run off the secondary batteries. The secondary batteries can be run dead and there are still two full batteries to start the engine. A single 3G alternator charges all six.

 

[pelky350]

since you mentioned engine off and acc all on led lighting wouldn't be a bad start since they draw much less power, extra battery never hurt anything to just run acc off of but of course normal charging system maintaince is always a must, cleaning terminals, good batteries alternator and so forth