Truck using 1 battery for some reason.

[jaed_43725]

For some reason my truck is only using 1 battery to start. I went to go start it and it died on me after a bit. So I threw the charger on it and I put in on my drivers side batt and it showed 100%. Then I moved it to my pass batt and it showed 5%. All my connections are tight and I cleaned them not that long ago. The wires are new and it good shape. But they still are not sharing power.

 

[icanfixall]

How old are the batteries. Its possible the flat battery has an internal short at one of the internal terminals. you will want to be careful working on that battery. If the terminal connection sparks then you will have a battery explode. Remember there is hydrogen gas made in the battery..

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

Individual battery ground cables are confirmed good?

 

[OLDBULL8]

Be very carefull. Make sure everything is turned off that can get power from either battery. Disconnect the DRIVERS side, then disconnect the PASSENGER side, remove the pass side battery, check it with a volt meter to see if you have any voltage reading at all. NO VOLTAGE READING, then one of the terminals internally, Positive or Negitive is blown. WIGGLE THE TERMINALS TO SEE IF EITHER IS LOOSE, IF EITHER WIGGLES DON'T TRY TO CHARGE IT, IT'S DEAD. If you get a voltage reading of less than 10 volts, hook a charger to it that is NOT turned ON, stand back and turn the charger ON then, see if it will charge, may take a long time to charge.

Edit; Protect your eyes. these batteries can EXPLODE with force.

 

[79jasper]

I remove both grounds, then check the batteries.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[OLDBULL8]

For the PO's info about batteries.

http://www.batterystuff.com/kb/articles/battery-articles/battery-basics.html#3

 

[drinkypoo]

The battery cables themselves are common points of failure and you cannot check them without removing them more or less completely. They will show low resistance until they get hot, such as during starting.

 

[OLDBULL8]

He said.

The wires are new and it good shape.

 

[jaed_43725]

The one battery that was 5% will take a charge and hold it. The batts are pretty new, less than a year.

I will recheck all the grounds to make sure they are clean. All my wires are pretty thick as well, so they wont have much resistance.

 

[chris142]

my cables got corrosion on the passrngers side posative where the cables meet. i was able to put lugs on them and that seems to work fine.

 

[helidiesel]

I think you need to do a voltage drop test on your battery ground and power feeds after you fully charge both batterys. this is they only true way to know the resistance of the wire. Electricity lies. A continuity check is only checking the one strand of wire you are touching with the meter leads. Doing a voltage drop test will show you how much voltages wants to take a different highway. Electricity is going to take the path of least resistance. To do a voltage drop test first disable the truck from starting, the FSS (fuel shutoff solenoid) is what i choose to disconnect. the electrical system being tested has to be dynamic and with the meter set to volts put one lead on one end of the wire and the other lead on the other end of the wire being tested. Then either with a remote starter switch or the ol lady behind the wheel turn the key to the on pos as to start the truck and take note of the reading displayed. My book states this.
Starter Cable = 0.2 volts max
Each Cable Connection = 0.1 volts max
Starter Solenoid = 0.3 volts max
Maximum Total Permissible Voltage Loss = 0.5 volts
so example if you were just testing the pos cable that run from battery to battery on top of the radiator end to end max voltage drop should be 0.4 volts. 0.2 for the cable and 0.1 volts for each of the connection. i hope this helps sir. Good Luck Ill be watching to see the out come!!