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~~~HUGE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS~~~ Truck Won't Start & Drags Voltage Down

Mad Maxx

Mad Maxx

See, what had happened was...
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Ok...on Friday, I drove my Truck all Day. Drove Perfect, Ran Perfect, Started Perfect, 0 Problems. When I got Home at the End of the Day, when I Shut it Off, it Shut Down Weird. I dunno how to Describe it, it was just Weird, like something was still On. So right there, I Restarted it, let it Idle, then Shut it Down. But I just had a Feeling something wasn't Right.

Saturday I get in to Run my Errands...Turn the Key, everything Powers Up, Wait for the Glow Plug Light to go Off, Turn the Key to Start it and NOTHING. Not even a Click from the Starter. So now I know that the Day before, my Gut Feeling of something being Weird when I Shut it Down was Right.

So I Throw my CTEK on it, Close it all Up and let it Charge until Today.

Today, same as the other Day, I get in to Run my Errands...Turn the Key, everything Powers Up, Wait for the Glow Plug Light to go Off, Turn the Key to Start it and I get 2 Clicks from the Starter then NOTHING...Now I'm Pissed. Get my DMM, put it on the Batteries and they Read 13.xx Turn the Key, Starter just Clicks.

So whatever the Problem is, it only happens when I Turn the Key to Start the Truck, it Drags the Voltage Down to Below 7v.

Any Ideas? Are these the Symptoms of a Bad PCM? Bad Starter? :mad2::mad2:
 
That's quite some time with the type of loading you put on your batteries James.
 
Bad battery connection or bad battery. Start with the connections, the starter needs every drop of amperage it can get, it doesn't take much corrosion to interrupt that. Possible it could be a bad solenoid on the starter. Clicks from the starter usually means it's working, just not getting enough juice. If the starter is bad then usually you get nothing, like the battery isn't even there. At least in my experience.
 
Sounds like a bad battery or loose ground to me. If your reading teh voltage directly at the batteries, then I would say a battery gave up on yeah.
 
I'm starting to Lean Towards the Pass Side Battery Crapping Out.

I Unhooked it, Read the Voltage and it was at 9.xxV. Driver Side was at 11.xxV.

I got the CTEK Charging the Pass Side Battery now. When it's done, I'm gonna put the CTEK on Recondition Mode. That'll give it a 16V Charge. Then Move over to the Driver Side and do that same thing. Get them Hooked back up and hopefully it'll Start. If it does, I'll know that it's Battery Related and will start Saving for 2 New Ones.
 
A bad battery isn't likely to take or hold a charge. If you replace 1 you really need to replace both or soon enough the old one will kill the new one.
 
You need 12.6 - 12.8V for a good battery. Any less than 12.6V needs a charge. IMO One of yours had a shorted or bad cell and the other is discharged from the voltage readings. Check the alternator for damage from trying to charge that mess.
 
The Pass Side Battery is done Charging & being Reconditioned. Switched over to the Driver Side Battery, it's done Charging, now it's Reconditioning.

Hopefully when it's done and I Turn the Key, it'll Start! :(
 
Driver Side is Done, but it's Dark & Cold here now.

Gonna Leave it on the CTEK til Tomorrow Morning.

But the Pass Side is Hooked back to the Truck now. So I'll Check that in the Morning also to see if the Truck brought the Voltage Down on that during the Night.

Idea...do you think I should Try to Start the Truck off just 1 Battery at a time to see if I can Figure Out what one is Bad (if any)?
 
You should be able to start it on 1 battery provided it isn't to cold there. If it's below freezing chances are your glow plugs will pull it down to far to still turn the truck over.
 
Supposed to be around 50 Tomorrow. Glow Plugs shouldn't stay on too Long at that Temp.

Even though these Batteries I got now were Expensive as Hell, I'm really Hoping that's what the Problem is and not something else that's gonna be a PITA to get Fixed or Diagnosed.
 
Ranger said:
Alternator. Had issues, looked like it was charging, ended up being bad. Pull it with your batteries and have them test it at whatever shop you use for parts.
Click to expand...

If it is the Alternator, I got a Brand New one here already. Put out LOTS of Power. :)

Been Planning on getting it Installed, but gotta Add some stuff that makes it more than just a Swap Out.
 
AD244 alternators are pretty hearty alternators. The 145 amp rating on them is actually pretty conservative, and they normally have a long life to them.
 
My starter was missing a brace, caused it to bend the bolts which would not let the bendix do its thing so it only clicked when I hit the key.
 
Ok, it's Glow Plug Related.

I Unplugged the Main Power Wire to the Glow Plug Controller, Turned the Key and the Voltage Stays Up where it should, for as Long as I Leave the Key On. Plug the GP Power Wire Back In, Turn the Key, and BOOM, Voltage goes Down to 7V, Gauge Needles and Lights start Flickering, ect...

So...Bad Glow Plug or Bad Controller?

How bad would be be to Run without the GP Controller Plugged In? I know on a Freezing Cold Day to not even bother trying to get it to Start without the GP's, but if it's over say 40* out, would anything Bad happen?
 
Will it start without the glow plug controller hooked up? I doubt it's teh glow plug controller shorted as that would blow the 175 amp fuse for it if it was shorted out. I still say it's your batteries going weak. The LBZ can see loads as high as 350 amps during starting, so your batteries must be in good shape to start it up. The glow plugs on a cold day can easily draw right at 150 amps, and add the starter at 180 amps and the intake heater at probably 60 or so and you've got some serious load drawing down on the batteries.
 
THEFERMANATOR said:
Will it start without the glow plug controller hooked up? I doubt it's teh glow plug controller shorted as that would blow the 175 amp fuse for it if it was shorted out. I still say it's your batteries going weak. The LBZ can see loads as high as 350 amps during starting, so your batteries must be in good shape to start it up. The glow plugs on a cold day can easily draw right at 150 amps, and add the starter at 180 amps and the intake heater at probably 60 or so and you've got some serious load drawing down on the batteries.
Click to expand...
I'm starting to think about running a poll

Batteries?

Yes- 2 (me & Ferm):hello:
No - ?



:hihi:
 
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