Weak Battery

[T Loz]

What would be the signs that your battery is ready to give up the ghost? For example this morning outside temp is 0 f. The HVAC would not work....I had it set to manual operation...XM radio no signal ..had local radio tho....and the clock went to 12:00 .....I set the HVAC to auto and it worked....

[ken1mod]

I would say any abnormal behavior. You generally get a day or two wqrning that a battery is sick. If it normally spins the engine quickly at 30 degrees but one day noticeably slower. You will be going to Wal Mart soon. The tests seem to be fairly accurate these days.

 

ken

[REV353]

I would go to a local auto parts or repair shop and ask them to load test the battery, that will tell you weather its good or weak, I have my own digital load tester and thats how it reads. I would stay the hell away from walmart and there batteries. They do not pluck the month and year of there batteries, they rely on a little month sticker like your wife would use for scrap-booking and you best keep your receipt and if you have any warranty issues with it, plan on spending the afternoon there. I just went through this this spring and again 2 days ago. Check there pricing compared to other auto parts

[T Loz]

I would go to a local auto parts or repair shop and ask them to load test the battery, that will tell you weather its good or weak, I have my own digital load tester and thats how it reads. I would stay the hell away from walmart and there batteries. They do not pluck the month and year of there batteries, they rely on a little month sticker like your wife would use for scrap-booking and you best keep your receipt and if you have any warranty issues with it, plan on spending the afternoon there. I just went through this this spring and again 2 days ago. Check there pricing compared to other auto parts

 

I get the battery tested to-day......I'm thinking it's toast...

[c4cruiser]

The clock going dead (12:00) seem strange. The clock should work even with a low current 9v supply to it. Did the truck start OK? If there is sufficient amperage to start the engine at that temp but some electronics failed, you may have some other problem in wiring or maybe a computer that controls functions like memory settings.

 

A load test will confirm a bad battery, but a proper load test involves testing the battery while the engine is running. That also tests the alternator's ability to handle a heavy current draw. Find a reputable auto repair shop to do a load test. I would avoid the chain parts stores like AutoZone, O'Reillys and such. Don't even think of places like Wally World, Firestone or Jiffy Lube.

 

Is the truck still under warranty? You may be able to get a new battery if the warranty is still valid.

[ken1mod]

Gentlemen,

 

Never had an issue with Wal Mart. I always lose my receipts. Their Batteries seem OK. They honor their warranties. I get the 3 year replacement type.

 

Ken

[T Loz]

The clock going dead (12:00) seem strange. The clock should work even with a low current 9v supply to it. Did the truck start OK? If there is sufficient amperage to start the engine at that temp but some electronics failed, you may have some other problem in wiring or maybe a computer that controls functions like memory settings.

 

A load test will confirm a bad battery, but a proper load test involves testing the battery while the engine is running. That also tests the alternator's ability to handle a heavy current draw. Find a reputable auto repair shop to do a load test. I would avoid the chain parts stores like AutoZone, O'Reillys and such. Don't even think of places like Wally World, Firestone or Jiffy Lube.

 

Is the truck still under warranty? You may be able to get a new battery if the warranty is still valid.

I just completed a load test on the battery without it running...The meter came from Harborfreight Tools. It gets its load from two elements that heat up to create the load. While I was outside I tried starting with the remote .... the fuel pump would work but there wasn't enough juice to crank it over...using the key it was a very slow crank..but it started...The battery is original Delco and it says there is a 6 year warranty . If it still starts by Mon. I will take it to local dealer and see if I can get pro rated warranty..

[T Loz]

The clock going dead (12:00) seem strange. The clock should work even with a low current 9v supply to it. Did the truck start OK? If there is sufficient amperage to start the engine at that temp but some electronics failed, you may have some other problem in wiring or maybe a computer that controls functions like memory settings.

 

A load test will confirm a bad battery, but a proper load test involves testing the battery while the engine is running. That also tests the alternator's ability to handle a heavy current draw. Find a reputable auto repair shop to do a load test. I would avoid the chain parts stores like AutoZone, O'Reillys and such. Don't even think of places like Wally World, Firestone or Jiffy Lube.

 

Is the truck still under warranty? You may be able to get a new battery if the warranty is still valid.

I just completed a load test on the battery without it running...The meter came from Harborfreight Tools. It gets its load from two elements that heat up to create the load. While I was outside I tried starting with the remote .... the fuel pump would work but there wasn't enough juice to crank it over...using the key it was a very slow crank..but it started...The battery is original Delco and it says there is a 6 year warranty . If it still starts by Mon. I will take it to local dealer and see if I can get pro rated warranty..

 

 

I forgot to mention...The meter indication was on the line between Weak and Bad....