Brutus262

I just bought the truck a couple of days ago and it didn't have any problems. but this morning when I went to go start it it wouldn't all it did was click. It has a good battery. Also the temp drop down to below zero this morning and it is still cold outside could that be the problem or could it be the starter. It has the Triton V8 with about 158k miles.

iowaredneck

I would try the battery first. It may have been good, but with the cold a bad cell may have shown it's true colors. I would get that tested first, then probably the selenoid or the starter next. Usually, it is one of those three.

Brutus262

Well I left the truck for my dad to take a look at and he got it to start on the second try. I just got home from work and it started up for me too. Could it still be the battery?

iowaredneck

Could be or maybe you have a bad connection to the battery. Look to see if it is coroaded or loose, sometimes that will do it also.

Brutus262

Well I have been driving it for a week now and no problems until today. I was on my way home from the store and the battery light turned on then my radio went off and the ABS light came on. As soon as I got home and turned off the truck I tried to turn it back on but it wouldn't. I left it alone for a couple of hours then my dad came home and I went to show him and it started right up. But after a few minutes the lights began to dim and radio would go off and so would the interior lights, then the ABS light came on. It would do the same thing it did earlier. I was told that it could be the charging system and to check a couple of the fuses. I checked the battery connection and cleared any corrosion. I also checked the fuses and they looked fine. I just bought the truck and paid cash for it and I don't have much money to take it to a mechanic or the dealer, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
JV

technaford

Kragen or some auto parts store and have them run a battery charging system test... the'll tell you were your weak link is... but it sounds like a alt to me... and maybe a bad battery too...

Good old Bill

Suggest cleaning all battery connections. Not the outside to make it look pretty but the contact area of the electrical terminals. Do both the POS and the NEG. New vehicle to you and being so cold more than likely its going to be spend money time for a new battery, can you exchange with another known good battery for a test?

JRV

Definitely sounding like a bad battery to me, along with/or bad alternator. Vehicles do some pretty weird things when the alternators are going bad. Like someone else suggested, have the local parts store run tests on these parts...they can test your alternator and battery ON the truck, and will do it for free.

BRyan

yes definitley a bat connection, battery, or alternator. i just had my alternator go out with 107000 miles on my truck. after i changed it i couldnt get the new alternator to charge my battery. to make a long story short there is a fuse under the hood for the alternator which also went out on my truck. good luck. keep us up to date on what you find