4ctnduction

ok so i am in the process of talking with many many mechanics about this problem, but thought id put it up here to see if anyone has ever had this before.

background: i had a compustar alarm w/ pager and remote start. I have an indash screen/headrest screens, amp/subs etc. I have a brand new optima red top.

Ok so for some reason i have a short or something causeing my truck to act like the battery is dying. If i drive the truck around, park it and come back to it five min. later it turns over just fine and works. If i park it for a few hours, SOMETIMES when i get back in it...it cranks over real slow like the battery is dead BUT it turns on. So what i started doing to figure out what my problem is, is that when i park it i just disconnect the battery to save power. What blows my mind is that if i disconnect the battery overnite, when i re connect it the following day it still acts like the battery has no power. NUTS!! also what boggles my mind is that when i turn the key the truck turns over real slow like the battery is going to die....but it never does! it just keeps cranking till it turns on. WTF is going on?!?! anyone?

ford_anger 01

idk thats weird!!! my guess would be you have too much stuff running on one battery
do you have all you gizmos hooked up to the ignition so you turn the key and
and everything gets power?

4ctnduction

well see i figured that it could possibly be that i do have too many electronic things, but when the ignition is off.....everything is turned off. the amp shuts off, the alarm is totally disconnected now....so im not sure. people kept telling me that i had a dead cell in my battery, but its a optima. regardless im having the battery tested, but its getting old.

ford_anger 01

well it could be the pact when you turn you ignition on to acc mode right before you start it everything is getting power and when you do start it theres not enough to turn it over and it has so try
that would be my guess

NGM

I wonder what year and motor we are dealing with? I could guess but would prolly be wrong with no info to go on.

Chad1972

Could be a bad cell in the battery. Maybe. Even though it is new, still could have a defect. Get the battery tested.

4ctnduction

i had someone say that i could have a dead cell in the battery.....but its a gell cell cause its an optima. still going to get it tested though

whitecrystal1

Optima or not batteries go bad. My Dad's red top just went bad but it was 10 yrs old. My yellow top in my boat went bad at 6 yrs old. If the battery checks out good have the charging system checked. It sounds like a battery problem though.

4ctnduction

will do. i was outta town this weekend so i didnt get it checked it

Jim Armstrong

Do a volt drop test on the starter. It sounds like the starter motor is drawing too much amperage. I am not sure how much it should draw but I think in the neighbourhood of 200 amps would be max. It it is under that then I would go on to the battery etc.