Pickup will not crank

[john in la]

Came home from work yesterday morning and pickup working fine.
Went to go to work last night and battery seems dead. Check with meter and voltage is very low. I just left it and used wife’s car to go to work.

Since I need a battery for a tractor I stopped on way home and bought a battery.
I get home and check the voltage in truck battery and it is over 12 volts. Now I’m stumped.

I try to start truck and battery goes dead. So I’m thinking starter but lets test some more.

Key off battery shows 12+ volts.
Key in on position battery shows 12+ volts and dash lights on
Key in run position battery goes to 7 volts and then climbs back to 9.5 volts. Dash lights flicker.
Key in start position dash lights go off and battery drops to near 0.
Turn key off and let it sit a minute and battery goes back to 12+ volts.

I still want to think this is a short in the starter but don’t understand why battery voltage drops with key in run position.

Where do I go from here ?????

Forgot to say this is a 2015 Ram 1500 with the V8 hemi.
First problem I have had with this truck.

 

[used red MN]

Battery just recovered to the initial charge level while there was no load on it. When you load it with just the ignition and accessories that come on it drops to 7. You shouldn’t be stumped, your diagnosis is telling you your battery is junk. I don’t know the exact technicalities but I believe what you experiencing is a poor connection in the batteries internal plates. The connection is good enough to show some voltage under a light load.

 

[timcasbolt]

Sounds like a bad battery to me.

 

[Janicholson]

Came home from work yesterday morning and pickup working fine.
Went to go to work last night and battery seems dead. Check with meter and voltage is very low. I just left it and used wife’s car to go to work.

Since I need a battery for a tractor I stopped on way home and bought a battery.
I get home and check the voltage in truck battery and it is over 12 volts. Now I’m stumped.

I try to start truck and battery goes dead. So I’m thinking starter but lets test some more.

Key off battery shows 12+ volts.
Key in on position battery shows 12+ volts and dash lights on
Key in run position battery goes to 7 volts and then climbs back to 9.5 volts. Dash lights flicker.
Key in start position dash lights go off and battery drops to near 0.
Turn key off and let it sit a minute and battery goes back to 12+ volts.

I still want to think this is a short in the starter but don’t understand why battery voltage drops with key in run position.

Where do I go from here ?????

Forgot to say this is a 2015 Ram 1500 with the V8 hemi.
First problem I have had with this truck.

Assuming you have removed and cleaned the battery connections, or know they are solid/clean, There is a sulphated cell in the battery. It cannot provide any amperage but it will show voltage under limited load. The vehicle has a steady drain from electronics on stand by duty and thus it cannot show 12.6 volts of a good battery. Replacement is reality. Jim

 

[john in la]

Thanks you for the help.
I just could not understand why the battery kept going back to 12+ volts if it was bad.
Installed the scratch and dent H8 battery I bought this morning and truck started right up.
Total cost $60.00

 

[Fixingfarmer]

Partial connection of the plates think cracked same as if a bad battery post or cable end was cracked on the outside often you can get 12v voltage all the way to the starter but as soon as a load is on nope. Plate is hanging together by a thread. The giveaway is the light load drops it approximately 2.1 volts or one cell in a vehicle battery. It’s a little bit more than that in your case probably has to do with the condition of the rest of the cells. But I wouldn’t be surprised if you turned the key in with the battery recently before the plate failed if 11.6 to 11.9 would have been about what you had. Within the range of close enough to start when it needed to. Make sure the new battery is secured and Held down tight with hold downs no bungee straps if your route includes a railroad crossing can lead a battery to an early grave. So many of our tractors they are just tossed in. John Deere 4020 for example rattling around in those long boxes they are not known for their longevity. My super c that I’ve never got around to securing. 3 years is about what I get.

 

[Hobo,NC]

Came home from work yesterday morning and pickup working fine.
Went to go to work last night and battery seems dead. Check with meter and voltage is very low. I just left it and used wife’s car to go to work.

Since I need a battery for a tractor I stopped on way home and bought a battery.
I get home and check the voltage in truck battery and it is over 12 volts. Now I’m stumped.

I try to start truck and battery goes dead. So I’m thinking starter but lets test some more.

Key off battery shows 12+ volts.
Key in on position battery shows 12+ volts and dash lights on
Key in run position battery goes to 7 volts and then climbs back to 9.5 volts. Dash lights flicker.
Key in start position dash lights go off and battery drops to near 0.
Turn key off and let it sit a minute and battery goes back to 12+ volts.

I still want to think this is a short in the starter but don’t understand why battery voltage drops with key in run position.

Where do I go from here ?????

Forgot to say this is a 2015 Ram 1500 with the V8 hemi.
First problem I have had with this truck.

This goes to show how deadly good information can be. You done good.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Thanks you for the help.
I just could not understand why the battery kept going back to 12+ volts if it was bad.
Installed the scratch and dent H8 battery I bought this morning and truck started right up.
Total cost $60.00

John
I just could not understand why the battery kept going back to 12+ volts if it was bad.
You just proved that just because a battery can produce 12v under no load it can be bad,
A good battery needs to be able to produce current when under load.
I think the starter current is around 150 to 200 amps.
I measured a lawn mower starter uses a little over 100 amps..

You need to load test a battery.
Auto parts stores can to that.
You can buy cheapie carbon tester from HF.
I have 2 conductivity testers, one in each pole barn.
If your truck has a built in digital voltmeter and a stop start feature
you can use your starter as a load tester.

I replaced a 6 year old Delco battery because the cranking voltage would drop below 11 volts at a stop light.
I replace batteries before they leave me parked alongside the road.

 

[560Dennis]

Lights go out when you try to start

 

[used red MN]

Lights go out when you try to start

560Dennis, is that a question? The diagnosis is over, read reply 5. He changed the battery and all is good. I can understand how things can be missed, I will add this. In my opinion it’s a good practice to read all replies in a thread before adding your reply. It appears many on here don’t, they only read the OP and hammer in their reply as if they are the only one that could possibly give the correct response or solution. I feel it is a matter of respect to others to read their opinion and if they have already added a response I feel like I agree with strongly I will acknowledge that by naming them. Enough said and again JMHO. Have a great weekend!

 

[Texasmark]

John
I just could not understand why the battery kept going back to 12+ volts if it was bad.
You just proved that just because a battery can produce 12v under no load it can be bad,
A good battery needs to be able to produce current when under load.
I think the starter current is around 150 to 200 amps.
I measured a lawn mower starter uses a little over 100 amps..

You need to load test a battery.
Auto parts stores can to that.
You can buy cheapie carbon tester from HF.
I have 2 conductivity testers, one in each pole barn.
If your truck has a built in digital voltmeter and a stop start feature
you can use your starter as a load tester.

I replaced a 6 year old Delco battery because the cranking voltage would drop below 11 volts at a stop light.
I replace batteries before they leave me parked alongside the road.

Battery had no load on it so its ability to conduct current wasn't in question. As you surely know, whether charging or discharging the chemicals in the Lead-Acid batteries need time to stabilize.......AKA, you charge a battery, remove the test leads, measure the terminal voltage and it is a certain number......come back the next day and measure the same bettery and the terminal voltage is much lower.......chemicals have stabilized. Read any published literature and they will verify this comment.

 

[Brown David]

560Dennis, is that a question? The diagnosis is over, read reply 5. He changed the battery and all is good. I can understand how things can be missed, I will add this. In my opinion it’s a good practice to read all replies in a thread before adding your reply. It appears many on here don’t, they only read the OP and hammer in their reply as if they are the only one that could possibly give the correct response or solution. I feel it is a matter of respect to others to read their opinion and if they have already added a response I feel like I agree with strongly I will acknowledge that by naming them. Enough said and again JMHO. Have a great weekend!

Agreed.

Well said.

 

[Janicholson]

560Dennis, is that a question? The diagnosis is over, read reply 5. He changed the battery and all is good. I can understand how things can be missed, I will add this. In my opinion it’s a good practice to read all replies in a thread before adding your reply. It appears many on here don’t, they only read the OP and hammer in their reply as if they are the only one that could possibly give the correct response or solution. I feel it is a matter of respect to others to read their opinion and if they have already added a response I feel like I agree with strongly I will acknowledge that by naming them. Enough said and again JMHO. Have a great weekend!

Thanks for voicing an issue that bugs me as well. 2 things really radically old posts being brought to the top because the date was not looked at, and users not reading prior input. Gaackkk Jim

 

[560Dennis]

Does it have remote start ?

 

[john in la]

Does it have remote start ?

It does not even have a fob.
Unlocking the door and starting the engine requires a key just like the old days.
Even has roll down windows.

 

[Rich'sToys]

I will add this. In my opinion it’s a good practice to read all replies in a thread before adding your reply. It appears many on here don’t, they only read the OP and hammer in their reply as if they are the only one that could possibly give the correct response or solution. I feel it is a matter of respect to others to read their opinion and if they have already added a response I feel like I agree with strongly I will acknowledge that by naming them. Enough said and again JMHO. Have a great weekend!

Agree. I always read all the responses before adding my own. I can't understand why anyone would not do this.

 

[HFJ]

I can't understand why anyone would not do this.

imo, classic view encouraged treating a thread like several separate ones, and many will only read the sub-thread they are personally involved with..

 

[gable]

Thanks you for the help.
I just could not understand why the battery kept going back to 12+ volts if it was bad.
Installed the scratch and dent H8 battery I bought this morning and truck started right up.
Total cost $60.00

We'll take a look at this neat Ram 1500 with new brake pads, kmc wheels, and toyo tires. It's been sitting for about 5 months and now it also hard starting. The battery got 12.1 volts so I guess it also needs a new battery.

 

[used red MN]

We'll take a look at this neat Ram 1500 with new brake pads, kmc wheels, and toyo tires. It's been sitting for about 5 months and now it also hard starting. The battery got 12.1 volts so I guess it also needs a new battery.

Gable, setting 5 months is a lot different then driving something recently and then suddenly you have battery trouble. Maybe after the 5 months you have driven it enough to determine there is a battery problem. I would at least have it tested before replacing it.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Battery had no load on it so its ability to conduct current wasn't in question. As you surely know, whether charging or discharging the chemicals in the Lead-Acid batteries need time to stabilize.......AKA, you charge a battery, remove the test leads, measure the terminal voltage and it is a certain number......come back the next day and measure the same bettery and the terminal voltage is much lower.......chemicals have stabilized. Read any published literature and they will verify this comment.

Tx
What you say is true.
You can make 12v using 8 flashlight batteries.
The flashlight batteries can't produce enough current to start a car.
Just because a battery can produce 12v doesn't mean it can produce enough cranking amps.
This meter takes the guesswork out of how many amps a battery can produce.
This is a new battery rated at 850 cold cranking amps and over 1000 cranking amps.
The meter confirms the cranking amps.