Cummins Deisel Battery Question

From : jim lil jim morrisatsk sympatico ca

Q: hi and thanks in advance for any answers to this question and hope it will stay on topic... i have a 1998 dodge 3500 1 ton dually cummins deisel with two batteries in it...one on each side of the truck engine compartment. i have a groggy starting truck ...it is not a battery drain or short though the night or anything...i have a lemon battery amongst the two or both may be going. this is my question....how do you determine which is the faulty battery or if they are both tia....jim .

Replies:

From : angela g lyons

replace both of them. i know it is expensive but it will fix the broke one and replace the other just in case it has been damaged. hi and thanks in advance for any answers to this question and hope it will stay on topic... i have a 1998 dodge 3500 1 ton dually cummins deisel with two batteries in it...one on each side of the truck engine compartment. i have a groggy starting truck ...it is not a battery drain or short though the night or anything...i have a lemon battery amongst the two or both may be going. this is my question....how do you determine which is the faulty battery or if they are both tia....jim .

From : speedtom lawrence

1998 dakota 4x4 5.2l miles 49xxx .

From : tom lawrence

this is my question....how do you determine which is the faulty battery or if they are both you could disconnect each batterys negative cable one at a time and try cranking the truck. do this with the engine already warmed to minimize the cranking resistance and so the intake grid heaters dont cycle. obviously the weak battery will crank the engine slower or not at all. of course having the batteries load-tested at a parts store is always the best method. .

From : jim lil jim morrisatsk sympatico ca

thanks guys for all the suggestions....the glow plugs when starting really kicks the sh*t out of the batteries.... i read in the manual and have done this a few years back to cycle the glow plugs on and off twice to get a better cold start...i havent enough juice to do it twice and then turn it over in the event that would ever be needed. so i guess i better get off to the auto parts store before i head to the family farm for the weekend...thanks again.....jim this is my question....how do you determine which is the faulty battery or if they are both you could disconnect each batterys negative cable one at a time and try cranking the truck. do this with the engine already warmed to minimize the cranking resistance and so the intake grid heaters dont cycle. obviously the weak battery will crank the engine slower or not at all. of course having the batteries load-tested at a parts store is always the best method. .

From : tom lawrence

thanks guys for all the suggestions....the glow plugs when starting really kicks the sh*t out of the batteries.... yep - but just as an fyi - theyre not glow plugs. glow plugs heat the air inside the combustion chamber and just when it gets nice and toasty in there the dame intake valve opens and lets a flood of arctic breeze in. yeah - real smart system the cummins uses a heater grid like a hair dryer in the intake manifold to heat the air before dumping it into the combustion chamber. imo - a much better system. plus the fact that when... not if but when the element fails it doesnt drop onto the piston only to become one with it on the next upstroke. .

From : mike simmons

thanks guys for all the suggestions....the glow plugs when starting really kicks the sh*t out of the batteries.... yep - but just as an fyi - theyre not glow plugs. glow plugs heat the air inside the combustion chamber and just when it gets nice and toasty in there the dame intake valve opens and lets a flood of arctic breeze in. yeah - real smart system the cummins uses a heater grid like a hair dryer in the intake manifold to heat the air before dumping it into the combustion chamber. imo - a much better system. plus the fact that when... not if but when the element fails it doesnt drop onto the piston only to become one with it on the next upstroke. yeah plus unless it is absolutely bitter cold one heat cycle is plenty... two cycles is overkill imho. mike .

From : tom lawrence

two cycles is overkill imho. and could lead to shortened battery life .