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Help with my truck

ksurfer2

ksurfer2

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Enough smart people here so why not ask.....I have a 2019 Ford F-250 with a powerstroke in it. Approx 40,000 miles. Just recently it has developed an issue where after sitting for over 4-5 hours, it won't start and will require a jump. I took the truck to a local autozone and they tested the batteries (it has 2) and both batteries tested fine. My first question, is can the batteries be tested with both hooked up or should a negative cable be detached on one of the batteries so they test independently? If the truck only sits for a short period, it will start fine. Last night, when I got home (about 7pm), I tested both batteries, they both tested at 12.75 volts, I tested again at 10pm and both tested at 12.65 volts. This morning at 7:30am, I tested again and both tested at 12.4 volts. Truck tried to start, but required a jump to get going. With the truck running, both batteries read at 13.8 volts. Thoughts on an issue before I get raped by the ford dealership for a fix?
 
Sounds like you something drawing power with the truck off. There are some good you tube videos on testing for that.
 
How old are the batteries?
The most likely thing is one or both are bad.
So you probably need new batteries.

EDIT...
Sorry I see it's a 2019 so they aren't very old.
But you still could have a bad one.
Yes you can try and disconnect one and then the other and check voltage at similar intervals.
But you would should replace both at the same time if one turns out to be bad.
 
Last edited:
You could isolate the draw yourself, I would try before taking it to the dealer. I would isolate one battery and let it sit on one battery. Put a test light between the positive post and the connecting terminal and you should light up the test light due to draw. Start pulling fuses until the light goes off. Keep notes! The other thing is an alternator can have internal issues and be drawing it down. Some reason I think it I’ve heard a bad diode could cause that.. Others may have better ideas but there are a lot of fuses on those new ones... I’d pull the alternator and have it checked not by AZ because the won’t catch all the problems on the alternator. I had a Ford ambulance that did that.
 
You cannot test the batteries together and get accurate results. We had a Sebring with this issue once.... It required a proper slam of the glovebox door to repair. :-/
 
I agree to load test the batteries separate.
Not a Ford but a Chevy Express van was having the same trouble.Found out it was a emission control problem with the electric fuel tank vent (why they have such a thing I'll never know) that was prone to sticking drawing power. In 3-4 days the thing was stone dead.
 
When in doubt, join the pickup trucks forum down below. Hey, if I refer enough people over there, maybe I could get a kick-back or a little stipend, LOL!
:lol:
 
Batteries have to be tested independently. I would say strong chance one has a bad cell causing a draw on both.

If one battery is bad, it will draw the other down.

Unhook the batteries overnight, and check the voltage on each before you try to start.
 
The truck is a 2019 but could of been built in 2018. So the batteries are about 4 years old. I suspect a bad battery. Run the truck for a couple hours to get them fully charged. Shut it off. Turn the headlights on for 2 minutes. Unhook the batteries and wait an hour. Test the voltage and recheck in the morning. A lot of times you will see a drop on the bad one. In my opinion the Powerstrokes are hard on batteries.
 
Do you have anybody that can check the codes in the computer? I have a 1992 Dodge B350 MaxiVan. 5.9, 4 speed automatic and OBD1. About 4 years ago I made a 150 mile run with a trailer. We’re talking running up the left lane of the NJ ‘Pike at 80-85. Next morning the battery was stone dead. I took it back to Pep Boys, yep, a bad one. Put the new one in but things weren’t right. No check engine light or anything, but, it wouldn’t upshift into 4th among other things. Took it to a local shop and he said it was the torque converter lock-up solenoid. And, he said, “By the way the alternator has a bad diode”. I took it to a friend’s trans shop. He said needs a lock-up solenoid and… he said, “By the way the alternator has a bad diode”. So I bought everything to do the trans and got another alternator. The alternator is easier than going under the truck so it got replaced first. Totally new truck! 4th gear was back and she was back to running hard in the stop light Gran Prix. Oh, and it may not have the lock-up solenoid. The computer looks for one on all applications even if you have one or not! So chicken and the egg, did the battery kill the diode or did the diode kill the battery?
 
Unless each battery was disconnected from 1 another, they didn’t load test them. I’m betting batteries! Low voltage in these newer trucks will play havoc with the truck.
 
Your running voltage seems low too. 14.4 is about normal.

I second (third?) the bad battery idea. Test batteries UNHOOKED to get a proper reading. As noted one bad one will cause a cascade failure. Also double - triple-check your cables and terminals. I was having similar issues with my 01 Cummins a couple winters ago (270k miles) and chased it to loose terminal bolts. Added lock washers and torqued, no problems since.
 
Triplegreen500 said:
Your running voltage seems low too. 14.4 is about normal.

I second (third?) the bad battery idea. Test batteries UNHOOKED to get a proper reading. As noted one bad one will cause a cascade failure. Also double - triple-check your cables and terminals. I was having similar issues with my 01 Cummins a couple winters ago (270k miles) and chased it to loose terminal bolts. Added lock washers and torqued, no problems since.
Click to expand...
13.8 to 14.2 Should be considered normal. Modern day electronics do funny things on voltage control.
 
I've already made Ford replace the battery in my '18 F150..over 1.5 years ago. Auto stop start and all the other bs on trucks these days kill'm quick. Took me three trips back to Ford... "tests okay"... yah then why won't the auto "stop start" work anymore, always says charging battery. Apparently their Fusions have more battery draw with everything on than their alternators can replace and the trucks aren't far behind.
 
I had an older Power Stroke that did the same thing. The wife and I went to a drive up one day and I shut it off to place our order and it wouldn't start again. Called a guy with a wrecker the same model as my truck and it wouldn't start by jumping both batteries from his truck. Ended up one battery was completely dead and wouldn't let it start. 2 new batteries later and we were good to go. You have to seperate them to test them, and my truck didn't show any kind of issue with voltage since one battery was still good.
 
As previously mentioned, you have a bad battery, and you need to test them separately. Also, must replace in matching pairs.
 
I agree test batteries independently. I am old school, test them with a carbon pile load tester.
While the negative cable is disconnected you can check for a parasitic draw. If it draws it down in 4 hours that is quite a draw.
 
I chased low voltage in this truck I did a "frame off" resto on right after I got it running.. Finally a small parts store did a cell by cell test on the NEW battery and found it had a bad cell ( Exide) .. Even on this antique, having the correct voltage made the Dash lights much brighter and the stereo worked better too.....
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