ppsi

Hello all:
I have an issue (I think) with my 2004 Ram. I leave the radio on for several hours every day at work and leave the rear doors open for my listening pleasure. Fairly recently I've had a "check gauges" light come on and noticed the voltmeter was at 0 volts. The first 2 times I simply kept driving and made a stop and upon restarting the truck there was no issue. Last week this same thing happened except after the warning light came on it was followed a few minuted later by the ABS warning light and another which I forget right now. I stopped to get some grub and came out to a dead truck. I got a jump and the gauges were fine. Here are a few "variables/tid bits":
New batteries less than 3 months ago
I found a loose connection on the passenger side + terminal for the alternator wire and have tightened it and have not had another incident.
I noticed the interior lights stayed on so long as the rear doors are open even though the manual says the light will go off after 15 minutes so today I put the dimmer switch off so the interior lights were off.
I took a voltage reading when I first turned the ignition to "ACC" today and the batteries read 12.36 volts.
After 6 hours the voltage was down to 11.89 volts.
I drive the truck to work about 10 miles, park it and drive it home the same distance.
SOOOOOO. Should I be concerned or do you all think the "check gauges" light was from my loose alternator connection?
Is it normal for a stock radio with an XMradio receiver to draw down a set of new batteries .4 volts?
Is part of my problem due to the fact that I do not drive the truck far enough for the charging system to charge to batteries every day thereby having a cumulative affect?
Thanks for any input.
Howard
Hampstead, NC

kokalit

One issue, your commute to work (20 miles round-trip) is definitely not enough to completely recharge your batteries with the daily amount of load you place on them. You need to have then fully recharged and then connecting a trickle charger/battery maintainer on them in the evenings and over the weekend. From the reading you gave, at 12.36 your battery charge is close to depletion and definitely at 11.89 volts your battery charge is completely depleted. Continual use at at such low levels of charge will damage batteries and reduce their overall charge capacity.

Tedonlin150

It uses less juice and you can still use the radio when you put the key in and turn it one click backwards.

Sur5er

I'm on board with my AF brother. You are definitely beating up on the batteries. Battery recovery time is determined by how many consumers you have on line for that short trip back and forth and how much the alternator is generating. (SRS, ABS, DRL, headlights, radio, heater fan, etc. use power a whole lot faster than the alternator is capable of stuffing back into the batteries) The SRS and ABS are the first systems to drop off line in a low voltage situation. They they are in a class of circuits called the "nonessential buss" (that's airplane talk) since they are not necessary for the truck to continue running. I'd recommend you consider some of the following:

a. If you want to run the radio, leave the windows open, not the doors!
b. Get a battery tender and a long extention cord for the job site.
c. Get a second battery tender to leave at home and use it!. Get one anyway
d. Buy a Boom Box
e. You and your buds could learn to sing and dance

ppsi

I have been using the radio in the ACC mode. Is this not one click backward?

I also wonder about just leaving the windows down. If I have put the dimmer switch all the way down and the cab/courtesy lights are off is that not the same as having the doors closed? Any idea what the radio draws and does the ACC position also power up other things I am unaware of?

Thanks to all for this information. I thought that I might get this type of reply(s).
I will get a charger and leave it on the batteries over the next few days and get the batts up to full charge and then use a battery tender.

PoorMansCat

X2!!!.. Definitely could not say it any better... One thing that I would add is that my 06 model can be programmed for interior light shutdown mode using StarScan.. Im sure there is a way to set your 04 model to shutdown the interior lights after a timeout.. Of course, this may cost some $$$$ at the dealership...
You said the batteries are new, what brand/size of battery did you install?. There are some really good batteries, and some not so good.. Make sure you have a set of batteries that has high cranking amps and high reserve capacity..

ppsi

I purchased the best batteries that I could from Advanced Auto. I was skeptical about buying from them but did some research and from what I read the ones I got are supposed to be solid?
Thanks
Howard

InMrFixIt

Group 65 Battery OEM rated 750 CCA. Found some DieHards 875 CCA w/145 min. reserve power. Even with two batteries and Largest diesel engine these batteries should recharge in less then 10 min. Check Voltage at Batteries with all Lights, wipers, stereo on, with engine running, there should be a minimum of 12.8 Volts. Minimum voltage of a 12 volt battery is actualy 12.6 Volts. Electric Seats, Windows and other high power devices may lower the voltage, but should rebound to the 12.8 Volts immediatly. The recomended 145 Amp. Alternator Should not have any problem recharging 1500 CCA of batteries.

ppsi

I looked at my batteries and they are 850cca and a "reserve" of 150 with a total of 1000???
Today I checked the voltage with the key in the on position and got 12.67 volts with lights, A/C blower & stereo on. I then started the truck and the charging voltage was 14+?? I don't know how to take this. Is it overcharging?
Then I decided to put a 6 amp charger on it because I wanted to play the stereo. I forgot to shut the lights off and at the end of the day the truck was dead. I think the charger is junk. I can't imagine the lights and stereo would pull 6+ amps---or would they? I used a jump charger to get it running and drove about 2 miles before the "check gauges"/"no voltage on gauge" issue arose again. Luckily I only had to go about another 2 miles at which point I had to turn the truck off to see if this issue would solve itself as it has done in the past. Sure enough everything was fine upon restart and the batteries seemed to have recharged-I hope.

Thanks

Highway 4x4

My drive to work is 5 miles and has been since I bought the truck I do drive a little farther on weekends but only have 100K on it. My batteries have been just fine, finally just replaced factory ones.

PoorMansCat

14.4-14.8v is about right...
Is this a factory sound system or do you have aftermarket amplifiers. BTW 6 amps isnt much... Also, check bat+ at each battery... NOT the battery clamps... In the past, I have found a battery cable that was connected to the battery that was NOT making an electrical connection.... hence the trcuks was trying to operate off only one battery!

InMrFixIt

Find a good battery charger, specific gravity battery acid tester and volt meter. Recharge the batteies, on a low setting 6 to 8 hours. Meassure specific gravity of each cell. TABLE 1. State of charge as related to specific gravity and
open circuit voltage

Percentage of Charge Specific Gravity Corrected to
80 deg. F Open-Circuit Voltage
12V Battery
100% 1.277
90% 1.258
80% 1.238
70% 1.217
60% 1.195
50% 1.172

ppsi

I checked my battery cells today. All 16 cells read about 1.23 and the temp was 70 degrees so I know these are low readings. I did not have the batteries disconnected so I am wondering how much this will affect the reading?
Thanks
Howard