Well I put in an aux fuse panel and really saw how nasty the batteries were, I took both off and ran a battery terminal brush over them. Put it all back together and it spun quicker. So about a week later I then cleaned them off with a battery cleaner, cleaned the cables and the battery trays, put this coating on them. Kinda like that plastic stuff, you can dip tool handles into and it dries to a rubber like texture. Well this stuff was made for batteries. Did all this and then a couple days later it seems like the batteries are going dead. Cranks once stops then kicks off. Running voltage is 14.09V. Did I cause this by cleaning them? I'll never wash my truck again then!! If it just happens to be a battery going down, how can I figure out which one? Of course this happens when I dont have the funds for 2 new batteries. O I'm looking at getting the Champion batteries that look like the Optimas. Vortex I think is the name of the battery. Both batteries still show the green circle, also the only fuse in the xtra panels is for the back up lights, I had them rigged before, until I made a bracket for this new fuse panel, also the aux panel has been on the truck for a about 3 months now, and the battery trouble just started last weekend. I did notice that after sitting all night it cranks slower, and after its been running its not as bad, I doubt I have a drain. I think its a battery going south. Just not sure on how to isolate it. Thanks -Bob

 

I never put any kind of coating on the terminals... At the most to retard corrosion I will put a little motor oil on them. My terminal look like new yet! Not a bit of rust or anything! Always clean and tight. The positive cables are still good too. They haven't turned BLACK yet! The Black junk on the postive terminals will cause a lower voltage. This is a lead oxide.

My engine bay and batteries get washed every weeke-end. (Oh yeah I wash the truck too!) I use just striaght water. No chemicals, baking soda, etc... It's to easy to get these into the cells through the vents of the caps.

If you add water to the battery make sure its distilled water ONLY! Tap or drinking water will damaged the lead plates in the batteries!

Sometimes those coatings with cause a minior short between terminal and drain the batteries! It will drain them slowly...

My batteries are the orignal batteries and still strong!

 

I would suspect one or both of your battery cables is corroded almost all the way though under the insulation where you can't see it. What happens the first time you try to crank it arc welds the wires back together so on the second try it fires off.
I've seen corrosion like this over a foot from the cable ends, about the only way to find it is to flex the cable back and forth.

 

These are the original batteries too. It didn't start until the 2nd time I took them off to clean them. The + cables aren't black, still look good, wonder if got water in there? Didn't spray the batteries down any more than a normal engine wash. So in order to check the cable for continuinty I guess I'll disconnect one battery, put a DVM across the terminals and wiggle the main battery cables? The wife just said its cranked slow this morning, so I guess the batteries are draining slowly while they sit.

 

Sometimes the voltmeter test won't help because you'll get a good continuity test but enough of the wire is corroded away that it won't carry the amps needed for the starter.
The flexing it back and forth method I spoke of is more for the feel of the cable. If you try to bend a long section of the cable it will usually bend real easy at the corroded point. Sometimes it will bend at a sharp angle rather than an arc.

If you have one bad battery it can drag the other one down when parked. Best bet is to take it to an auto parts that can load test the batteries. Make sure one battery is disconnected for a good test.

 

First off I'ld never put a hard coating type stuff on the termanals becouse then you've got preventive maintinace , your prevented from maintaning them in the future, next I would say that you've got a bad or lose conection that can be found by putting your hand on all the connections after running the starter a few times [this is the no tech way] becouse when you have a bad connection and a lot of current going through it makes resistance and that makes heat, next to check the batteries you need a load test , a lot of places that sell batteries will load test them , the problum you've got is if you have a bad battery then you need both , becouse a battery bank is as good as the worst battery , if you replace just one then you'll shorten the life of the new one over time. Then being the origanals they are about due anyway. As for replacements I'ld first go with Interstates , the best batteries for the money, you can get a more expsensive like optoma[120-135 each] but I haven't seen them as being worth the extra cost. 2nd best would be go to batterys+ they'll do the load test[no cost] , I got a pair of the largest that fit the truck for about 139.00 out the door[ your price may very] and I'm in minnesota with -20 to -30 winters.

 

I did check the terminals before I put the coating on, everything tight, truck started "normal" I'll dissconnect one battery overnight and see what happens. I hope the bad battery will drop voltage enough to read, just a small test until the weekend to when I can make it to batteries+. Thanks for the help

 

You can load test with just one battery connected then the other to find bad one , and then you can use the good one in something els.

 

Well did my test, disconnect one over night, did one truck barely started, did other battery the next night, truck was dead!! put other stock battery in, truck still wouldn't start, only the brake light came on dimly inside! Grabbed the red top out of the Barracuda, and bingo, truck starts faster than before I washed the batteries off. So I guess I got some tap water in the batteries, I have a chager that can desulfate batteries, worked good on our motorcycle battery, Could this "save" the stock batteries??

 

You can try that but I got the hunch that those batteries are done... Usually what kills batteries around here is that most people drive extremely short distances maybe 2 miles which is not enough to recharge a cold battery. If I start my truck I will run in at least 5 miles out for a total of 10 miles. This get engine up to temp warming the batteries up and allowing them to full charge back. Cold batteries don't charge very fast...

I'm still on the factory batteries and strong starting yet!