While doing fluid, filter change yesterday on my 97, I decided to check the batteries.<br>Found that the driver's side battery is weak.<br>This would explain the slow cranking problem I have sometimes.<br>I am only going to replace this battery due to the load test results.<br>Normally I would replace both, but the voltage did not drop down below 11 volts with a load tester on it.<br>So When you test your batteries, be sure to disconnect the cables so you are only testing one of the batteries.<br>I have seen some people do this with the cables still on.<br>I tried it this way, just to see the results.<br>It made a big difference in voltage readings, due to drawing on the other battery through the cable.<br>Just thought I would share this.<br>If anyone else has something to add to this, feel free.

 

It's interesting it's your left side battery. I've noticed that my left side battery has some acid deposit on the top like it's being overcharged. On the 02's the electrical system is tied to the left side also. Maybe that battery is getting a hotter charge than the right. My plan is to swap places this spring, and maybe pry the cap off that one and check the fluid level.<br><br>Tom Hybiske

 

Its common for one battery to go bad before the other one...even in big rigs its not uncommon to find one battery bad outta 4...most 4 battery trucks we would only change the bad one...some big rigs have only 2 batteries if one goes bad we would always change out both batteries then...I try to stay away from sealed batteries I prefer to be able to check the water level when I service my truck<br><br>Richard if you feel one battery is still good then just replace the bad one with the same cca battery<br><br>I have used Interstate batteries for the last 11 years and found they work good and they have a great warranty...I even use them in the custom bikes I build...some of the worse batteries I have found are sealed Delco's with the magic eye that never works correctly<br><br>Good luck

 

I just replaced my stock batteries this week for peace of mind. They were 5 years old, and the electric motor driven snow plow has been on that truck since new.<br><br>I bought Autozone Duralast's group 34DT with 900 CCA at 0F. The trade off though, only 120 minute reserve capacity, compared to 135 with the OEM group 27s that had 750 CCA. These batteries are made by Johnson Controls, which also make the Optima batteries and a lot of other name brands. Just make sure that CCA rating is at 0F, and NOT 32F.

 

[quote author=Ruralmedic link=board=5;threadid=10316;start=0#98881 date=1044040674]<br>I just replaced my stock batteries this week for peace of mind. They were 5 years old, and the electric motor driven snow plow has been on that truck since new.<br><br>I bought Autozone Duralast's group 34DT with 900 CCA at 0F. The trade off though, only 120 minute reserve capacity, compared to 135 with the OEM group 27s that had 750 CCA. These batteries are made by Johnson Controls, which also make the Optima batteries and a lot of other name brands. Just make sure that CCA rating is at 0F, and NOT 32F. <br>[/quote]<br><br> They must be good .<br>I have the same on my old Furd and they are 2 mo. old.<br>I got a call at work ( Fire Dept so I can't leave ) last night about some lights around my barn.<br>When I got off work this morning I went to see if I could find any tracks.<br>All I found were the plow lights ON, on my old Furd that I push snow with. <br>The only thing I could figure out is that a mouse hit the toggle switch and turned them on.<br>This truck sits alot and a mouse has taken up residence FOR NOW !<br>The lights were on for at least 13-14 hrs.<br>So I was going to put a charger on them and decided to try it.<br>29* this morning and it started .<br>Must be good batteries !!<br><br>: Eddie : 8)

 

After both fenders were trashed by acid running down and damage to both sides under the batteries I replaced the battery(s). I bought an Optima and figured I would try it a while and see how it performed. I never got around to installing the second one. Tiny little thing has beens starting it fine cold or warm. No acid, works great.

 

Someone else out there I met had gone from two batteries to one Optima and has had no problems starting with the one. I had a 1220 amp in my old 89 and never had a problem with it ever.

 

My stock batt's lasted about 3 1/2 years before they went in my 99. I've had these 2 Fleetright batt's for a year and a half and they are getting real bad. It's going to be 6* out tonight so I'm plugging her in here at work a couple hour before I leave. I'm going to milk these 2 Fleetrights till spring and buy 2 Yellow top Optimas and be done with replacing batteries. The Optimas aren't cheap, the yellows run abour $150 apeace but everyone I've talked to loves them. I good friend has one in his 4wheeling Jeep and said he's flat drained it using the winch and the next day has put the charger on it and it's good as new. 8) I even thought of mounting them back in the toolbox just to make more room in the engine compartment.<br><br>DB

 

I too had thought about the yellow top, deep cycle Optima. You will notice on Optima's website that they state even these batteries can go dead and will be unable to start your vehicle.<br><br>A deep cycle battery takes much more recharge time than a standard battery. While reserve capacity is great, repeated high amp loads, such as cold start-up of the CTD, without a long trip to allow the alternator to recover, will eventually drain it down. Ambulances typically use deep cycle batteries, but are equipped with a 110v input &quot;shoreline&quot; charger that keeps them up while the vehicle is sitting after use.<br><br>If I ran deep cycles, I would periodically put a low amp charger on them to insure they get fully charged. Has anyone tried the Optima SLI red top?

 

I was afraid to go with the deep cycle due to the lower start amps. I have one red top running the truck. Heres a thought, I have been thinking about it since the one red top will start the truck, even cold, put an isolator on the truck, run one red top to start it, split the main power cable off the cable and seperate the batteries. Right side starts it, left side carries all the running load. You could even hook up a solonoid to jump the battery with the deep cycle if it became necessary. Now you can leave lights, radio, whatever on all you want, the start battery will be hot to start. In a pinch if either battery goes down, hit a button to connect the two through the solonoid and you get started. A lot of times it is good to leave lights on in the truck without taking a chance of killing it. Had a big truck set up that way for ham radio use, worked great. I could run the TR7 all night and not worry about starting in the morning. That was eight six volt batteries though. Four start batteries and four golf cart batteries.

 

The two batteries are connected by a cross over cable that runs from the positive of the passenger side to the positive on the drivers side. The starter and charging wiring is from the passenger side. The main cable that powers the truck main fuse box is bolted to the cross over cable where it connects to the drivers side battery. If you take the crossover cable off the truck, everything will work but the starting and charging is ok on the passenger side, the truck will start on the passenger side battery. The rest of the electric circuits will work fine except that the drivers side battery will not charge. So add an isolator like you use on a camper, altinator lead in, the two out leads to the two batteries and now they charge. Put a solonoid in series with the cross over cable and put it back on and you have an emergency back up where you can temporarly connect the two batteries if one of them is dead. All the power to run anything in the truck will come from the drivers side battery and the starting will be handled by the passenger side battery. So you leave the stereo on or the lights and the battery goes down to six volts or so. That is probably still enough to operate the circuits to start the truck and the starter battery is still hot.

 

This may help prevent the old &quot;right side battery goes bad first&quot; routine too. In the current configuration of that battery set up, the right battery is either not getting charged properly or doesn't see enough load to make it last. Both my 95 and my 99 right side batteries went bad first which drained the left side battery. Several friends have had the same problem as I mentioned on an earlier post. My son has the left side battery in his truck and it still works fine but the right side went stone dead in both trucks. I did power both my stereo amps off the right side battery on this truck.
This looks like an excellent idea for more than one reason.