So I just bought an 07 5.9 6 speed 3 weeks ago to the day and it's in the shop already!! I was headin back to Virginia this mornin from El Paso and about 100 miles out my check gauges light comes on and my battery indicator lowers to about 10 I'd say, so I pulled over to a gas station to check it out. Popped my hood and the battery near the intake was smokin. Called NAPA and they brought me one. Got her runnin and it felt like it had NO power at all. I mean a grandma pushin a buggy coulda passed me. Well about 15 min later it completly died and the new battery was leakiin and smokin, had to have a roll back come pick me up. What could thins be? Oh and it has 89k on it

 

Poor connection between the two batteries. remove and clean the battery cable ends and the battery terminals of the cable that connect to both positive side battery terminals.

 

That's the problem with buying used - no idea how the last owner took care of it. You never know if it was unloaded due to problems, or if the owner just wanted to get something else.

 

I'm new here, and new to Diesels however I have a lot of battery experience. Did you replace both batteries? If you had one meltdown the other battery would probably be in poor condition too. Always replace them in pairs. When replaced it's a good idea to check all connections for corrosion. Plus check the condition of the battery cables. Excessive heat indicate a possible problem with the cables. Heat is caused by resistance. In marine conditions the cables typically have corrosion. Good luck!

Cheers
Capt. Jan

 

Always replace both, always clean cables and connection good enough to eat Sunday dinner off of them, and always coat them with a hefty serving of dielectric grease, and always tighten terminals carefully as to not torque the post to a point where it cracks the battery case.

 

Wonder if he has the wire chaffing problem thats causing the the hot to ground itself on the frame?

 

I know everybody says "ALWAYS REPLACE BOTH AT THE SAME TIME" but I had a hole in one of mine about a year ago and I only replaced that one. I have not had one problem since doing that.....

 

I have an 07 5.9 with the auto. I think you got a nice truck with low miles. Get it in the shop and have them check the wires and put in 2 new batteries and check for current draws and the alternator output. This sounds like an easily solveable problem for a shop that works on these trucks. Go find a decent Dodge dealer. Do not get panicked over what is probably a fairly minor problem. That is the nature of buying used. On a good day you get to fix some small problems and end up with a good truck cheaper than new.l

 

very true, alot of people are to lazy or just plain stupid. when something gives them a problem the just get rid of it, instead of trying to actually fix it.

To the OP, check the resistance between the 2 batteries, i should be almost 0 ohms.

 

If you don't replace both batteries, it may not kill the new battery right away, but it will take alot of life out of it.

 

Very good advice. I will probably never buy a new truck my entire life. It's normal to be nervous with a new-to-you vehicle, but I bet Bill is probably right about the truck.

 

Remember, for the $$$ you saved in depreciation alone, you can spend a whole lot on repairs and still be way further ahead. I'll never buy new again unless some beyond belief windfall happens my way. I don't mind one bit letting someone else eat the first $6,000 loss by being the first to have their name printed on the title. And on top of that, guys that are real deep into diesel will always prefer something that has no emissions, egr, dpf, etc. And you aint ever getting that buying new.

 

Also, being diesel doesn't necessarily mean anything in this case- an electrical issue can happen with a gas engine, too. It sounds like a "generic" issue, and once you get it fixed, you may not grace the doors of a shop again for a long time! Don't be too discouraged, and take this forum for what it is- hundreds, if not thousands, of experienced, wise folks who are more than willing to help. The culminated knowledge here is better than one top notch mechanic.
Where in Va are you headed?

 

sounds to me like an alternator problem. one battery blew up, replaced with new, then it blows up too?

 

Ive personally seen a good alternator, regulator, and battery smoke with bad connections. This was on a Jeep. I cleaned the terminals and post very well myself and fixed the guys issue. The battery cables were so hot the rubber got soft and was too hot to even touch it. Your issue can very well be a bad connection from the start and it will cost nothing and you don't need a shop to fix it. Don't forget there's two connections on every wire. Clean and check the other ends of the cables too.