I am at a lose with the events of the last two days and don't have an idea why this happened. Would like to know what all y'all can come up with.

So I'm out in West Texas. We have been getting a lot of rain the last week. I mean lots, everything flooding and most people panicking. Trucks have all been starting fine. Went to work Saturday morning in the 2012 4500. Went down a road err, should say river... 2 feet of water running down the road, went about 2 miles until I could get turned around then back thru the same 2 miles to get out of there. Called it a rain day and ran a few errands and went home. Parked the truck and it sat until I went to work yesterday morning. Wouldn't start the battery's were dead.. The little Nissan Versa was parked next to it so I used it to jump it off, figured I had just got water in something and that caused my issue didn't think anything else of it. Well we rained out again so I figured that rather than drive the 4500 around I'd take the 92 W250 to go check if I could get to all the equipment just in case I had to drive down another river.. Went to start it and the battery was dead. It started fine last Friday the last day I ran it. So I grabbed the keys for my buddy's 2012 2500, for two reasons, to jump start the 250 and I was curious if his battery's were dead, so I wasn't surprised when it wouldn't start either.. All three of these trucks are cummins.

Then things got a little more wierd. Today it dried up enough we could work all the equipment has sat since Friday it's all CAT, and I spent most of the day jump starting all the backhoes because they were all dead. But all of the equipment that runs a 24 volt system fired right up...

So enlighten me with what y'all think happened. Because it's one heck of a coinsidence that I have dealt with so many dead battery's the last 2 days.

 

I think battery failure is more likely when the temperature drops suddenly. Maybe the front going by caused a drop in temperature that caused the battery's to fail. Moister in the air could also cause the acid that is always found on the top of the battery to be more conductive, shorting the battery across the terminals and causing it to discharge faster. Just guessing but that's all I could come up with. Batteries usually only last three years, if they were over three years old then the batteries were on barrowed time.

 

BigIron, that's the only thing I could think of my self as well. The battery's in the 2500 and 250 are close to the 3 year mark, they both sit more then they move, so I'm expecting them to completely puke before long. The 4500 we replace them about a year ago and use it every day. So they have been well used. The backhoes I couldn't even begin to guess how old they are.

On a side note the battery in the Nissan didn't give us any issues and it is close to the 3 year mark as well. Nor did any of the gas powered equipment.

 

I'm sticking to the alien's needed the power theory..........

Seriously, I can see exactly zero real reason for it other than a one in a million lineup of bad luck.

3 years? Heck, even here in the frigid Midwest I get a heck of a lot more than 3 years out of a decent set of batteries.........

Something sucked those things hard.

 

Patdaly I was in Roswell a couple weeks back..... So the alien theory is very possible!

I understand the frigid Midwest all to well been there thru many cold winters and haven't ever experienced any thing like this.

 

I would go with the alien theory too.

 

Biggest killer of batteries is dirt and dust on top of them. If you have a dirty battery, use your volt meter, touch red to positive, and touch anywhere on top of the battery, you will see voltage. When they get damp, it gets worse. ( The water is only a good conductor if you're standing in it theory ).
Keep the battery tops clean, they'll live a long life.