Sudden death of 3 auto batteries inside of a week!

softdown

Yet all quite explainable:
1) 2014 battery was an absolute champ at starting a 454 engine. This summer it sounded like the engine turned over at a slower rate. Yesterday the battery was dead in spite of a new charge. Showed 12.8 volts and and just 160 CCA from a 1000 CCA battery. Bit odd to show normal voltage from a dead battery. A 450 CCA battery then started a warm engine quite easily. 
2) 10 month old Prius battery was stone dead in spite of recent charge and trip. What killed it? Left the rear hatch open for at least a day a couple weeks ago. Sometimes a 100% discharge can destroy a lead battery pretty quickly. Bit odd. 
3) 5.9 Diesel battery was stone dead after being parked a few weeks. The truck had a faulty brake light switch that seemed intermittent in nature. The brake lights did not remain on when last parked. But the battery was stone cold dead anyway. Could not even charge it again. Bit odd. Perhaps related to not being hooked up to the other battery. Perhaps the other battery (drivers side) realised all of the amp charge from the alternator. Replacing brake light switches can be a real nuisance fwiw. 

littleharbor2

softdown said:

Yet all quite explainable:
1) 2014 battery was an absolute champ at starting a 454 engine. This summer it sounded like the engine turned over at a slower rate. Yesterday the battery was dead in spite of a new charge. Showed 12.8 volts and and just 160 CCA from a 1000 CCA battery. Bit odd to show normal voltage from a dead battery. A 450 CCA battery then started a warm engine quite easily. 
2) 10 month old Prius battery was stone dead in spite of recent charge and trip. What killed it? Left the rear hatch open for at least a day a couple weeks ago. Sometimes a 100% discharge can destroy a lead battery pretty quickly. Bit odd. 
3) 5.9 Diesel battery was stone dead after being parked a few weeks. The truck had a faulty brake light switch that seemed intermittent in nature. The brake lights did not remain on when last parked. But the battery was stone cold dead anyway. Could not even charge it again. Bit odd. Perhaps related to not being hooked up to the other battery. Perhaps the other battery (drivers side) realised all of the amp charge from the alternator. Replacing brake light switches can be a real nuisance fwiw. 

But you gotta love those Cummins engines.

softdown

^^^Prone to head gasket failure around 180,000. So very many engines are. Still one of the better engines made. Fords 6.0 and 6.4 being infamous disasters. 

littleharbor2

I have 246,XXX on mine, still runs like a new engine. Are you referring to a 12 valve or 24 valve?

Marc Kurth

My trucks have spark plugs

softdown

littleharbor2 said:

I have 246,XXX on mine, still runs like a new engine. Are you referring to a 12 valve or 24 valve?

They went to 24 valve around 2000ish. Some still prefer the mechanical 12V but it does have less power. Of course not an issue unless pulling over 15K or so. 

Think I damaged mine hauling big logs. Bought a semi but it has a mystery issue which may be nothing. Or may be something. 

softdown

Marc Kurth said:

My trucks have spark plugs

There are few reasons to buy a diesel unless hauling heavy. Especially now that the central planners are trying to hammer capitalism and nationalism into oblivion. Almost all critical work is done with diesels.

Diesel soot is good for plant life, acts like a fertiliser. So I doubt its toxicity. But am no expert aside from owning a LOT of diesels. 

littleharbor2

Can anybody explain why Diesel fuel is running $1.50 to $2.00 a gallon more than gasoline ? I don't know it that's the trend all over the US but in So Calif. it is.

BB.

Diesel many decades ago used to be a refinery "waste" product when compared to gasoline.

Today, it has a major market--Besides trucks, similar to Jet Fuel, heating oil, etc.

And diesel has higher heat content per gallon:
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/units-and-calculators/british-thermal-units.php

Sample Btu conversion factors

Energy source/fuel	Physical units and Btu1
Electricity	1 kilowatthour = 3,412 Btu
Natural gas	1 cubic foot = 1,039 Btu2 1 therm = 100,000 Btu
Motor gasoline	1 gallon = 120,238 Btu3
Diesel fuel	1 gallon = 137,381 Btu4
Heating oil	1 gallon = 138,500 Btu5
Propane	1 gallon = 91,452 Btu
Wood	1 cord = 20,000,000 Btu6

Modern refineraries can alter their products per barrel of oil via "Cracking" and other processes to meet market demands:
https://www.e-education.psu.edu/fsc432/content/overview-refinery-products-and-processes


Today, with insufficient raw crude (Russian War, OPEC limiting output to keep prices high, limiting drilling in USA, changing crude supply from different regions of world--"sweet vs sour" crude), policies that have prevented any new refineries in the USA since mid 1970's, USA government telling refiners that their products will not be needed in a decade limiting investments in existing/new refineries, green policies, Inflation, pressure to close older existing pipelines, stopping new pipelines, USA Government demanding changes in diesel vs gasoline ratios, etc.) and California's high taxes, regulation, low sulphur  diesel, oxygenated gasoline, carbon cap and trade, "California special" gasoline for summer blend, California policies to reduce diesel vehicle pollution that outlawed older trucks, etc.), "cold vs warm" winters... 

https://edireland.substack.com/p/why-the-us-is-facing-a-diesel-and
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/why-diesel-is-more-expensive-in-california-than-the-rest-of-us

-Bill

littleharbor2

BB. said:

Diesel many decades ago used to be a refinery "waste" product when compared to gasoline.

Today, it has a major market--Besides trucks, similar to Jet Fuel, heating oil, etc.

And diesel has higher heat content per gallon:
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/units-and-calculators/british-thermal-units.php

Sample Btu conversion factors

Energy source/fuel	Physical units and Btu1
Electricity	1 kilowatthour = 3,412 Btu
Natural gas	1 cubic foot = 1,039 Btu2 1 therm = 100,000 Btu
Motor gasoline	1 gallon = 120,238 Btu3
Diesel fuel	1 gallon = 137,381 Btu4
Heating oil	1 gallon = 138,500 Btu5
Propane	1 gallon = 91,452 Btu
Wood	1 cord = 20,000,000 Btu6

Modern refineraries can alter their products per barrel of oil via "Cracking" and other processes to meet market demands:
https://www.e-education.psu.edu/fsc432/content/overview-refinery-products-and-processes


Today, with insufficient raw crude (Russian War, OPEC limiting output to keep prices high, limiting drilling in USA, changing crude supply from different regions of world--"sweet vs sour" crude), policies that have prevented any new refineries in the USA since mid 1970's, USA government telling refiners that their products will not be needed in a decade limiting investments in existing/new refineries, green policies, Inflation, pressure to close older existing pipelines, stopping new pipelines, USA Government demanding changes in diesel vs gasoline ratios, etc.) and California's high taxes, regulation, low sulphur  diesel, oxygenated gasoline, carbon cap and trade, "California special" gasoline for summer blend, California policies to reduce diesel vehicle pollution that outlawed older trucks, etc.), "cold vs warm" winters... 

https://edireland.substack.com/p/why-the-us-is-facing-a-diesel-and
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/why-diesel-is-more-expensive-in-california-than-the-rest-of-us

-Bill

All understandable info but "something" has happened to make the price of diesel WAY out of line with gas. This probably has a huge effect on the price of everything else that gets delivered by trucking. Example, I was up in the states this week and saw diesel going for $6.99 a gallon vs. gas going for $4.29. That's not right. Here in Baja diesel and gas are both around $4.00 a gallon.

softdown

Odd that I can't seem to be able to buy heating oil in this region. Pretty sure I could run it in my off road equipment. Many swear it is just diesel. 

Kerosene is jet fuel and a lot like diesel. Less energy and less lubricity though. So you can't run it in your truck. Not for long anyway. 

softdown

Also had 4 flats in two weeks. Two on the same tire. The Tire Slime repair apparently gave out after almost 200 miles. At least the tire shops should no longer be insane pretty soon. 

Wheelman55

I’ve had mostly good results using plugs. 

Ralph Day

Dyed diesel is furnace oil, same tank trck delivers both from same tank

Marc Kurth

littleharbor2 said:

All understandable info but "something" has happened to make the price of diesel WAY out of line with gas. This probably has a huge effect on the price of everything else that gets delivered by trucking. Example, I was up in the states this week and saw diesel going for $6.99 a gallon vs. gas going for $4.29. That's not right. Here in Baja diesel and gas are both around $4.00 a gallon.

Always look at the tax structure. We are running $2.35 to $2.45 locally for regular and diesel is around $3.50. I suspect that we will see sub-$2.00 soon because South Texas is already seeing $2.00.

DanS26

I have had very good luck with this battery switch on seldom used equipment or for cars and trucks which will sit unused for over two weeks away from trickle chargers........

https://www.amazon.com/Post-Battery-Master-Disconnect-Switch/dp/B001N729FS

Since using this or similar switch my dead battery problems have disappeared.  One cautionary note...do not keep cranking on a hard starting engine.....the plastic will melt.  Just ask me how I know.

softdown

DanS26 said:

I have had very good luck with this battery switch on seldom used equipment or for cars and trucks which will sit unused for over two weeks away from trickle chargers........

https://www.amazon.com/Post-Battery-Master-Disconnect-Switch/dp/B001N729FS

Since using this or similar switch my dead battery problems have disappeared.  One cautionary note...do not keep cranking on a hard starting engine.....the plastic will melt.  Just ask me how I know.

Those work well. I just disconnect the battery from seldom used cars. That lowers battery drain by, guessing here, ~75% or so. A lot. 

softdown

Now 5 flats and the flat in the rough terrain forklift tire could be expensive. The more I do the more things go wrong for sure. Feel like a mouse on a treadmill. Running like crazy and yet staying in one place. 

softdown

Then engine overheated with no warning. Then door handle broke off. All in two weeks. Ugh.

softdown

"Lost" a bunch more batteries recently. The 55' bucket truck stays off the grid for "convenient use". What is not so convenient is the batteries that die without sufficient usage.

Then I "killed" a couple more diesel truck batteries by inadvertently leaving the dome light on. 

Just discovered my 24V solar battery charger has apparently walked off. 

My nice 12' TopHat trailer was very recently stolen with a very large load of fiberglass backed plywood on it. Can't do the police report because a hacker locked me out of email.

There is almost no use in working it seems. Theft and other losses equals a mouse on a treadmill. Something breaks every single day. Thats on a good day. A bad day? Maybe three items bite the dust.