Truck's dead...electrical problem?
 

So i drove my truck today, a couple times on short trips, everything was fine. I went to start her up again and heard a *pop*...and nothing. Lights go dim, there's a clicking from behind the cab on the driver's side that eventually went away. Trying to start it again, I get just the *click* from the starter as if the battery is mostly dead. But I've measured 12.2V across the battery (if that means anything) and the posts are nice and clean.

This is the original battery (built 9/04). I also went through the fuse box and looked at every fuse I could - but there's plenty of relays and breakers in there I have no way of checking. I didn't smell anything burning - nothing out of the ordinary.

Any ideas of what I can check next?

2005 Lariat Supercrew 4x4, 103K miles

Thanks!

I'd be leaning toward the battery. You can have voltage but current is essential for turning over the starter on these big engines. You need to measure the voltage and also the current while trying to start the engine...need another person to turn the key for you.

One more thing...is you heard a "pop" then WEAR SAFETY GLASSES while you're working around the suspect battery. No sense losing your sight over a dead battery.

Probably a dead cell.
Take off the caps and check each cell, dip the probes from your meter into the fluid in each cell.
Put the neg to the neg post and check the voltage of the closest cell, should read about 2v.
Then put the neg in the first cell and the pos in the second cell, should be around 2v again.
do it on all 6 cells.
Then put the neg on the tester on the neg post and keep it there while you move towards the pos post. It should in crease by 2v each cell till you get to the end.
If you don't get the 2v at each step you have a dead cell.

X2 on the glasses, eyesight is nithing to mess with!

This just an outside guess, but, judging from where you live you are in the 'salt and calcium' belt here in New England. One thing to look at would be the Driver Fuel Module. You mentioned you heard 'clicking' behind the cab on the drivers side. Drop the spare tire and check the module for corrosion and damage from the winter. If these things short out they can take out the PCM and other wonderful items along the way. Just something to check on. :smoke: Good Luck and XX3 on the glasses around the Batt. Hopefully that is your only problem

The clicking is the security module behind the rear seat back. It will do that when there is not enough juice from the battery.

Thanks, Jim...learned something new here tonight, didn't know about that thing !!

Could still be that fuel module you suggested, but I know from experience that when a battery shorts out with no warning, the only thing "alive" is that security module and it is a steady clicking noise. I would clean the battery cables first, then look at replacing the battery. As stated, if you are in salt country, won't hurt to look at taht fuel module, for sure.

The battery is definitely due for its death, and its very well known on many sites that the batteries in these trucks just plain die one day with no warning.

Same thing happen to me this past winter with my old 05. Put a new diehard in it and it was great.

Go buy a battery because either way its for sure due time.

Thanks for all the tips. Yeah, I suppose it's time for a battery anyway, so I'll be heading out for one tomorrow. I'll report back with the results!

Thanks again for the tips - I plopped one of these guys in and she started right up!

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/h...G0021Small.jpg

And I gotta say - it sounded like my starter was on steroids that first crank! Although i assumed everything was fine before (never had battery problems), I realize how much more juice this new battery has.

As it's been described before, this proves that all of a sudden, one day these batteries will just die.

Thats a good deal! And yes you are just one more of us to prove that the batts just go one day.

I love Interstate batteries...