Smoking a battery

[kendelrio]

All- I am having trouble with my truck smoking one of my batteries.

Brand new type 31s, when fully charged, (brand new) no issues. Both times I've driven the truck when I shut down, when I go to start, my inner battery is toast (digital charger reads ERROR and my mechanical charger shows a dead short). I'm hooking them up in series "-" "+" dog bone "-" "+".

I don't think I'm hooked up wrong, but im at a loss.

All connections are tight before I try to start. Any ideas?

 

[kendelrio]

Oh, this is the second time it happened and I don't know if my battery guy will warranty it...

 

[simp5782]

What do you mean inner battery?

Which one is dead. One with the positive lug to the truck or the negative lug to the truck?

 

[NDT]

Is your alternator overcharging? Remember that failure mode I mentioned in your diagnostics thread. Could be cooking your battery if you didn't notice the volt meter pegged out.

 

[kendelrio]

What do you mean inner battery?

Which one is dead. One with the positive lug to the truck or the negative lug to the truck?

Positive to the truck

 

[kendelrio]

Is your alternator overcharging? Remember that failure mode I mentioned in your diagnostics thread. Could be cooking your battery if you didn't notice the volt meter pegged out.

Checking the meter as I drive. It stays in the green. I also scan all the other gauges as I drive.

 

[simp5782]

Checking the meter as I drive. It stays in the green. I also scan all the other gauges as I drive.

What does your meter say when hooked to the batteries while driving?

Don't trust unknown gauges. That gauge reads power at the dash gauges. Not the battery.

 

[kendelrio]

What does your meter say when hooked to the batteries while driving?

Don't trust unknown gauges. That gauge reads power at the dash gauges. Not the battery.

It shows "Green", but I also put a multimeter on it whilst I was idling and it showed ~27 volts.

That was with all lights on for full power draw.

 

[kendelrio]

At my buddies shop and installed a heavy equipment battery shut off. While installing and testing, found my voltage draw also. My "Battery On/Off" switch stays in the closed position, so my power was never shut off. When it warms up gonna permanently mount the shut off and maybe pull the battery switch and see if I can rebuild it.

We also found some iffy corroded connectors on the main wires and replaced them too. I'm bringing an extra battery home "just in case" (it's a good "gimme" from his shop).

 

[simp5782]

It shows "Green", but I also put a multimeter on it whilst I was idling and it showed ~27 volts.

That was with all lights on for full power draw.

I was referring to a multi meter. What do you have hooked to to negative side of that battery besides the jumper to the other battery?

 

[kendelrio]

I was referring to a multi meter. What do you have hooked to to negative side of that battery besides the jumper to the other battery?

By "that battery" I'm assuming you mean at the dogbone. There is nothing but the doggone attached.

 

[simp5782]

You probably have a stuck solenoid in the PCB. They can stick on with their contacts. Some shut off and never open back up so chase that draw according