Electrical issues
- Thread starter Parrish
- Start date
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MrBalll
Full Access Member
Sounds like a battery issue. It takes a lot of power to start a car but very little to unlock it.
Not sure when you had your battery checked but you may try it again. Also check your connections and see if there is any corrosion and get it off if so.
Not sure when you had your battery checked but you may try it again. Also check your connections and see if there is any corrosion and get it off if so.
I had it checked the last time it did this and they say the crank amps are perfect. The connections are super clean. It’s frustrating because all of the obvious things to do or check were done and are okay. I have the infamous day time runner that always goes out but then comes back on. Could this be a short in that fixture causing it or maybe a computer issues? It’s like it losses a signal or something.
swathdiver
Full Access Member
You need a bi-directional scan tool like a Tech2 to see how many amps is being drawn with the engine off. A Tech2 can quickly narrow that down.
Your going to have to do some parasitic drain testing as often as needed to catch the culprit since it appears to be a sporadic problem. There are many good YouTube videos showing various procedures. There's just too many modules and means that are known to kill a the battery on these trucks. These are some of the issue I have found with my truck alone:
Rear wiper motor ground - A ground wire passing trough the hatch pivot can break causing the wiper motor to function under low power. This causes the wiper to not fully park and keeps the motor energized.
Faulty or miswired aftermarket alarms, car starters, and audio gear/satellite radio that draw power while inactive or cause other modules like the sub-woofer or BCM to stay awake.
Instrument clusters of the era made using early generation no-lead solder will, after a long time of service, be prone to 'tin whiskers' or silver migration causing internal shorts that drains the battery.
Leaving rechargeable devices like GPS, mp3 players, hands-free units powered at all times especially if the batteries are old and tired.
And this doesn't include any of the many wiring harnesses or connections that have gotten a case of the Green Crusties.
Good luck!
You've probably already checked this, but make sure your battery terminals are good. I've been screwed by this too many times to count. It usually won't be an issue until something (like the starter) tries to draw a ton of current.
