2014 Dodge ram 1500 sport - Battery dead

[omnisap]

Friends,

Hope you all are having an amazing Christmas break.

Today morning when i tried to start my 2014 RAM truck, it was totally dead. If i do not use the truck for 3 days, its totally dead and have to jump it (regardless of summer or winter). If you are in Calgary, you all know last few weeks were freezing and we did not go out.

Do you have any idea why this is happening? I did some study on the old threads and no one gives a clear idea. The dodge dealer mentioned

1) It could be the fuse in the + Battery terminal (Part #68164797AA )
(or)
2) Bad battery terminals (Looks like an expensive thing to replace)

I am so frustrated that i have to keep using the truck everyday,if not it dies.

Any suggestions.

Thanks
OS

 

[omnisap]

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[Scottly]

Load test the battery. If it passes (and sometimes they do but are still not good), and that battery is over 2yrs old, replace it. That's what i would do. If you still have the issue, look for parasitic draw.

 

[Daw14]

Do all of the above , may consider a maintenance charger if it sits a lot. Does it get driven often and for long enough to keep it charged ?

 

[omnisap]

Scot,

I will try that as i bought it in costco, i can still replace it.

Daw,

I drive it almost 3 days a week for 20 to 30 kms. What is a maintenance charger? pls explain. Is this the portable jump kit?

OS

 

[Burla]

Could be a couple things, cold could be killing capacity, you need a lot of cca to start, but if you are sure it was totally dead then this likely isn't it. Could have been a defective battery from the jump. But, it is likely coming from parasitic loss, get a multi meter and find it, many youtubes out there on this. If it takes a charge, costco wont replace it and it is parasitic loss most likely.

 

[buckeyexx]

I just went thru this same thing with my wife’s car. She would go out in the morning to live for work and the battery would be dead. I would jump start it no problem and it would be fine the rest of the day shutting down and starting back up when needed. The next day same thing dead battery. So I decided to have the battery load tested at a local advance auto thinking she probably needed a battery but the test came back that the battery was good along with my alternator. I was getting ready to just drop it off at the dealership thinking it had some type of parasitic draw on the battery since it would start just fine after jump starting and testing good but couldn’t really be without her car for god knows how long it would take them to diagnose it. So I ended just purchasing a battery anyway and guess what it has been good ever since. Sorry for the long post but that’s my experience with a recent bad battery even tho it tested good

 

[Dean2]

Take battery back to Costco and switch it out. Clean the battery terminals and where the battery ground runs to, when you put the new battery in. Let us know the outcome. If that doesn't solve the issue then you have some sort of parasitic draw, as even at -40 a battery does not go dead in 3 days if your alternator is working properly.

 

[Burla]

I wonder if that load test measures capacity, you are in a cold place, as you see on the chart this will hurt capacity but not battery function of lifespan. Makes you think a good way to recycle batteries is send old batteries from the cold regions to the south and let them milk the juice til it's gone. Guys in cold places consider going with h8 instead of h7 to increase the interval because you increase capacity, they fit with a little encouragement. For some reason here h8 interstate batteries are even cheaper then h7.

 

[omnisap]

Thanks Burla, Buckeye and Dean,

Yes it was very cold last 2 weeks and went up to -45 C.

I am planning to return it in costco.. i have to look for the reciept (Big pain)

But just wondering, before putting the new battery, how can i clean the terminals?

OS

 

[14 Lonestar]

You don’t need your receipt from Costco, show them your membership card and they can look it up.

You can pick up a battery terminal cleaning brush at the auto parts store or check Amazon.

 

[Dean2]

Ten bucks at Canadain Tire or Amazon

 

[Scottly]

If you have heavy amounts of corrosion, use a mixture of baking soda and water, and scrub it off with a wire brush. The terminal cleaner pictured above is used for cleaning the battery posts(internal brush) and cleaning the inside of the terminals themselves(outside brush). Thje colored washers are impregnated with zinc chromate, which helps keep the terminals corrosion free. They do so by absorbing any electrolyte that seeps past the battery case seal around the battery terminals.

 

[omnisap]

Thanks Lonestar, Scottly and Dean.

Heading to costco now to return and get a new battery... i am using H7, is this ok?

Battery specifications:

• Cold Cranking Amps – 790.
• Cranking Amps – 985.
• Reserve Capacity – 130.
• Amp Hours – 80.
• Voltage – 12V.

Also my terminals look pretty clean and no corrosion. Still do i need to clean it?

 

[Burn2k12Ram]

how can i clean the terminals?

Coat the terminals with some baking soda then pour a small amount of water and then scrub with a wire brush. Works very well.

 

[Dean2]

We have all told you multiple times what you need to do. I even dug up a picture to show you the 5 buck tool to do it with. If you lack the skills to do all the needed steps, you may want to take it to a shop.

 

[omnisap]

Thanks Burn and scotlty.

So i got it returned and bought a new one for the same price in Costco. I did the baking powder and hotwter and scrubbed a bit and tried to put the terminals in.

I noticed that the bolt/screw to tighten the terminal to the battery pole is not getting tightened and struck. Now i dont know how to take the bolt out of the screw. I applied WD-40 and still cant loosen the bolt from the screw... Any suggestions.

 

[14 Lonestar]

That terminal does not appear to be fully seated on the post. You need to open that with a screwdriver and reattach. Does the nut tighten at all or is it stripped?

 

[Burn2k12Ram]

I would suggest getting a new battery terminal set. Can get at wallyworld or your local parts store. use a flathead screwdriver to loosen off of battery.

 

[GTyankee]

That terminal was designed strange to my way of thinking, never saw one with that strange angle on it
It may break off if not careful
Lead is real soft

Using the proper tools, instead of pliers & screw drivers is always best

Watch this video, it explains the procedure enough that it would help a person that was doing the procedure for the first time & it would also help someone that has not tackled the same job for years.

How To Replace a Battery | RAM 1500 | 2009 to 2018 - Is This the Right Solution?

Watch as #MundaneMan replaces the original battery on his 2012 #RAM 1500 with the 5.7 liter Hemi. This process is the same for 2009 to 2018 RAM 1500's and i...

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