HeavyH
Junior Member
Hi everyone!
I've got an 01' RAM with a 5.9 in it. Truck has 85,000 miles on it.
A few months ago I had to leave town and left my truck sitting for 2 months roughly. I had my wife crank the truck and drive it around the neighborhood a couple times while I was gone. When I came back the truck was dead. She had started and drove the truck 4-5 days before this. I had AAA come out to jump the truck and was told it wasn't the battery, but the lady didn't really seem that knowledgeable. The next day I used a jumpbox to get it to start and drove it around the neighborhood and all seemed well. Tried again the next morning and had to jump it again. Battery was under warranty and went to have it tested and was told that it checked out, but they gave me a replacement battery anyhow. Put the battery on the truck and the next morning I had to jump the truck again. At this point I assumed it was the alternator so I ordered one to replace it myself. Got busy and didn't go back to the truck for another month or so. Went to pull the truck in the garage to replace the alternator and truck started up instantly without needing to be jumped off. Ended up not replacing the alternator. Went out the next two mornings (this past weekend) and truck started just fine and let it run 5-10 minutes both mornings. Today I went to go have new tires put on it and all was well. Drove 30 minutes there and turned it off. They were able to start it and get it in the shop, but it wouldn't start when they were done with the tires. The voltage meter was down to 8-10 volts. Got it jumped and drove the 30 minutes home with no problems. Tried to re start it immediately after I got home and it's completely dead. No power to anything whatsoever! Let it sit for an hour or two and went back outside and the lights would turn on at first but after I tried to crank it once everything was completely dead again.
I'm just really perplexed and don't know where to start. If it was the alternator wouldn't the truck die while driving it? I'm not that mechanically inclined, but I am wanting to work on it myself just for the satisfaction of it!
I've got an 01' RAM with a 5.9 in it. Truck has 85,000 miles on it.
A few months ago I had to leave town and left my truck sitting for 2 months roughly. I had my wife crank the truck and drive it around the neighborhood a couple times while I was gone. When I came back the truck was dead. She had started and drove the truck 4-5 days before this. I had AAA come out to jump the truck and was told it wasn't the battery, but the lady didn't really seem that knowledgeable. The next day I used a jumpbox to get it to start and drove it around the neighborhood and all seemed well. Tried again the next morning and had to jump it again. Battery was under warranty and went to have it tested and was told that it checked out, but they gave me a replacement battery anyhow. Put the battery on the truck and the next morning I had to jump the truck again. At this point I assumed it was the alternator so I ordered one to replace it myself. Got busy and didn't go back to the truck for another month or so. Went to pull the truck in the garage to replace the alternator and truck started up instantly without needing to be jumped off. Ended up not replacing the alternator. Went out the next two mornings (this past weekend) and truck started just fine and let it run 5-10 minutes both mornings. Today I went to go have new tires put on it and all was well. Drove 30 minutes there and turned it off. They were able to start it and get it in the shop, but it wouldn't start when they were done with the tires. The voltage meter was down to 8-10 volts. Got it jumped and drove the 30 minutes home with no problems. Tried to re start it immediately after I got home and it's completely dead. No power to anything whatsoever! Let it sit for an hour or two and went back outside and the lights would turn on at first but after I tried to crank it once everything was completely dead again.
I'm just really perplexed and don't know where to start. If it was the alternator wouldn't the truck die while driving it? I'm not that mechanically inclined, but I am wanting to work on it myself just for the satisfaction of it!