Interesting battery failure on my truck

[Whiskerfish]

2019 ram 1500 stock 5.7 OEM Battery etc etc etc. Started up this morning drove to the rescue and picked up a dog. Started fine leaving there. Went to an church getting out and let the dog meet and greet the parishioners as they exited. Started up fine when I left there and drove about 5 miles to the convention center where 3 big events were going on. Found a nice shady spot and me and Mr Butters hung out for a couple hours. Lot of good interaction with folks loving him and asking questions etc.
Almost exactly 2 hours later I go to leave there and the truck is Dead. Had enough juice to light the instrument panel stuff for a couple seconds before I turned the key and then Nothing after that. Fussed with everything and no joy. Asked several folks and finally a nice young man had some cables and helped me out. Smallish sedan/ suv thing. Hooked up and not enough juice to even think about turning over. Let it charge for a good 10 minutes check all the connections etc and still no joy. It would click but that was about it.
Called the Wife. The timing sucked as she had just finished her work shift at the Church and was headed home (she does not answer the phone when she is driving). Anyway Hour and a half later she arrives with my cables some tools and her Jeep. Hook up to her jeep and my truck fires right up. Awesome. Unhook the cables with my truck running and the voltage starts going crazy from 9 to 14 and back and forth real fast. WTH?? And then my truck died! Jumped it off again and rev it up some disconnected the cables and it died again!! Runs fine with the jeep hooked up to it but dies in just a few seconds when separated.
So now I am thinking Alternator right?
Either way had to go to the house to get the "right" tools so stopped and got a Battery and priced a Alternator. Batt was $270, Alternator was quoted at 750 and none in stock. Would have to be ordered.

Installed the new battery and everything is fine. fires right up holds steady at 14 volts according to the dash read out and my meter.

So basically a 4 year old battery crapped out. No big deal but zero warning? Normally you get a couple slow cranks first or at least I always have before.

Then the crazy voltage swings with the truck running? I checked the voltage with a meter just after it died and it was at 9.

My last Factory Battery lasted 6 years.


Just struck as very weird the way this whole thing happened. I really suspect a internal failure of the battery.

[CYBORG]

not a good day for sure. I have had the same thing happen to me once. Fortunatly I was in my drive way. Glad you solved it

[Fred Camper]

Trucks today with fuel injection start too fast. So a bad battery can last 4 years. Had the same experience many years back. New battery lasted 4 years but I could never play the radio when washing it or it would not restart. Vehicles today do not test the fitness of a battery like the old days.

[Sagebrush]

My OEM 2014 RAM battery died without warning at all, same as you. Fortunately it was parked in the garage when it wouldn't start and other than the price of the battery it wasn't all that painful of an experience.

[5speed]

a weak battery plays havoc with ecm's in new vehicles. They can do all kinds of weird things.
Also..when shopping for parts check rock auto..their prices are usually much better.

[Whiskerfish]

Trucks today with fuel injection start too fast. SNIP

I think that may be the key.

[julimike54]

You've experienced the way I've had battery failures in the past few years. I believe a plate cracks and causes a partial short in the battery. No warning at all.

[Sidecar Bob]

I know nothing about modern cars & trucks but it sounds like a poor connection between cable and battery to me. I know it is too late to return the new one but it might be a good idea to charge the old one and have it tested.

[Rednaxs60]

New and older EFI vehicles are power "pigs", and need a good electrical system. A bad battery can take out the RR on a motorcycle, or an alternator on a car. Batteries take a beating with all the electronics and such on a vehicle. OEMs have reduced the size of the battery and alternators for economic reasons such that there is not a lot of wiggle room for any additions. Back in the day, you were able to remove the battery and change it, not now. Engine will probably stall/stop.

The owner of the battery shop I use sells a lot of battery tenders for the new cars in this town because seniors don't drive long enough to keep the battery fully charged, and with all the electronics and such the battery would go flat.

Probably best to change the battery after 3-4 years regardless of what state the battery is in. EFI systems are very dependent on a good charging system, affects engine performance.

[Sidecar Bob]

I'm a senior and my base amount of driving is to the post office & back 3 times per week (total under 10 Km). Even on my '80s bikes that isn't really enough to recharge the battery from starting it so I make sure I get it up to 80+ Km/h for 10 or 15 Km every week or so.
And they don't have any electronics that runs when the key is off either. I wonder how long it takes for all the stuff on a modern car to kill the battery?

[Whiskerfish]

The cables were/ are not an issue. They were pristine clean and tight. I did measure voltage on the old battery just after I disconnected the jumpers. it was down to 9 volts in just a few seconds. I am fairly certain the battery failed internally and with the fast firing of the fuel injection systems I never had any warning. Back in the day a truck would slow crank for a week or 2 (depending on how far North you were) before going dead. Today's systems just don't do that. She is all dine. Old Battery was dropped off that evening so I could get my 24 dollar core credit back.