Truck running great. Driving for 100's of miles, no problem. Suddenly, unexpectedly..

[Jack Lope]

The M1008 has been my daily driver for months. It's been running great and seem to be getting decent mileage. Also, the truck is cool and I like driving it. This week, me and the dog have put hundreds of miles, going to the river fishing, 4x4'ing on some off road trails a bit, and literally, hundreds of miles just this week. Today, decided I needed to run up to the store to buy some milk. Milk store is 2 miles away. Got in the truck, started it up no problems as usual. Got to the store, bought the milk, went back to the truck and the batteries were too low to start the truck. A slow, moaning turn of the starter with no umpfh behind it. After wiggling connections without success, I began walking home... with the milk. I got home, took about 15 minute break, got the car, jumper cables, jump box, some wrenches and drove back up to the store. Tightened the connections, didn't help. Jumper cables attached to front battery and to my running car, didn't help. Attached jump box to rear battery, jumper cables to front battery to the car, and the starter slowly turned over just enough to get the truck started. Drove the truck home, turned around and began walking the 2 miles back to the milk store. Got the car, and just got back home. So, ***? I've never had any signs of low battery. The voltmeter reads on the high end of the green section. How did the truck go from running great, no signs of issues, to dead batteries so instantly? Comments? Suggestions?

 

[porkysplace]

Clean every connection, check the alternators , starter going bad ect .
What maintainence have you done on it?
Read the CUCV stickies.

 

[K9Vic]

Hello sir, I can run over there with the M0131 and jump it for you. Or if you got it home I can help you try to figure out what is wrong with it.

I sent you a PM with my number.

 

[goldneagle]

Could be a bad starter, starter relay not making good contact. Loose ground. Loose cable to starter.

 

[K9Vic]

Rear your post again, saw you got it home. Missed that the first time as I was distracted by a phone call and did not catch you got it home.

I will not be home Sunday until late evening, but if you need help later in the week after 6pm I can help you figure out what maybe wrong with it.

Either disconnect both batteries or remove them and charge each one individually and after charged try to start the truck again. If you still have issues make sure all your grounds are cleaned, especially the one from the firewall to the top of the engine block. A bad ground can cause the starter to nor turn and maybe run slow. If you need batteries, you can get refurbished group 31 from Interstate Battery in Haltom City for $55 each with equal core.

 

[Jack Lope]

Hello sir, I can run over there with the M0131 and jump it for you. Or if you got it home I can help you try to figure out what is wrong with it. I sent you a PM with my number.

Hey, thanks! I actually walked right past your house... twice. The truck was at Braum's.

 

[K9Vic]

Hey, thanks! I actually walked right past your house... twice. The truck was at Braum's.

You should have stopped by, I was home all day up until a about 8:30 when I went as well to Braum's. I do not recall seeing your truck there if it was, but I parked at the Senior Center, so if your truck was there I missed it.

 

[Mainsail]

I had a Ranger pickup that did this off and on. Some days it would start just fine, others, it acted like the battery was dead. Take it in for a test and it's fine again. Turns out the battery had a loose plate that would short out the battery internally- sharp turn or bump in the road would either short it or fix it.

Something to think about....

 

[roveroverme]

on mine there are two threaded rods holding the starter together. One was too short and stripped out. That caused the starter to short out.
first it turned slow, then not at all.
I bought some 1/4" threaded rod and lock nuts and after cleaning the starter , replaced the rod.
Works ok now (knock on wood)

 

[Jack Lope]

If you need batteries, you can get refurbished group 31 from Interstate Battery in Haltom City for $55 each with equal core.

Well, it's looking like the rear battery up and died suddenly, without any warning and completely unexpectedly. Put the rear battery on the charger overnight, and picked up an $18.00 6v/12v battery load/alternator/starter tester from Harbor Freight today. The front battery tests good, and the rear battery goes from 13.1v (immediately off the charger) to ZOINK when under load. I've put it back on the charger for now, but it's not looking promising. The $55 Group 31 sounds like my kind of price. How do the Group 31 fit in the existing brackets? I'm sure it's posted in the message boards somewhere. [edit] Also checked battery fluid levels. They were all good.

 

[Jack Lope]

I had a Ranger pickup that did this off and on. Some days it would start just fine, others, it acted like the battery was dead. Take it in for a test and it's fine again. Turns out the battery had a loose plate that would short out the battery internally- sharp turn or bump in the road would either short it or fix it. Something to think about....

Pulled the battery out, shook it around a bit, knocked on the floor a tad, but it seems pretty solid and it's still dead. Worth a shot!

 

[Jack Lope]

Went to Interstate Battery today. They did have a Group 31 battery, but they had no idea it's specs. The CCA according to the load tester was about 1050, which is nice, but is that all I need to worry about? The battery was about half the weight of the 6TMF and looks like they found it in a ditch on the side of the road. I couldn't bring myself to get it. Is there a company that can refurbish your existing battery? Didn't like the Interstate battery, but $60 price is where I want to be!. To bad Interstate Battery is closed on the weekends.

 

[K9Vic]

I have bought near a dozen group 31 batteries from Interstate and never had an issue with them. They may look old and dirty, but keep in mind they are reconditioned/refurbished batteries that will have blemishes. The most recent one I got last week was missing the handle strap, but not a big deal. The Group 31 are industrial batteries used in heavy trucks and marine use (Post vary for each use). They should be 1000-1100CCA and are designed for diesel starting. They fit perfectly in the CUCV tray on the center and I believe that they CUCV was designed for both them and the 6TMF batteries. No modification is needed for fit, just make sure you have the posts in the right orientation.

I owned a 84 M1009 for 3 years with those batteries and never had any issues over those years. Used my 12v winch many times and all my accessory lights that were carried over to my 84 Suburban. I trust these reconditioned batteries in all my trucks and so do allot of CUCV owners. During that time the cost of them has going from $45 to $65 each, but new batteries also increased in price.

Interstate does have a warranty on them, but do not recall what it is. Something like 90 days or 6 months.

 

[K9Vic]

You also need to change both batteries at the same time as you never want to mix old and new batteries on a diesel.

 

[trooper632]

I just took a load of old military 6tl batteries I had laying around yesterday to Interstate in san Antonio yesterday, .30 a pound, got a check for 267.30. Wow, I thought that battery weighed about 60 pounds, put it on their scale and it weighed 74 pounds, no wonder my back kills me. Got four blemished load tested good batteries for $25.00 a piece with core exchange, I will be getting all mine from there from now on.

 

[Jack Lope]

How much the same do the two batteries need to be? The other 6TMF is good, so I may keep it for other projects. The refurbished Group 31 at Interstate without core trade was almost $100. I can get a brand new one for about $116. Would a new one and a refurbished one be ok to use together? It seems there's a chance that two refurbished ones wouldn't be the same either, I'd guess. Also, anyone think the solar battery tenders/trickle charger could kill a battery? I have a lot of time to talk about this because Interstate battery is closed until Monday. Gives me time to do some research.

 

[trooper632]

I have used new and old batteries in the same truck together with no issues, one military and one civilian

 

[nyoffroad]

I have used new and old batteries in the same truck together with no issues, one military and one civilian

Yeah , so have I. Just as long as both are GOOD batteries. The starter is kinda stupid, it doesn't know the difference between a 1000CCA and 900CCA heck it doesn't even know the difference between top post and side post!

 

[Tornadogt]

I just took a load of old military 6tl batteries I had laying around yesterday to Interstate in san Antonio yesterday, .30 a pound, got a check for 267.30. Wow, I thought that battery weighed about 60 pounds, put it on their scale and it weighed 74 pounds, no wonder my back kills me. Got four blemished load tested good batteries for $25.00 a piece with core exchange, I will be getting all mine from there from now on.

I have 8 6TMF all will charge up to 12.5-13V and have No Cranking Amps. Internal Shorts. I had no idea they were paying that much for Cores at Interstate. I assume you went to the outlet by the Airport? I may need to take a ride and clear off the floor of bad batteries.

 

[K9Vic]

How much the same do the two batteries need to be? The other 6TMF is good, so I may keep it for other projects. The refurbished Group 31 at Interstate without core trade was almost $100. I can get a brand new one for about $116. Would a new one and a refurbished one be ok to use together? It seems there's a chance that two refurbished ones wouldn't be the same either, I'd guess. Also, anyone think the solar battery tenders/trickle charger could kill a battery? I have a lot of time to talk about this because Interstate battery is closed until Monday. Gives me time to do some research.

I would think that since the 6TMF is also an industrial battery and cost 3X as much as a Group 31 new, Interstate would not charge a core or partial core when exchanging them. I would discuss this with them as to make an even exchange since the 6TMF cost is allot more new over the Group 31. I had a your standard Group 24 battery as a core for the last Group 31 I bought and they gave me $20 credit of the $30 core, so I had to pay $10 more for the battery. So I do not see why they would not do an even exchange with a 6TMF core for a Group 31 reconditioned.

You could always hunt around for some old car batteries as well, use them as multiple cores as they do buy old batteries.