Cold Weather Starting Tips

I would suggest having all the batteries load tested individually if they haven't been already and make sure the connections are tight. If all that is ok I would look at the starter next.

 

Ok, this you can do. Check all your battery cables and terminals. One by one, not all at once. Pay special attention to ground wires. Take em off and clean em.

I tend to agree with the one bad battery theory. If your outfit is like ours they're "saving money" by buying cheap "rebuilt" batteries out of Mexico. They're junk. The "new" non-lead/acid batteries are like flashlight batteries. Once one runs flat it will never hold a proper charge again. Then it acts like a slow leak in your air system.

So, I suggest not letting your truck sit long enough for the prob to happen. Go start it up every few hours. Either that or get it boosted/towed every trip and submit the bills.

 

Is it your truck or the company's.

You call the boss and say your truck has a starting problem. Not my truck, then you explain that after you get his truck started you arn not going to shut off his truck until you are at a repair shop. Might not hurt to remind him fuel is near $4 a gallon.

 

sounds like a bad cell in a battery , even at 0 my petes fired up , they where a little sluggish, our little trick when the guys would be stuck at a weekender up in the dakotas was to go out every 6 hours fire it up and run it on high idle till the water temp hit 180 ( about 5 minutes or so , then shut it back down ) and make sure there is cardboard over the radiator or close up your winter front so not to bleed off the extra heat , this helps keep the heat in the block and oil and makes starting easier and doesn't eat up your fuel like Idling will . its a pain to get up and do this every 6 but it beats having to wait for a jumppack to show up .