Battery System Question, 2015 KW t680

As long as the connections are clean and secure there is no need to add anything. So, you have 2 main cables positive and 2 main ground cables. All of the batteries are connected together, but the connection is made at the starter versus at the batteries.

 

Yes, that is correct. Make sure whatever battery maintainer you choose that it will handle the load of the fridge or what ever you want to run.

 

If the batteries are connected in series the voltage is doubled, if they are connected in parallel the cranking amps are doubled.

So if your batteries are 6 volt and they are hooked in series they create 2 large 12 volt batteries, if they are 12 volt batteries hooked in parallel they also create 2 large 12 volt batteries.

But if they are 6 volts hooked in parallel they create 2 large 6 volt batteries and there is a series parallel switch that converts the two groups to a giant 12 volt battery.

My point is that unless you know how those 2 groups are connected and what the final volts are you could screw things up by adding jumpers between the banks.

Series means positive to negative, this doubles the voltage.

Parallel means positive to positive, this keeps the voltage the same and doubles the cranking amps.

 

The unit in question is wired in parallel. The op is stating them as banks because paccar does not use "jumpers" between all four batteries. Instead there is two main cables each ,2 positive and 2 ground, that run to the starter and the connection betwen each pair of batteries is made at the starter to make one pack of 4 starting batteries wired in parallel.

In this case adding the jumpers between the pairs would do nothing. Wouldn't hurt anything either.

 

The only newer vehicle I've seen wired in series is a military truck. Never have I seen a retail built vehicle run more than a 12 volts system.

 

All the early cats had 24 volt starters and 4 6 volt batteries, both pairs wired in series and a parallel switch to combine them for starting.

 

How old are they?