Stuck bolt on cab shocks. Will I have to cut them?

Discussion in 'Heavy Duty Diesel Truck Mechanics Forum' started by feldsforever, Aug 26, 2021.

  1. feldsforever

    feldsforever Road Train Member

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    Truck won't start. Can I buy one battery or do I need all four?
     
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  3. skallagrime

    skallagrime Road Train Member

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    Probably get away with 2, 1 might be rough, 4 is advisable by the time winter hits
     
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  4. skallagrime

    skallagrime Road Train Member

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    If you have time, try a 10 amp 4 hr charge (3 hrs from my subaru did the trick once when i left lights on over the weekend)
     
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  5. '88K100

    '88K100 Road Train Member

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    every 10 minute task is 1 broken bolt from being a 3 day ordeal:D
     
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  6. lester

    lester Midwest's #1 Feed Hauler

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    Are your batteries bad you think or did you just leave something on and drain them? Charge them up and then have them tested. You can't test a dead battery.

    Could get by with 3 batteries depending how much starting power you need come winter
     
  7. feldsforever

    feldsforever Road Train Member

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    Thanks again every one. I jumped it thru the alternator. And what I believe to be the starter ground. Will post the storey some time Tommrow. Gotta hit the sheets. 2 30. Will be here in no time.
     
  8. feldsforever

    feldsforever Road Train Member

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    Ok. So onto the batteries.

    Last summer the bunk a.c would just randomly shut off. I blew out the filter, than after a while I just learned to deal with it. I'm still trying to figure out if I have a safe trip or the other unit. I never thought it could be a weak battery because the bunk heater never died just the a.c.
    Fast forward a week or two. The truck barely started. But it did, it jumped to life. I made a mental note to not forget to shut off the main power again. After warming up and traveling about a hour. All the lights where super bright, and the bunk a.c. not longer cut off. So I thought to myself all it needed was a good charge.
    Fast forward to last week. I had worked the key on and off to raise and lower the cab to put the shocks on. While tightening the last cab shock I asked the Mrs. To turn the key off.
    She did. But unbenownest to me her or my self, she went one click past off. And it sat like this for about 18 to 24 hours. Causeing another no start.
    I took the two batteries not connected to that little box to a local store and asked them to charge them for me. They called about two hours later stating one battery was no good. But the other was fine.
    But this store always says that about my automobile batteries. Case and point. My pick up truck still has the same battery they said was junk 3 years ago.
    Fast forward to yesterday, and I don't know what made me think of this, or why I didn't think of it sooner. When the bunk a.c. cut off. I flip the key and the dash volts read 13.2. Of course I started it and keep it running untill it went back up to 14.1.
    Sorry its a long post. But you now have all the indo I have. This truck has 4 batteries. A small electrical box is connected to the front two. Then those two are connected to the back two. The back two are the ones that went to the charge shop.
    Please advise, do I test them with a voltage meter. Or just break down and buy batteries? To date. You now have all the info I have.
    Thanks in advance
     
  9. RedForeman

    RedForeman Momentum Conservationist

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    On the batteries, I replace mine as a set for peace of mind and avoid further problems. Of course clean or replace all the crusty terminals and cables you find in there.

    On the bunk blower vs battery voltage thing, I ran into a similar problem on a Pete 387 I finally got the good sense to get rid of. The 12v outlets in the bunk area would cause my portable fridge to shut down. Turns out the main power feed to the bunk goes through a maxi fuse in the battery box, then has 2 or 3 big lug style connectors between the batteries and the bunk. With age, all of those connections were causing enough voltage drop getting back to the bunk, to affect the fridge. It's a bit awkward but simple to confirm. Connect a digital voltmeter, one lead on a positive battery post, the other on the B+ wire on the blower motor while it's running on high speed. If the meter reads over 0.5V you have a crusty terminal somewhere in the middle.
     
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  10. feldsforever

    feldsforever Road Train Member

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    Thanks I will do that.!
    On then 12 volt out let are you talking about the GPS/phone plug in or a regular plug in.?
     
  11. RedForeman

    RedForeman Momentum Conservationist

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    This was a 2007 truck, and I'm referring to the cigarette lighter size sockets for 12V accessories. Between the fuse block inside the battery box (excellent location surrounded by battery gases and right behind the left steer tire) and one of the power feed lugs under the hood, I had about a 1.5V drop to the bunk power distribution panel. Another of Peterbilt's brilliant engineering ideas was putting the fuse/relay panel outside on the firewall, directly over the right steer tire. It got to where I didn't even need to look at the wiring diagram to figure out where to start.
     
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