Test your truck battery and check its cables

[Paul in Idaho]

In case sharing my experience yesterday can help anyone protect their hunt from complications...

It's worth taking a few minutes before leaving for a hunt to test your truck battery health and inspect its cable connections for corrosion.

My truck has been so reliable I forgot about this step and ended up with a dead truck many miles into rough country. The battery failed entirely, and the positive cable connector is badly corroded. Thankfully I had a jumpstarter unit with me and was able to get back to the closest town, but the only parts store was closed.

Now I'm at home instead of elk hunting. I won't overlook these steps when getting ready for future hunts.

 

[Southern Elk]

Yep. I always have a jump pack with me.

 

[JT88]

Here's a quick poor man's way to load test a truck battery with only a multimeter

Before starting your truck for the day:
1. Check battery voltage (Just for reference basically, should be above 12V)
2. Turn on the ignition but don't start the engine
3. Turn on the headlights on bright setting
4. Recheck battery voltage. If voltage is now below 12 Volts, your battery is on its way out

 

[PorterHouse]

This is a timely post. I actually had to replace a bad battery (less than a year old) last week in my truck. It was leaking and starting to corrode the terminals.

Sure glad I caught it now and didn’t have to deal with it in a couple weeks when I’m headed north for a mule deer hunt.

 

[bmt99]

Good reminder post. My battery lost a cell in my pickup not long ago. Battery was just over 3 years old. Spoke with a couple parts people and one engineer who does testing for an auto company and all 3 reiterated that batteries commonly go out between 3-5 years on "newer" vehicles. My pickup is a 2020. Was very surprised as my jeep battery was much older and still fine. Then my boat battery went out after 3 years. Crazy. Not to mention that batteries now are pretty pricey!

 

[JT88]

Battery quality is horrible these days. I have a theory that the lead quality (and probably all the needed ingredients) have taken a serious hit since we no longer have a lead smelter left in the U.S.

 

[Zak]

Good reminder. My truck battery died 2 weeks before my mule deer hunt. If it lasted two more weeks, I'd probably be in your situation.

 

[np307]

Here's a quick poor man's way to load test a truck battery with only a multimeter

Before starting your truck for the day:
1. Check battery voltage (Just for reference basically, should be above 12V)
2. Turn on the ignition but don't start the engine
3. Turn on the headlights on bright setting
4. Recheck battery voltage. If voltage is now below 12 Volts, your battery is on its way out

12.6 is proper voltage when off. Depending on your specific vehicle, somewhere around 13.7 or 14.1 while running.

 

[rjthehunter]

I have a jump pack that lives in the truck usually. Also have one that lives in the boat. They can really save your ass if/when you end up in a bind!

I always prep for hunts/trips as if there will be no one to help me. Easy way to make sure you'll be able to get yourself out of a tough situation.

In a lot of cases, you can clean up your battery terminals, hit it with some electrical contact cleaner, then tighten everything back up and make it work for the rest of the trip!

 

[JT88]

12.6 is proper voltage when off. Depending on your specific vehicle, somewhere around 13.7 or 14.1 while running.

I could've been more specific here. The good thing about the test is that it will help you determine if you have a weak battery or a bad cell regardless of what static no load voltage reads. A surface charge voltage reading can be misleading sometimes

 

[np307]

I could've been more specific here. The good thing about the test is that it will help you determine if you have a weak battery or a bad cell regardless of what static no load voltage reads. A surface charge voltage reading can be misleading sometimes

I just mentioned it because I've had to argue with people before that their battery was dead even though it was reading 12v.

 

[buck137]

I just had to replace the batteries in my truck, I noticed it was starting slower than normal. I went to go to work last week Monday, and all it did was went click, I guess that's what I get for being cheap and not buying new ones. But luckily it happened between the archery and general season and not on a mountain side somewhere. Surprisingly, my truck is a '16 and the batteries were the originals from the factory, but dang are the new one's costly.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

I bought a jumper unit because our camp is a long way from anywhere. Good piece of mind, even with a good battery.

 

[Art Vandeley]

Had this happen up at Tiber this year when trying to pull my boat out, pickup wouldn’t start. Battery terminals badly corroded. No cell service, frick. Lucky to have farm friends camped nearby helped me out

 

[Redmt]

Cranking engine on weak batteries is a quick way to take out the starter.

 

[Beignet]

A helpful FYI, a lot of new car batteries are under a fairly extended warranty. Set a reminder on your phone for a month or so before it expires and test the battery then. I learned this the hard way having one crap out at approx 3 years and 1 week. It would have likely tested bad at 2 years and 11.5 months had I kept track.

 

[Khunter]

I just had to replace the batteries in my truck, I noticed it was starting slower than normal. I went to go to work last week Monday, and all it did was went click, I guess that's what I get for being cheap and not buying new ones. But luckily it happened between the archery and general season and not on a mountain side somewhere. Surprisingly, my truck is a '16 and the batteries were the originals from the factory, but dang are the new one's costly.

wow, can’t imagine even trying to run a battery 7 years no matter the performance.

 

[Redmt]

The thread is timely as my 2000 superduty is due for battery replacement before weather sets in. My long standing go to batteries have been Interstate. I'm reading battery reviews and see them near the bottom of several different reviews . AGM is near the top but are "holy shit" expensive .

 

[KB_]

That reminds me to add a battery to the list of items needed for my wifes Expedition.

Has anyone ever had a battery freeze solid on them before? We had that happen on my wifes truck, I've never had that happen before. Let it thaw in the house for 2 days and it was fine(probably not that fine).

 

[LuketheDog]

In case sharing my experience yesterday can help anyone protect their hunt from complications...

It's worth taking a few minutes before leaving for a hunt to test your truck battery health and inspect its cable connections for corrosion.

My truck has been so reliable I forgot about this step and ended up with a dead truck many miles into rough country. The battery failed entirely, and the positive cable connector is badly corroded. Thankfully I had a jumpstarter unit with me and was able to get back to the closest town, but the only parts store was closed.

Now I'm at home instead of elk hunting. I won't overlook these steps when getting ready for future hunts.

We were 23+ miles off the closest paved road out in the boonies just two days ago, packed up and heading home from the elk hunt in my buddy's vehicle, and the kids must've left a dome light on or something because the battery was dead. Luckily I had thrown my NoCo jumpstart pack in at the last minute (as I learned 5 years ago that having a dead truck battery at the end of the road can be a real headache), that thing is a lifesaver!

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