# Truck dying while plowing



## glennemay (Dec 20, 2010)

OK. So I have a strange one. 

When I am working my plow, lights on, overhead amber on and heater of course blowing in the truck, I can only move the plow around for a little while before the truck eventually dies out. I just cleaned my connectors (As we are expecting another 15 - 18 of the white stuff starting tonight) and will put things back together. 

Once the truck dies, I can easilly jumpstart it and it comes back to life. BUT the battery is dead for a few minutes. Let it charge for a bit and I am good to go. Until I kill it again. 



So my rig is a 2004 F350 DRW with the V10. 


Plow is a Fisher MM1 9' HD. 



Any suggestions on where to look are helpful. 



Thanks
G


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Sounds like you might have a bad cell in the battery


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

grandview;1951319 said:


> Sounds like you might have a bad cell in the battery


Ditto, how old is it? Is it a single battery setup? If so, get a good quality marine deep cycle to replace it.

I'd first take it out, take it to interstate all battery, have them test it. If bad, replace.

Just took two in for my Kodiak. Had a full charge, so that looked good, once they load tested them, they failed to pass.

.....


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## glennemay (Dec 20, 2010)

grandview;1951319 said:


> Sounds like you might have a bad cell in the battery


Cant honestly say I had thought battery. It is only 2 years old. NAPA high end battery. The one for police vehicles. I will check the load on it though. Interesting.

Thanks. Always nice to get another opinion. I of course always think the worst.

and yes, it is a single battery setup. I was thinking a 2 battery but in all honestly there is no real place to put it under the hood. Oddly enough, for a big truck, the underhood is less than cavernous.

Thanks
G


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## jhenderson9196 (Nov 14, 2010)

Check the individual cells with a hydrometer. I bet you'll find one low.


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## glennemay (Dec 20, 2010)

jhenderson9196;1951338 said:


> Check the individual cells with a hydrometer. I bet you'll find one low.


Battery is sealed. I suppose I could pry the cap off.

But I also just checked it. I get 12v resting voltage on the battery.

If I start the truck I get 12v. If I turn everything on, I get 12v.

SO I am not sure if the battery is overdrawing the system, or if the alternator is not pushing enough. Sort of banking the alternator is not pushing quite enough.

I can check it that way, but dont have any other way of looking it over.

G


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## xgiovannix12 (Dec 8, 2012)

get the battery tested autoparts test it free of charge


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Battery should be 12.5 or more and 14.5 with truck running after few minutes.


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

xgiovannix12;1951361 said:


> get the battery tested autoparts test it free of charge


Screw that. All they check is the voltage.

I don't deal with anyone else besides a local guy who is about to retire and interstate battery center..

.... Pfffffft


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## xgiovannix12 (Dec 8, 2012)

White Gardens;1951548 said:


> Screw that. All they check is the voltage.
> 
> I don't deal with anyone else besides a local guy who is about to retire and interstate battery center..
> 
> .... Pfffffft


Not here they check everything Including the draw from the starter and charging system. I got my own tester to check everything as well


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

Take it back to NAPA,to check it,This way they can warranty it.


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

If I start the truck I get 12v. If I turn everything on, I get 12v.

Alternator.......like old said, 14.5 + while running.


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## glennemay (Dec 20, 2010)

So update to this one. 

I plugged an OBD sensor in last night and ran the truck for about 30 miles. Registered 14v the whole time. Stopped and with the truck moving. (It bounced a little, but not much) 

So the OBD thinks it is getting 14v. If I start moving the plow around, it does drop to 11.2.


So this feels alternator to me. 



Does anyone have a suggestion for a replacement alternator? Any experience with one being better or more powerful than another? 

Again, Triton V10 2004 F350.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Bad plow or old motor will also draw down alt.


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## seville009 (Sep 9, 2002)

Do you have any issues when the plow is not mounted?

My MVP had issues this year. Ran the truck electrical right down to where it died on me. Once the wiring and solenoud was replaced, everything was fine.


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## glennemay (Dec 20, 2010)

1olddogtwo;1951926 said:


> Bad plow or old motor will also draw down alt.


No. No issues when not plowing. I cleaned all the plow connectors yesterday.


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## seville009 (Sep 9, 2002)

glennemay;1952057 said:


> No. No issues when not plowing. I cleaned all the plow connectors yesterday.


I posted this in the Western plows section last month when I had a similar problem. Hopefully it will help you...
.
.

Was still having the problem - truck didn't actually die again, but I could see the electrical system wanting to die. Took it to the Western dealer this morning. Turns out the battery cable on both the truck and plow side (the large connection, not the headlight connection), the solenoid, and the cable hooked up to the solenoid were all overheating and causing the issues (parts replaced were DD42014, DD42015, DD42901, and DD29071). According to the dealer, Western had a design problem with these relays and fixed them around 2009 (mine was installed in 2007).

Plowed after I got it fixed and no issues, so apparently that was the problem.

Kind of makes sense now on why my truck was completely dead, and then was ok after sitting for about an hour. I'm guessing that the cables/solenoid cooled off enough to not cause the issue (or short or whatever was happening).

So...if you have a pre 2009 Western, and you have power draw issues, have the plow cables checked out.


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## glennemay (Dec 20, 2010)

seville009;1952115 said:


> I posted this in the Western plows section last month when I had a similar problem. Hopefully it will help you...
> .
> .
> 
> ...


The plow I'd a fisher MM1. So definitely pre 2009 but slightly different. The kick I'd if the truck dies and I Jumpstart it all is good. But it definitely is electrically starved.

Nothing seems to be overheating. Is there a way to test without just replacing **** one after another?


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

Load test the alternator.


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