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Buzzard
Dodge Dakota
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8/27/2006
10:33:47
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 Subject: Battery going dead
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I have a continuing problem of placing a new battery in my 2002 Dakota with a 4.7 liter engine and go out to start it and have it be dead. Happens about every four months. This has happened three times now.
Additionally, I have a “check engine” light that comes on that the dealer cannot find a problem for. They keep claiming that it "may be the gas cap".
Can anyone offer a solution.
Buzzard
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jerry
Dodge Dakota
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8/27/2006
14:07:42
| RE: Battery going dead
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Have you checked the obvious alternator? Does your gauge show it charging properly when it is running? How long does it go without you driving it? does it happen overnight? Do you notice any lights on inside at night, like maybe a brakelight sticking? Have you done any wiring, such as a tow package, or anything where wiring could get pinched by metal body panels that may cause a drain? Before the battery goes dead do you notice any hard starting problems, like your choke isn't working and keeping it running? Seems to me it would be a charging problem, yet that would happen quickly, not every month or so. I had a brakelight switch stick on my jeep but was not noticed because I back into my space. Sometimes my battery would be dead if I didn't drive it for a day or two.
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Obio3
Dodge Dakota
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8/27/2006
14:17:26
| RE: Battery going dead
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When you exit your truck, does the interior lights stay on for a coupe of minutes? Even if they go out as soon as door is closed, They may not be going out. You may have a miss adjusted door switch or If they stay on for a couple of minutes , the switch that controls this may be defective. Actually. thers a thousand things can do this and consider yourself very lucky should I be correct.
As for the gas cap, change it. They can cause your truck to throw a code. It's a good place to start and you will never know if you don't change it
So many problems .... So little time
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Buzzard
Dodge Dakota
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8/27/2006
15:06:20
| RE: Battery going dead
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Message:
Thanks for the replies folks. I have isolated the alternator, removed and replaced all fuses under the hood I have the ground cable removed from the battery terminal and am showing voltage between the ground lead and the negative terminal.
The vehicle is a daily driver and this is the second time in a year it has done this. First time I thought it was the battery and replaced with no detectable arcing when I installed the new battery last January. Appears to go bad over night. No hard starting before it goes belly up.
Charges at 13.8 volts.
The only add-ons I have are a topper with wiring for the brake light and a radar detector both of which I've isolated.
I am now isolating all interior lights.
Will respond with relults
Again, thanks for your help and suggestions.
Buzzard
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jerry
Dodge Dakota
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8/27/2006
17:01:04
| RE: Battery going dead
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one other thing, don't know if it's true here, but I know a battery will discharge if taken out of the car and set on a concrete floor for some reason. Most battery hold downs are not made of metal unless they are plastic coated. Do you have a billet hold down? I think they can cause discharge of the battery even if not touching terminals, especially if the battery has acid on top whcih also causes the terminals to corrode. A good wash with baking soda and vinegar will clean it off.
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Buzzard
Dodge Dakota
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8/27/2006
18:23:06
| RE: Battery going dead
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Battery is installed in factory mount. One thing I'm going to check tomorrow is the wiring for the original upper center cab light that I remove and covered when the topper was installed. Other than that, it may be trial and error to finally find where the voltage leak is.
Thanks all for your help.
Buzzard
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Obio3
Dodge Dakota
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8/27/2006
21:21:30
| RE: Battery going dead
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Jerry. The cement floor problem is and fable. Not true at all although most guys that mess with cars still think it's for real. Nothing against you here. Just one of those things that so many think is real a person tends to believe it. I had a golf car business and bought GOULD batters as many as 60 at a time . this was at times enough to last me a full season. They set on cement and never had a bad one. Also the dealer I got them from set them direct on his warehouse cement floor although some were stacked.
So many problems .... So little time
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Kowalski
GenIII
8/29/2006
08:57:08
| RE: Battery going dead
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Message:
The cement floor problem was many years ago when battery cases were made from material that could allow some discharge - Hasn't been a real concern in many years.
Buzzard - The mil (check engine light; or malfunction indicator lamp) sets a code that helps identify a problem. If your dealer can't narrow down the problem (this could be a gas cap, also could be a bad or loose vapor vent line) its time to go to someone else.
For your electrical problem, is the battery truly shot, or just discharged ? If its just discharged, you should be able to recharge it instead of replacing it. If it's really going bad; it might not be a simple current draw as it sounds like you are looking for. The battery may be getting a dead cell - often this indicates excessive charging; not discharging. Look for a situation where it may be overcharging; possibly a missing ground wire between the motor and body.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
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Buzzard
Dodge Dakota
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8/29/2006
09:23:59
| RE: Battery going dead
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Kowalski
Thanks for the suggestions. The battery is less than a year old from O'Reilly. I took it back in and it checked OK, but had drained. They recharged it and I have been trying to run down the voltage leak since.
Normal charge rate is 13.8 volts, but I have had times when it is at or very slightly above 14 volts. Does this alternator have an internal regulator, or is it incorporated in the computer?
I isolated the alternator and drain continued. I removed and reinstalled every fuse under the hood with no results. Can't do the fuses inside because of the open door.
The bad ground sounds interesting. I also have a motorcycle that will occasionally go bad when the grounds corrode. I'll go there next.
Thanks for the input. All others are welcome.
Buzzard
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Kowalski
GenIII
8/29/2006
13:26:35
| RE: Battery going dead
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Message:
Ah, so its just discharged - you don't really have to put a new battery in every 4 months. Also probably don't have to worry about the ground. Your voltage regulator is in the PCM. Have an underhood light ? Park on enough of a hill that it might be going on and causing your drain ? How about anything else added to the truck, for example a radar detector ? My radar detector drew enough to run down the battery if the truck wasn't run for a few days, until I hardwired it to switched power.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
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Buzzard
Dodge Dakota
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8/29/2006
14:47:09
| RE: Battery going dead
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Message:
Kowalski
No under hood light, but I think you nailed it down. I have the radar detector hard wired to a full time hot lead. I'll rewire that.
I took the vehicle to an excellant shop and they ran an electrical diagnostic while I stood there answering questions. With radar detector disconnected, I had a 5-20 milliamp draw. Well within limits.
I think you've nailed the solution.
Thanks
Buzzard
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John L
Dodge Dakota
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2/14/2011
09:25:24
|  RE: Battery going dead
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I am having the same problem. I talked to the O'Reilys guy who said he studied Dodge/Chrysler products at school. He said he is faily sure (in my case anyway) that it is one of the many (he says) control modules, like the ignition module, that is not shutting down properly when the engine is turned off. He said if might be the PCM or one of the module. His method for trouble shooting is messy. You have to 1)jumper the negitive lead to the battery, 2)disconnect the negitive lead from the battery, 3) connect a test light or current meter between the negitive lead and the battery, then remove the jumper. If the light comes on and stays on for more then a minuit then something hasn't shut down properly. Finally he said to pull fuses to the modules until the light goes out. What he didn't say is how to determine when to do this since it is intermittent. I plan to buy a DC current transformer (Mouser Electronics, $29.95) and monitior battery current draw 24/7 until it happens again. Then I'll see.
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Dan00Dak
Dodge Dakota
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2/14/2011
09:44:19
| RE: Battery going dead
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Message:
John,
There will always be some parasitic draw with
everything off. The computers, radio/clock, all
draw a bit of power to maintain their various
memories. Less than about .035 amps is normal and
won't kill the battery. That's 35 milliamps.
A light won't be accurate enough, you'll need a
meter.
Check the obvious first, dome lights, underhood
light, aftermarket radios or amps, GPS, cell
phone, glove box light.
You can test the draw by disconnecting the
negative lead and connecting your meter set for 10
amps between the negative lead and the negative
cable. There will be an initial surge as items
charge up, airbag capacitors, etc. After a short
period, it'll stabilize. That's your draw.
The O'Reilly guys method isn't bad. It gets you
past the surge.
Hope it helps.
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Bob Lincoln
Dodge Dakota
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2/15/2011
08:29:22
| RE: Battery going dead
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Message:
Depending on vintage, your Dakota will have a design flaw. In the early 90s and possibly later, they used a tachometer drive board which by poor design, draws 100 mA with the engine off. I discovered it when I bought my truck from my brother, who had gone through 4 batteries and left the dealer mystified. I measured the IOD and traced it to that board, and measured it in the lab at work. At 12V it drew 84 mA, at 13.8 it drew 105 mA. I cut the circuit trace that was wired to the battery, jumpered it to the ignition trace, and all was well.
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cindy
Dodge Dakota
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8/25/2013
20:33:21
| RE: Battery going dead
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Message:
My 03 Dakota started up and ran great. We had a horrible
thunderstorm and I had not used my truck 2 days after and it
turned over slow and would start likena dead battery..but the
chimes still chimed and the radio was on so I turned it off, but I
could hear the cd changer shuffling cds..finally everything went
dead. I went to jumpstart it and after a while it was charged
enough to start but kept stalling. Jumped it again and kept my
foot on the eccelerater and it seemed to start running smoothly,
while this was going on I checked to see if I left lighting inside
the truck on....there's a dimmer dial left of the steering column. I
turned it off and the battery guage went all of the way to the
extreme right and then a warning light on the dash said check
guages..I let off of the accelerator and the truck shut down.
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