I have a 2005 SOB on a 2004 E450 chassis. The engine battery seems to lose charge slowly over a few weeks of non-use, though the engine still starts OK. While trying to trace the cause, I noticed something odd: after opening/shutting a cab door, the battery drain would be about 2 amps for 30 seconds (that's the cab lights - not the odd part), followed by 0.5 amp drain for 30 minutes, then 0 drain. What is causing the 30 minutes of current draw?
Don't know, but probably normal, and not causing your problem. Your battery may be on the edge of its normal life, or you haven't fully charged it. Running a trickle charger for a week or so would be a first diagnostic step.
Steve
Don't know, but probably normal, and not causing your problem. Your battery may be on the edge of its normal life, or you haven't fully charged it. Running a trickle charger for a week or so would be a first diagnostic step.
The battery is a year old, and starts the engine easily, so I'll put a charger on it for the week and see how it goes. I'm still curious about what the vehicle is doing with the 0.5 amps for 30 minutes >:(
As long as it does it only when the cab door is opened, it's not a problem, but I wonder if something else might trigger it and cause the slow discharge I think I'm getting.
A draw of 0.5 A for 0.5 hr is a consumption of 0.25 A-hr. Not significant unless repeated a hundred times or so...
Steve