Battery dead

[BOSMECH]

Well I went to change my front diff fluid yesterday and went to back the truck out of the garage and click, click, click nothing so I put the charge on and changed my diff fluid and drove a round. Now this morning I went to start it and there was nothing so I put the charger on and charged the battery and drove to the auto parts store but I did check that nothing was left on which nothing was and that the alternator was working which it was since is only a year old. The battery was the original 2003 Panasonic but what is weird that it happened just over night one day before that it always started just fine.
Anybody ever experience this like me just that fast overnight almost like something was draining it.
I just hope tomorrow morning my new battery is not dead.

 

[having fun]

One of the old ways to check the charging system was, when running, disconnect the positive cable from the battery. Turn on electrical devices in the ride also. Shouldn't die, if it does, alternator is bad, have it tested on there machine.

 

[BOSMECH]

Yep that is a old trick I used to do that but I checked it with a volt meter and also had it checked at the parts store, it checked good and is only a year old.
Like I said I hope it was just the battery since it is 10 years old.

 

[having fun]

That being the case, I would say your battery definitely went past it's life span.
Most cases should have gone through 2 in that time.

 

[oljedi11950]

Battery

Man same thing happened to me this summer orig. battery bought it used , but fired up went work no early signs , came back after a long HOT day ready for A/C , nothing deader than dead FUG , gotta jump drove home , shut er down nothing . When they go they go , plus I think our heat kick's ass on them but anyway !

 

[having fun]

That sucks, my work truck has 4 batteries, have to test them all cause it could be more than 1 being bad at the time.

 

[jimithing]

I've read others who've experienced the same thing - no indication the battery is going bad. One day it just stops working. I still have the original battery in my 2007 and am hesitant to change it because I know they're such good batteries. At the same time I don't really want to get stranded when it won't start some day.

The funny thing is that I took it to get an alignment 2 summers ago and the Toyota dealer said the battery tested bad and recommended replacing it. I declined thinking they were just looking to sell me something else.

 

[BOSMECH]

Thanks for the inputs, I just hope I don't have a dead battery in the morning, It all does point to a old battery and I hope that is true, and like oldjedi said the heat is brutal on batteries.

 

[jwyshrek]

One of the old ways to check the charging system was, when running, disconnect the positive cable from the battery. Turn on electrical devices in the ride also. Shouldn't die, if it does, alternator is bad, have it tested on there machine.

On modern (and recently modern) vehicles...that is no longer true and it is a big NO NO...doing so could burn up (over voltage) your electrical system and components.

For older cars...before monitored and computerized charging systems...you could do this test. If you do it on a modern vehicle, you are risking it...