Truck dies overnight

[Rambler808]

As of now my truck doesn't start about 60% of the time, my starter engages but has a constant whining sound and nothing else happens instead of that throaty cough before it would usually turn over. I got a new battery through warranty and had my alternator tested and they're both perfectly fine. I thought it might be my starter but it works when it hasn't sat for very long and it starts right away with a jump. It's as if I have a power leak but I don't know what to do :frusty:

 

[delloro]

insert a 12v test light between the battery negative terminal and the ground cable. if you have a drain, it will light.

remove fuses one at a time until the light goes out. that circuit has your drain.

 

[Hegemon]

insert a 12v test light between the battery negative terminal and the ground cable. if you have a drain, it will light.

remove fuses one at a time until the light goes out. that circuit has your drain.

thanks for that I have a drain too and need to isolate it but that is a cool trick for finding a drain in the first place.

 

[flyrv9]

I believe the whine you hear is the starter trying to engage - not engaging. Only two things I know can cause this. The battery does not have enough power to both engage the starter and turn the flywheel; or the starter is bad. If the battery is good you could still have a bad + battery cable to the starter. Over time the cable can corrode resulting in not enough power making it to the starter. Bad or loose ground cable can also cause issues.