Well, I managed to pull my new 2H trailer home (5-hour drive). Hooray! I still need to practice parking and backing--a lot!
Anyway, after I got it home I got busy and didn't use the truck for over a week. When I did try to drive it, the battery was dead as a doornail. I checked and couldn't find any lights or anything that were left on. Could the brake controller be sucking juice out of the battery? Am I supposed to turn it off or something? I guess I assumed it wouldn't use electricity unless the ignition was on, but I don't know if it is wired that way. I did take the controller out, but I had previously thought of removal as being for the purpose of theft protection rather than battery life.
I did not install the P3 myself--a trailer dealer did it. So I guess what I need to know is whether it sounds like anything is wrong that they need to fix. Of course, I realize that it's possibly just a weird coincidence that my battery died the first time I left it for a long time with the P3 in it.
Posted 2008-12-11 9:28 PM (#96039 - in reply to #96035) Subject: RE: Tekonsha P3 running down battery?
Location: Hartsville, SC
Did you unplug trailer from truck? Once that happened to me and though my trailer was unplugged, I had left my XM radio on and my phone charger in the charger slot. Now I unplug everything and make sure all energy sources are off before I lock up and go in.
Posted 2008-12-12 11:48 AM (#96047 - in reply to #96035) Subject: RE: Tekonsha P3 running down battery?
Regular
Posts: 62 Location: Houston
Okay, I'll assume a coincidence. I sure can't figure out anything else I left on. The battery was so dead that it wouldn't take a charge and I had to replace it. So hopefully I don't have any more problems. If I did have a bad battery, I guess I should just be thankful it didn't fail while I was on the way homew with the trailer. Thanks everyone!
Posted 2008-12-12 1:37 PM (#96049 - in reply to #96047) Subject: RE: Tekonsha P3 running down battery?
Expert
Posts: 1416 Location: sc
Originally written by jtravis on 2008-12-12 11:48 AM Okay, I'll assume a coincidence. I sure can't figure out anything else I left on. The battery was so dead that it wouldn't take a charge and I had to replace it. So hopefully I don't have any more problems. If I did have a bad battery, I guess I should just be thankful it didn't fail while I was on the way homew with the trailer. Thanks everyone!
2003 Dodge right? A car battery has a life span of 3-6 years; OEM closer to 3, quality replacements closer to 6. Yes, yes there is always someone who has run a battery for 10 years, but thats not the norm. I replace my batteries on a time schedule, not waiting for a problem to arise.
Posted 2008-12-12 3:43 PM (#96052 - in reply to #96035) Subject: RE: Tekonsha P3 running down battery?
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
That battery in the Dodge was on it's way out when you left on your trip. That 5 hour drive with the alternator putting out at full blast finished cooking the battery, let it sit for a week and it's dead..... Just my S.W.A.G.
I just replace the battery in my 2001 Chevrolet truck, build date of May, 2001. Truck was still cranking just fine, so I thought. Battery was 7 and a half years old... Way past due for replacement. That new battery will really sling that 496 over. Replaced a 675cca with a 800cca.
Posted 2008-12-12 6:14 PM (#96054 - in reply to #96035) Subject: RE: Tekonsha P3 running down battery?
Regular
Posts: 62 Location: Houston
Yes, it's an 03 Dodge. We just bought it this summer and had no idea when/if the battery was replaced. We had only occasionally driven it until that trip, so it makes sense that if the battery was near failure, the long trip would have finished it off. That's okay--replacing a battery is a pretty cheap fix when buying a used truck. So far we've had no other unanticipated problems.
Tekonsha P3 running down battery?
