AeSix, just take the truck to Advance Auto and have them check the battery and charging system for you. It is free.

 

DERRRRR!!!!
LOL Thank You! I didn't even think about that! Awesome!

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Also, as far as plywood/winter...
Newer batteries aren't supposed to discharge through the case, from my understanding. I'm also in Florida... we don't have winter... we just have "OK driving conditions" and "OMG! Those *%#*@ PEOPLE WHO CAN'T DRIVE ARE ON THE ROAD AGAIN!!!" LOL...

I do have some... unique wiring which I'm wonder if it's not got a short some where.

I've been going through that, trying to figure it out. It's a mess. And most of it I've done LOL.

(THe starter was hard-wired to a toggle switch when I got the truck, which has since been replaced with a push button momentary contact switch... Then I added an on/off pushbutton switch to something else that was hooked up to the battery - not sure what it was to be honest. I was doing some work and cut a wire to straighten things, then just wired in the button... that was 10 months ago now though. There's also some other creative wiring that was done previous to my ownership.

But yeah, I'm going to get a jumpstart tomorrow and drive down to AZ and get everything tested. I can't believe I never thought of that!

 

mabe you should keep your eye out for another truck the exact same to steal the wiring harness out of if you think you have a short. most of the wiring problems that happen with these trucks happen under the hood and not under the dash.

 

I'm not sure I'd be able to put a normal harness in this thing... it's so jacked up with bypasses and such, would be easier just to keep bypassing and rewiring. I am wanting to get in there and fix a lot of it one day though, and once I get that done, I may be able to use a harness, but theres so many things where the ends were cut and spliced together, various odd colored wires used for patching burned spots and such...

BUt I did notice tonight that my radio seems to be loose in the dash, so I'm going to take that out when I have daylight and see if theres a connection back there thats grounding out. I've checked all the wires under the hood I can find for any bare wire and didn't see any... did move the main bundle off the valve cover though as the heat had eaten away at the plastic flex tube that was over it. No burns on the wires though.

SO I think tomorrow I'll just take it down to AZ and see what happens and go from there

 

Well, I didn't get down to AutoZone (or Discount actually)...
was using the truck as a yard dog to move some stuff around, let it idle... came back out after a break and the heater hose split. It split right at the conection, but I'm going to look over the hose and make sure it's worth cutting the end and putting it back on. I don't want that happening again, ya know?