ok so about for the past week ive been getting some weak starts well when i went to start my truck this morning it was real weak and i had to stay on the gas for quite a while before i could let it idle and it wouldnt die. the battery is only about a year old and but has amp and lights behind the grill wired to it as well. and since installing these lights ive left them on and killed the battery like four times (i know im an idiot). so do you think draining the battery so many times did this or does it sound like alternator since it still starts but just really week.

 

It could be either. Do you have a voltmeter? If so check the batt at idle, then check the alt, put the positive on the post of the alt and the neg grounded somewhere itll reach. The batt should be above 14, and the alt should be no lower than 13.8ish.

 

In addition to AWE's suggestion, I would say take a look at your batt cable connections - especially the ground wire connection on the engine block. Take it off and wire brush it and the block to make shiny clean surfaces. If the connection is dirty it could be losing connection therefore weak electrical flow to the battery. Of course you'll want to make sure the battery and alternator terminals and connectors are clean.

Running down your battery shouldn't hurt it if you don't do it on a regular basis. When I worked on jet aircraft electrical systems, part of some lead acid battery maintenance procedures would be the complete discharge of battery cells. Fresh electrolyte would be added and the battery would be good to go. Overcharging a battery with higher than normal voltage will harm it before running it down will.

 

thanx for the input guys but i think i figured it out. i removed the power from the battery to thoose lights i put behind the grill and starts just about like it did before. is there any way these could have been draining battery even though they were off?

 

How do you have the lights wired?

 

i wired a ground for each light to the bumper. a ground for the switch to metal behind dash and the power from the battery to the switch and from the lights a wire from one light connected to the other ligth wire all the back up to the switch

 

You probably shoulda used a relay, check this out https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen...-properly.html

 

Agreed with AWE Daniel.

 

take you battery to a shop they can test the "life"