E350 6.0l powered off while running

[MSD]

So I think I'm asking this in the right area. My 6.0l died while running today. Earlier the battery acted as if it was dead or was low. Hard start... Drove it a short distance to a friends house, dropped something off & it wouldn't start. Put it on trickle charger notice it was at 75% so switched it over to emergency start & it fired right up. While sitting there letting the engine idel talking to him the van just shut off. Jumped it again and it started right up only to do the same thing a few minutes later. What could it be??? Any ideas? It will get towed to the shop tomorrow, but would like to trouble shot a bit...

[arctictraveller]

Bad battery, or alternator.

[JoeH]

Is the check engine light on? Do you have a way to check if it's throwing a code? It could be so many things

[MSD]

Thanks arctictraveller batteries are 1 year old interstates. So I'm thinking the alternator is bad.

The weird thing is at least to me the van running & the just stopping all of a sudden.

especially after getting a diesel started you can pull the batteries and they'll still run.

Since I don't know much about wrenching on my van but eager to learn since this happened I may have just made a silly statement to those that know more...

[MSD]

No engine check light. That the first thing I'm gonna ask them tomorrow is to see if it's thrown any codes.

[1der]

Originally Posted by MSD

especially after getting a diesel started you can pull the batteries and they'll still run.

I do not think that is true of a "modern" diesel.

[SixCardCharlie]

are you hearing a ticking at all when starting?

Are you getting a battery light?

When u turn the key are you getting dash lights?

Look at your battry terminals if not. Mine were corroded, so loose that you could just alide them right off the battery but couldnt be tightened, and cracked. it died once while running. This is when i realized somthing was wrong. Once it died the dash lights wouldnt turn on and i had to turn the key, get underneath it and wiggle the cables till the glow plugs would cycle then my girlfriend wpuld start it.

[MSD]

1der - I've done the no battery thing with my 97' but have not tried it with the 04'. So I'm not sure what we are calling a modern diesel, since mine are 19 and
12 years old.

SixCardCharlie - I do get the click, click, click when trying to start.

I get all dash lights and everything acts as it should with lights, when I get ready to start. I need to check to see if I get a battery light on the dash. When it dies I get zero dash lights. But turn the key on off and every acts as it should.

I know that if the starter is bad or binding it can give you the tick, tick, tick as if you have bad batteries because it's taking to much power to turn over… this happened once on my 7.3L other things I think it might be is glow plug relay not turning off, alternator, of the fuel injection management system not sutting of when this happens and drains the battery. Not sure but hope to know more later today.

[SixCardCharlie]

Look at your battery cable terminals.
When mine were acting up i wasnt able to get to it right way. Finally the ground gave up and the dash lights would come on, glow plugs would cycle, but when i tried to start it wpuld just tick. Even before it completely gave up it would tick every time i started it. When i turned the key it would tick once then fire up.

[carringb]

Sudden, intermittent dead-battery symptoms is almost always a bad battery terminal connection. This condition needs to be fixed ASAP because it can fill a FICM and Injectors very quickly.

On a related note.... stay away from those $4 clamp-down battery terminal ends. Those are for emergency temporary use only. They are not a secure connection, and simply not worth the risk when you consider what can happen to your diesel when voltage is low.