Hey there...
For about the last 2 weeks or so, every time I start the truck, all the gages (gauges) peg all the way to their max (RPM, Spedo Gas, oil, everything!) and stay there for about 2-3 seconds then drop back to normal. Anybody seen anything like this before? The only thing I noticed recently is that the truck seems to crank a little slower, like the battery is going. Could a dying battery have that kind of effect on the instruments?
Scott
Definitely could be a dying battery. When doing work that requires a battery disconnect you will see exactly what you see when you reconnect the battery and start the vehicle for the first time. Since the computer has lost power and it becomes "stupid" it will do its "relearning" then. What happens if you shut off the truck, count to ten, and restart the truck? If everything is ok when you try that then it could mean the battery is surely at fault since it hasn't lost enough power to affect things in a very short period of time. If you still get the same problem though then definitely get the battery checked. A friend had a very similar problem and his fault was his ground cable off the battery so check that closely too. My friend's ground cable had corroded through so it wasn't attached to anything. It would barely brush against the block though so he was able to start the truck now and then and then his alternator would be providing enough juice to keep him going but because when he shut off the truck the cable wasn't always touching then the computer would go "stupid" and do what you see on yours.
Cheers, Lawrence
Thanks,
I'll try the count to 10 thing when I get home, but I'm starting to be sure it's the battery- It's just weird that the computer would get stupid since other memory items such as the time on the radio don't get lost. The starting isn't "that" slow, but I can hear a difference from what I'm used to. I probably need to change the battery anyway as it's the original and is past the normal life span. Damn factory battery! Only 7 years out of it?? ;)
Thanks,
Scott
Update: Installed a new battery last night - Problems fixed!!
Now, is it my imagination or by installing a new battery you get extra power/more performance out of the Truck?? The old battery wasn't dead - It had plenty to turn the truck over, but I noticed it sounded a little slower (and the problem with the dash). The battery still had a strong green light (but I never have trusted those indicators anyway). I'm mentioning this because as it wasn't completely shot, so the alternator wasn't doing all the work, so it should have had enough juice to run in the system without a hic-up. But when I put the new battery in, it felt like the performance increased by around 25%....Maybe I just don't know enough about the modern electrical systems in today's heavily dependant computerized vehicles...The old days were a little more straight forward....Oh well, anyway - damn thing is fixed. Thanks Lawrence for the second opinion....
The reason your truck feels like it has 25% more power is because it doesnt have to relearn its power curve every time you start it. With a good batter providing all the power the PCM needs to hold all the settings in memory, then the truck can just pick up right where it was before. With a bad battery you might have to drive up to 20miles for the truck to relearn the power curve it was operating on. Things that affect this are things like: air filter (new?), oil condition (new?), spark plug condition (new?). The computer has factory set limits, but VERY few cars operate on those parameters more than 20 miles off the dealer lot.. LOL
The ECM learned settings got wiped every night and your performance probably suffered as it started from scratch and relearned.
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