[bruce20]

With winter here and my truck being parked lots, i'm having issues with my truck not starting again.

Now the wife is on my case for having a electronic rust inhibitor and says that is why my battery wont start the truck if its parked for 2weeks or more. I've asked numerous mechanics to see if that could be the case and they all say that the curent required for those units is infinitely small, but her dad and her uncles (none are mechanics!) swear thats the issue.

Cherry on top, now apparently they "heard" that there is a recall on the battery or something draining it. Obviously i havent had it, so i searched here and couldn't find anything so i thought i'd ask you guys to see if you'd heard bout this.

 

[Carbeaux]

Nope. Haven't heard a thing about any recall for a battery draining issue.

Why not just unhook the rust inhibitor thingy for a bit and either prove them wrong, or prove them right?

 

[bestatchess]

With truck off, connect a DMM set to measure DC amps in series between the battery cable and the battery terminal, measure the drain, calculate time to drain battery. I think you have to wait awhile after shutting off the truck for everything to go to sleep mode for minimum battery drain, so maybe turn off the key, release the hood, close all the doors, hook up the meter, come back in an hour and take a reading. No battery drain recall AFAIK. Deep discharge of the OEM battery will kill it pretty quickly, requiring a new battery.

You can use either battery terminal for amp meter connection, perhaps negative is most convenient if multiple connections exist to the positive terminal.

You can also disconnect the electric rust inhibitor and not the difference in current draw to obtain the actual draw of the rust inhibitor.

If an excessive draw still exists with the rust inhibitor disconnected, you can repeatedly pull & replace fuses to attempt to isolate the source of the excess current draw.

 

[mjw357]

Why not just unhook the rust inhibitor thingy for a bit and either prove them wrong, or prove them right?

I'll second that. They are gimmicks, a waste of money.

 

[bruce20]

I'll second that. They are gimmicks, a waste of money.

Actually no, they work great!! I had a little rust spot on my bumper and it has not gotten any bigger since that thing has been on, or rust anywhere on the truck for that matter

 

[Call_Sign_Maverick]

I had to google electronic rust inhibitors as this is what i got...

Rust inhibitor