Glad to hear it worked out. Where exatly was the starter realy locted? I didn't have the time to take the manual to the 4R, and the manual itself is a maze to figure some things out.

 

odd that something like this would still happen. good to hear that you were able to fix it relatively inexpensively.

as for the short, this should not happen so i would check all your connections again. maybe it might have been the wiring up the dual battery that had a slow drain or something or even caused a slow short? I dunno but I'd check every inch prior to setting it back up so you don't encounter the same problem again.

Thanks for the reply on your problem

 

I had to draw up a diagram of my dual battery system to send to the company that made my relay so that they would know what I was talking about, so I will post it here along with a description of my setup in case anyone cares or wants to see something a little different than anyone else I have read about has.

I basically wanted a system with two batteries that could independently, or in conjunction, power all the functions of the truck (starting, accessories, lights, etc.). I saw a bunch of systems that all looked good, but they all had a flaw that I didn't like. I then came up with a system that gets rid of all those flaws while gaining a new one...price. This is possibly the most expensive homemade setup I have seen, but it works for my needs (or will when I get the new relay.)

I have two batteries (Optima Yellow Top and Red Top) being supplied power from the alternator through an isolator (Hellroaring 95150B). Each battery then sends power back through a 250 Amp Relay (Painless Products Master Disconnect) that then goes to a hub that connects the truck functions and my addons. I have a switch for each relay permitting: either battery to power the truck, both together, or neither. The isolator then keeps both batteries charged all the time, while giving deference to the red top, but not allowing power to flow back.

Here is a diagram (the numbers here represent the guage of the wire):

 

I assume your starter cable runs directly from redtop to the starter, with no disruption?? Oh and what is the current drain on those 250 amp relays. Seems that they are always engaged to supply power to the truck?? Maybe they drain your batteries.

 

Right now I have the starter cable running through the relays, since they are 250 amp, so far I have not had a problem starting that way. When the engine starts, it is always clean and fast.

The way the relays works is that it uses the ground as a trip, so the loss is extremely low. I only have one engaged at a time normally and haven't had a drain that caused the engine to start any slower for the past month. I have been checking it rather regularly with a multimeter to make sure that I am not loosing any power as well.

I am pretty sure that I just left the lights on to cause that big drain on Friday. I have gone a couple of days in a row without driving since I installed this setup, and didn't have even the slightest hesitation in starting. Saturday morning Battery A was completely drained, and a slow drain would not do that overnight. It was just a case of two things going wrong at once I guess.

 

I wouldn't recommend running the starter cable through a relay at all. Starters can draw a lot of current, 300 amps plus pending on various conditions.
The 4R shuts off your lights after a while auto matically, so I dont think that could be it. I would suspect either the relays or the isolator. Check your static current drain on both batteries with relays off and on.