Hi, I am an internet junkie, and avid poster..... I just bought a
2005 Kodiak C4500, which will be my spare daily driver, and a work
hauler. I do not have pictures of it yet, but that is to be taken
care of soon. I searched at least 20 web sites, looking for
anywhere that had a place for medium duty, and this one came up after 3
days looking.



I do not have many questions yet, I only brought the truck home two
days ago, so I haven't made a list of things I don't understand yet..
The only one of note....How to I get to the batteries? I asked
the salesman, and he said we don't have anyone who works on these
trucks much... some answer, why do they sell 'em, if they can't
fix 'em?



Anyway, the batteries are under the cab, behind the passenger front
step. There does not seem to be anything logical around there to
move, unhook or whatever to get the battery tray out. I thought I
would ask somewhere, before attacking the beast with a wrench, or
screw driver.. :)



I will probably find more to ask later..



Mylash

MyLash,


I too am about to dive into the Medium Duty realm so we can swap stories, lies, and bragging rights. Welcome to the forum and look forward to your posts.


JP

Didn't it come with some sort of owner's manual. I would think that info would be there. . .



Dennis

The owners manual is not truck specific.... http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley11.gif I have plowed
through it a couple of times, and it tells you where the batteries are,
but not how to get at them.. I found out today I have to remove two
bolts, and the whole step, battery tray included, will slide
out.. I have yet to try it..



Heartbeat Hauler.. Medium Duty is something else... A cab you can
stretch in, lie down on the back seat, have people sitting behind your
seat, with you reclining some... All the good things. The cab is
enormous..... no carpet, but a very soft spongy rubber floor, comfy to
put your feet on. Driving through traffic is pretty cool too - I tower
above everything 'cept semis..



I got XM fitted in today - Next month I will replace the 'fleet option'
radio.. The guy that fitted the XM did an amazing job of it, and
kept drooling over the truck..



Mylash


Edited by: Mylash

MyLash and others interested:


The batteries are in a "slide-out" tray that are part of the passenger side step. If you look through the steps, both front and back side of the step, there are large bolts (unpainted) that act as retainers which keep the tray in place. Back those two out and the tray slides out and down. Take care to not "rub" the coverings off of the cables and you will do fine. By the way, if you have the 3 battery option, have someone else there to help you slide the tray back in...it can be quite a chore.


If you are looking for a "jump" point, the batteries are not recommended. With the hood open, on the passenger side, there is a 3" x 2" looking RED box (with + on it) that can be opened with a screwdriver to pry the retainer. Inside, you will find the positive jump point (negative is anywhere that you can find bare metal) for the battery jumper cables, and that is GM's recommended method since it bypasses the Alternator.


Any other questions, give a shout here. I'll do my best to provide a reply. I also suggest that you find the nearest GMC Commercial Truck dealer in your area and drop in on them to get acquainted. They work with the Class 4 - 8 MDT's everyday and are nowhere near as perplexed as the Chevy/Pontiac dealerships when it comes to these things...... trust me on this .... it will save you a lot of pain and money in the long run to use the comercial dealer.


Radio Flyer

Good to hear from another Med. Duty guy !

Thank you for the replies.. I will try the battery removal
tomorrow. I have to take the truck to someone to explain why
there is a increasing howling, from the rear end.....



I will go to the place I bought it, first.. if no luck, I will go to
the commercial place, which I should be able to find easily enough..
The only problem is that I have nothing else to drive here in TN, so if
they want to keep the truck for a while, I am stuck...



Mylash