How to tell if it's the battery or the cable?

[AlbionWood]

SOLVED! Re: How to tell if it's the battery or the cable?

Starter isn't dead-shorted (no continuity) so the extreme battery voltage drop under load pointed to bad battery. Took it out and put in truck battery - tractor started right up!

Not sure I've ever seen a battery before that would hold a charge and show proper no-load voltage, but fail to produce current under load. If it had a bad cell, the voltage should have been off, or so I thought.

Anyway, the answer to my original question (thread title) is: Swap the battery out and re-test.

Thanks for the help and pointers. I'll be replacing the power cable anyway, as it is old and the connector is looking pretty dubious. Really glad I don't have to mess with the starter.

 

[Soundguy]

Re: SOLVED! Re: How to tell if it's the battery or the cable?

Not sure I've ever seen a battery before that would hold a charge and show proper no-load voltage, but fail to produce current under load. .

that's a REAL common failure mode.

static voltage good.. just no nads..

glad ya got it licked.