lights left on -> dead battery

[WinterDeere]

I went to start the tractor today, so that I could get to some equipment behind it, and found the battery was dead. Apparently I'd left the lights on last time I'd used it, because it was daylight by the time I shut it down, and it just wasn't obvious that they were on. This has happened at least once before, that I can remember, and it's only a matter of time 'till I'm hosed with a truck waiting to be unloaded while my tractor has a dead battery.

I was thinking, every old car I've ever owned had a buzzer or chime that'd remind me I had my lights on, as soon as I'd shut off the ignition and/or opened the door. Would it be too much to ask that Deere give us some option for a chime or buzzer, when lights are left on after ignition off?

I can see where this'd be annoying to some, there has to be some means to suspend it in those cases where you want lights on with ignition off. But for most other cases, I do want to be reminded that I've left the lights on, when I kill the ignition and hop off the seat.

 

[WranglerX]

Check I-net must be 20 different apparatus to accomplish what you want....

Headlight Warning Buzzer | Purchase a Headlight Reminder Buzzer Online for Your Hot Rod - Watson's StreetWorks

Purchase a headlight warning buzzer online. This kit sounds our new buzzer and the center lights red reminding you your lights are on but the key is either out of the ignition or in the off position. Order yours at Watson's StreetWorks!

watsons-streetworks.com

 

[ultrarunner]

Many collectors install a battery disconnect to avoid problems.

The fix may not be right for modern electronic laden tractors/vehicles.

 

[zzvyb6]

My Deere's (Tractors & mowers) ALL shut off the lights when the key is switched to the Off position. Perhaps there is some other cause of the battery drain. Was the key not in the off position ?

 

[flyerdan]

A sonalert, or other small buzzer thing attached to the power lead of one of the lights and grounded through a seat switch that is NC when up will do that. If you have a seat switch already it might have dual poles so it would work for this as well.

 

[WinterDeere]

My Deere's (Tractors & mowers) ALL shut off the lights when the key is switched to the Off position. Perhaps there is some other cause of the battery drain. Was the key not in the off position ?

Key was off, in fact key was removed from tractor. But my 3033R keeps the lights on, whether key is in ignition or not. I assume it's by design, as I've more than once used the lights while doing chores at night, with the tractor ignition switched off.

I thought my 855 and 750 were both the same, but perhaps my memory isn't perfect, on that.

Check I-net must be 20 different apparatus to accomplish what you want....

Headlight Warning Buzzer | Purchase a Headlight Reminder Buzzer Online for Your Hot Rod - Watson's StreetWorks

Purchase a headlight warning buzzer online. This kit sounds our new buzzer and the center lights red reminding you your lights are on but the key is either out of the ignition or in the off position. Order yours at Watson's StreetWorks!

watsons-streetworks.com

Thanks! I'll Google and see if I can find something plug-n-play. I really don't want to be cutting into the OEM harness on a relatively new tractor, if there's an alternative option.

 

[chim]

Having a chime would be handy. Being able to bypass it could lead to the same dead battery situation

 

[bdhsfz6]

This same thing happened with one of my FIL's JD's. On several occasions, he didn't notice he had left the headlights on. After dealing with several dead batteries, he installed a small pot lid mirror on one of the FEL arms. It made it obvious the lights were on while sitting in the cab, even in broad daylight.

 

[WinterDeere]

Having a chime would be handy. Being able to bypass it could lead to the same dead battery situation

Possibly, I can imagine some rare scenario where I might do enough stupid things in a sequence to create that problem. But it seems like a pretty unlikely scenario, if the chime is implemented in a way that it had to be bypassed each time a new event occurred.

Put otherwise, I want a chime that will sound if I turn off the tractor and leave the seat with the lights still on, and then a momentary-press button that silents the chime until it auto-resets with the next triggering event. A triggering event would be defined as lights on + ignition off + no one in seat.

Perhaps someone has already made such a thing, I hoped someone here would chime in with that, saving me an evening of searching. If not, I think that some enterprising person could probably make a few bucks at this as a side gig, if they were willing to do the design + manufacturing + sales.

Unfortunately for me, the design + mfg. + sales would mean taking hours away from more profitable work, as there's no such thing as "free time" or "side gigs" for the self-employed. I don't want to spend my few free hours away from doing my primary design + mfg. + sales work, doing even more design + mfg. + sales.

 

[WinterDeere]

This same thing happened with one of my FIL's JD's. On several occasions, he didn't notice he had left the headlights on. After dealing with several dead batteries, he installed a small pot lid mirror on one of the FEL arms. It made it obvious the lights were on while sitting in the cab, even in broad daylight.

That could work! But isn't it a bit blinding at night? Even if small, seems it'd be a very annoying distraction.

 

[BleedingOrange]

Learn to do what I do when I have one of my sports cars out for a run. Once I park it in a safe spot, to keep it away from door dingers, I always look back at it to make sure all is ok.

 

[bdhsfz6]

That could work! But isn't it a bit blinding at night? Even if small, seems it'd be a very annoying distraction.

I used the tractor when I helped him during harvest. Never at night though, so I don't know first hand. It's just a small mirror and reflects a tiny point of light, which didn't bother me in daylight. I never heard him complain about it though

 

[WinterDeere]

Learn to do what I do when I have one of my sports cars out for a run. Once I park it in a safe spot, to keep it away from door dingers, I always look back at it to make sure all is ok.

I've been thinking about this, and assume that whatever position I had the light switch in, must've not had the rear marking lights lit. Either that, or they must've been in full sun, for me to not have noticed them when closing the shed door behind the tractor.

I back my tractor into the shed, probably 95% or 99% of the time, so the headlights are pointed straight out at me. They're too obvious to miss, in that case.

But once in awhile, like this week, I had dropped the FEL-mounted plow in the shed, before taking the tractor out for some chores. So in this case, I pulled the tractor in forward, to be in position to hook the plow back to the FEL next time I needed it. So if the light switch was in a position that had forward lights only, or if full sun was making those rear markers not obvious, even looking back at the thing a second time as I surely did while closing the shed door, was not enough.

 

[WinterDeere]

I used the tractor when I helped him during harvest. Never at night though, so I don't know first hand. It's just a small mirror and reflects a tiny point of light, which didn't bother me in daylight. I never heard him complain about it though

Good to know. Maybe I'll give it a try.

But here's the thing. Enough people have chimed in with personal experience, that it's clear this is an issue. It's disappointing Deere hasn't put any thought into making this issue go away.

Imagine if the tractor was stranded out in a field, instead of near 115V power in my shed! Talk about a way to ruin a morning, and lose some daylight work hours.

 

[bdhsfz6]

Good to know. Maybe I'll give it a try.

But here's the thing. Enough people have chimed in with personal experience, that it's clear this is an issue. It's disappointing Deere hasn't put any thought into making this issue go away.

Imagine if the tractor was stranded out in a field, instead of near 115V power in my shed! Talk about a way to ruin a morning, and lose some daylight work hours.

Yeah, my FIL never liked to complicate the issue and always took the passive practical approach to a problem. He never took any piece of machinery into the field without a battery booster pack. I really miss him.

Being from PA, maybe you've heard of him. He is Marlyn Shaffer and was very active in the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.

 

[WinterDeere]

Being from PA, maybe you've heard of him. He is Marlyn Shaffer and was very active in the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.

From Scranton! I just looked him up.

I'm not in farming, but I'd be willing to bet some of my older relatives who spent their lives farming in PA (New Hope area, Bucks County) probably knew him. In fact, one of the farms my family owned on Lurgan Rd. in New Hope was relatively famous among PA farmers, for being recognized as the oldest Heritage farm in the country. The PA Dept. of Agriculture had made a big ceremony and award about that, ca.1990. I wasn't involved at all in running that farm, but spent a lot of afternoons and weekends there as a kid, mostly using the swimming pool, playing in the barn, or following my aunt around asking too many questions.

There's not much farming industry left down here. We went from many farms in the family when I was a kid, all farmed by my various aunts and uncles in my grandparents' generation, to just one remaining by 1995... and zero today. Land prices have just become too high in relation to end-product prices, to keep these little 100 - 300 acre farms that used to dot the landscape around here feasible for most.

 

[Hay Dude]

I’d install a battery disconnect switch before a buzzer to tell me lights are on.
It takes a little while to remember to turn off the battery switch, but once you do, you’ll feel better about storing your equipment.

My 2 newer Ag tractors have an automatic battery disconnect switch. Once you turn the ignition off, it starts a timer. After 10 minutes, the timer disconnects the battery for you. Completely idiot proof.

 

[Carl_NH]

For an electrical fix, wire a lamp into the switch in the cab/operator station.

For a simple non-electrical, low effort approach, a small magnetic parts tray attached to reflect the headlights could work - attached to loader frame, etc. Amazon Sign-In

 

[stephenh]

Get into a habit of glancing back at the machine as you walk or drive away. We did this at the flight school I taught at and if the master elec switch was left on, we would see a red beacon that rotates on top of the tail of the plane. And as we left for the day, we could also look over at the parking area and any of the thirty planes with beacons lit up would be obvious and we could stop and go turn off the electrical. I do the same with my Kubota, and only once in 30 yr have I noticed the lights on, but once would be more than enough to have dead battery.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Make a big key fob.
One side "Check fluid levels".
Other side "LIGHTS OFF"

First side is before starting, other side after shutting off.