B2320 battery/start problem ?

[sailorman]

Symptoms : B2320 250 hrs

1. I started tractor, warmed up for 5 mins, and drove 50 ft to fuel up, turned engine off .
2. Fueled up and attempted to restart . Nothing . When key was in "on" position, all dash warning lights came on . When moved to preheat, all warning lights went off . When moved to start position nothing but a slight whining sound behind the dash panel .

What I checked :
1. position of a levers and pedals.
2. All fuses unless I missed any .
3. oil dipstick
4. battery eye was green indicating a good battery .
5. possible cut wires in engine compartment .

Next :

1. jumped tractor off my truck and started .
2. Disconnected on cable from tractor and it stopped instantly.
3. Re-jumped tractor and ran with cables hooked up for 10 mins .
4. tractor started, disconnect cable, tractor stopped after about 3 mins .

I know this may be a sign of battery not being charged even though green battery eye indicated good . What do ya 'll recommend I do next ?

 

[JOHNINMA]

I would remove the cables from the battery and clean the battery terminals and cable ends. You should also use a multimeter and check that the battery is receiving a charge when the tractor is running. It would be a good idea to check all the connections where both the positive and negative cables terminate for corrosion, breaks, looseness, etc. You could also take the battery itself to a auto supply center and have it tested if you don't have a tester for checking its cranking power.

 

[sailorman]

I would remove the cables from the battery and clean the battery terminals and cable ends. You should also use a multimeter and check that the battery is receiving a charge when the tractor is running. It would be a good idea to check all the connections where both the positive and negative cables terminate for corrosion, breaks, looseness, etc. You could also take the battery itself to a auto supply center and have it tested if you don't have a tester for checking its cranking power.

Ya know its always the simple things that get missed . I hadn 't even thought to clean terminals ( I know better ) . Will do tomorrow . Cable terminator ends look good .

 

[sailorman]

I sure could use some extra help on this one.

As johnninma suggested I cleaned terminals . I also bought a charger . Charger indicated that battery was drawing no amps and was charged . I tested battery with a volt meter and it showed a good 14 -15 V . Installed in tractor and nothing . Jumped it off truck again and started right up . Left jumpers on 20 mins and pulled them . Cut right off and when not start on its own power .

So why would it start off my truck, keep running until jumpers removed, and not start off of tractor battery ?

Can a battery have a full charge, but not have cranking power . I 'm lost on this one .

 

[JOHNINMA]

I think it sounds as if the battery is shot if you put it on a charger and still get nothing, yet it starts from a known good one i.e. the one in your vehicle. I just put 2 new batteries in my truck from a no start problem. I put both old batteries I took out on a charger to see if maybe one was still good and as you described the batteries showed 12 volts, but yet had no cranking capacity left in them. I turned them both in for the core value as thats all they were good for.

 

[sailorman]

I think it sounds as if the battery is shot if you put it on a charger and still get nothing, yet it starts from a known good one i.e. the one in your vehicle.for.

Thanks John, seems to be the only thing that makes sense . Only thing I can 't figure out is how battery can have a full charge but engine stops as soon as cables are disconnected . No cranking power involved there . Wish I hadn 't spend the money on a charger that I could put toward battery . But I 'm sure I 'll get some use out of it sooner or later .

 

[bp fick]

Thanks John, seems to be the only thing that makes sense . Only thing I can 't figure out is how battery can have a full charge but engine stops as soon as cables are disconnected . No cranking power involved there . Wish I hadn 't spend the money on a charger that I could put toward battery . But I 'm sure I 'll get some use out of it sooner or later .

Wow, so it starts off the truck just fine? But not with your own battery?

Pull your tractor battery and try to start a car or truck with it. That'd be the final assurance you need that it is kaput.

Don't worry about spending money on a charger, when your kids, family and neighbors find out you have one? They'll all be borrowing it. :laughing:

 

[sailorman]

Wow, so it starts off the truck just fine? But not with your own battery?

Pull your tractor battery and try to start a car or truck with it. That'd be the final assurance you need that it is kaput.

Don't worry about spending money on a charger, when your kids, family and neighbors find out you have one? They'll all be borrowing it. :laughing:

Gonna do that tomorrow, but was hopin ' to avoid that little extra aggravation ( truck radio is gonna forget its channel settings ). As for the kids, family, and neighbors, I got a slight advantage . No kids, only one surviving family member living 90 mi . away who wouldn 't know how to use it if it were already hooked, and neighbors that pretty much have their own stuff :thumbsup: .

 

[sailorman]

Update for those interested . Had battery checked today with much difficulty . Autozone called my Kubota dealer to find out cranking power as battery did not indicate it . They would not tell him . Guess they wanted to sell one of their batteries to me.

It was determined I had a bad battery . Not too surprised about that . Made in Korea battery although I trust the craftsmanship of the tractor itself . All there is left to do is hope I don 't have a charging problem instead of a bad battery . I don 't trust AutoZone any more than Korean batteries . Time will tell, especially if battery runs down .

 

[Max Power]

I sure could use some extra help on this one.

As johnninma suggested I cleaned terminals . I also bought a charger . Charger indicated that battery was drawing no amps and was charged . I tested battery with a volt meter and it showed a good 14 -15 V . Installed in tractor and nothing . Jumped it off truck again and started right up . Left jumpers on 20 mins and pulled them . Cut right off and when not start on its own power .

So why would it start off my truck, keep running until jumpers removed, and not start off of tractor battery ?

Can a battery have a full charge, but not have cranking power . I 'm lost on this one .

given what you have put in your posts I think you need a new battery.

check the voltage in the tractor. even a bad battery can show 15 volts ...until you turn something on. see what happens to the voltage when you try to crank. leaving the lights on for 10 to 20 minutes should not drop the voltage of a good battery below 12 volts. (obviously it would depend on how many lights you had)

a weak battery will often seem to charge up fast and show 15 volts.

even if you don't know the cranking amps your can load test the battery to see if it could handle a start. (starting a tractor or car can take 80 to 200 amps depending on the size of the engine starter etc (it can be higher then 200 amps on a large truck or tractor)).

the green eye may or may not mean anything. it is put in the cell that generally has the most activity and gets dark if the fluid level goes down (an indication that it maybe boiling off due to a weaken state) ...so it may or may not indicate anything but the fluid level.