Battery and Charging System

[bsekf]

I just bought this tractor and the battery went flat. Looked around and I may have left the dash light on. So I charged the battery, it showed 12.8 volts on my multimeter. With the tractor running it still showed <13 volts. The multimeter did not indicate a short. Left it alone for a week and the battery showed 9.8 volts. Started the tractor and it showed 12.8 to 13 volts.

It appears I have a small drain (short), but it doesn't measure on my multimeter. It appears the alternator/regulator are working, but I think they should show more like 14 volts after starting.

What is my next move? Do I charge the battery and remove the ground and see if it loses voltage? Since it shows no drain with the multimeter, how do I find a short? If there is one. The tractor is new to me but the battery looks to be in good shape.

Bill

 

[Williy]

Take the battery in and have it tested
I purchased a battery tester they are
cheap and saves a lot of time as it takes
less time to get it out and test a battery
than to remove the battery and take to
town to test!

willy

 

[CausticUrbanCoast]

Different alternators/generators show different voltages and some of the newer types limit charging current based on detected capacity which results in a lower voltage reading.

As suggested, you might want to have your battery load tested to verify if it needs to be connected to an exercise charger for a while or not.

 

[Roadworthy]

I'll go along with the above suggestions. You can easily test for a drain on the battery when not in use. Disconnect one lead then connect an ammeter between the disconnected lead and the battery terminal from which it was removed. A basic tractor should have no current flow. If there is an onboard computer you may have some current flow to maintain its memories, etc. Your dealer may be able to tell ;you what's normal.

 

[WranglerX]

I'll go along with the above suggestions. You can easily test for a drain on the battery when not in use. Disconnect one lead then connect an ammeter between the disconnected lead and the battery terminal from which it was removed. A basic tractor should have no current flow. If there is an onboard computer you may have some current flow to maintain its memories, etc. Your dealer may be able to tell ;you what's normal.

Ditto....

Until you have battery tested and test for parasitic drain (ammeter) anything else is just a WAG (Wild A$$ Guess) ...

 

[the old grind]

I keep automatic chargers/maintainers on all vehicles but my daily driver and golf cat, esp any that won't hold a charge overnight. (One awaiting my ambition is a stuck relay draining when the '12 truck's key is off/out.) If you just bought the tractor I wonder if the battery spent enough time on the lot or awaiting assembly/accessories to self discharge and age prematurely.

And I'm confident that the load test will tell you if you need a replacement already. Within a week or so of purchase I might put that on the dealer. For all you know they jump-started it a time or two and hoped with regular use the battery would be ok for you.

 

[CausticUrbanCoast]

I keep automatic chargers/maintainers on all vehicles but my daily driver and golf cat, esp any that won't hold a charge overnight. (One awaiting my ambition is a stuck relay draining when the '12 truck's key is off/out.) If you just bought the tractor I wonder if the battery spent enough time on the lot or awaiting assembly/accessories to self discharge and age prematurely.

And I'm confident that the load test will tell you if you need a replacement already. Within a week or so of purchase I might put that on the dealer. For all you know they jump-started it a time or two and hoped with regular use the battery would be ok for you.

If your '12 truck is a Ford, it is usually the dash clock that is the culprit.

 

[the old grind]

Thanks. Silverado 2500HD 6.0. When I disconnect/connect the battery at the post I hear the throttle body click. Gary found what a likely culprit on the net somewhere, from guys who were onto the issue. Been that way for two years. btw, started right up and ran 10,000/5,000W inverter sweet for 9 hrs during last week's power outage. (lost hot to my pole/can for 3 days) LED on it said ~13v steady when running fridge, dehumer, fans, laptop charger, lamps, 'net.

Oh, sorry to 'switch' voltages back'rds. Find maintainers you like, one of this or that for now and get more as you find favorites. Leave one one every wet battery that isn't started say every two days. You can buy two good ones for half what a battery costs. I have a dozen or so, five or more brands, and my favorites. I could use three or four more, actually.

 

[oosik]

I have several "battery tenders" and rotate them amongst my equipment. Several of the batteries will be brought inside for the winter. Easier on the battery - easier to maintain a charge. The ATV & tractor will have a "battery tender" attached all winter.

 

[John_Mc]

It sounds as though you have a shorted cell or two in your battery. You can get it load tested at an auto parts store to find out for sure. Another test: charge the battery fully and disconnect it from your tractor. if it still self-discharges down to 10 volts or so, you have a bad cell in the battery.

A bad cell does not mean that that is the ONLY problem you have, but diagnosing alternator problems can be really tough if you've got a bad battery in the circuit.

 

[bsekf]

Thanks for the replies. With the multimeter it does not appear to have a short, but the battery was down to <10 v. I ran it for a couple of hours and the battery tested 12.5 v., so it appears the alternator/regulator is working. I disconnected the - terminal and will let it sit for a week. If it loses voltage, I'll get a new battery. Hope I can find a series 31.

Thanks again,

Bill

 

[the old grind]

I'd check it in two days and if it was down to 12.25v spend the other five days getting it load tested and replaced accordingly. After running for hours and sitting for a week I'd hope the battery still read 12.5v. Even the best desulphator will never recover a battery to full performance. Time spent at < full charge is cumulative and how a wet battery ages. Some have been sitting too long and can't hide the result for long.

btw, look for a coin-sized colored sticker on a new battery. See month and year it was made. Six mos on a store shelf is not good for it but may not be obvious until it's no longer up to full capacity. Expect a battery to be sized to still work (start) ok when it's half dead. Hand-held testers for AAs etc evaluate under a load, which a VOM doesn't. A proper load test tells no lies. When in doubt I suggest sooner is better than later and this is one of those times.

 

[CausticUrbanCoast]

Thanks for the replies. With the multimeter it does not appear to have a short, but the battery was down to regulator is working. I disconnected the - terminal and will let it sit for a week. If it loses voltage, I'll get a new battery. Hope I can find a series 31.

Thanks again,

Bill

You mean a Group 31?
Lots of options and chemistries in that group, it is pretty common: Group 31 Batteries - Dimensions, Features and Recommendations

Most likely the battery needs to be serviced (if it is not sealed) or exercised. Even putting it on a basic battery charger will give you an indication if the battery has an issue by getting warm.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

I hard mount a battery maintainer trickle charger to everything. there is one of me, and five vehicles. So, they might sit for quite a while before I drive them. The chargers only cost about $30, and have mounting tabs so you can screw them onto something close to the battery and keep it topped off.

I just bought my tractor, and am rounding up the bits and pieces to add a shore power plug to it. The shore power will have one constant hot for the battery maintainer, and a thermostatic circuit the pwoers up below freezing to power a battery heating mat, and a lower hose heater, on the engine.

I did the shore power setup on the Japanese Minit-Truck i use to plow with, and it made a huge difference on how easy it is to start when the temp is -20F.

According to the guy I bought the tractor from, it doesn’t like starting cold. He kept it in the garage during the winter, and being semi-retired, he’d go out and fire off the wood stove when it snowed, then go back in to have breakfast, and coffee. Then watch the news, before he went out to plow. I don’t have the garage option, and keep the tractor in the carport. So, I’m adding the shore powered solution For teh winter.

As to finding parasitic drains: The easiest way is to use a good voltage meter, and look for voltage drop across the fuses. You check voltage to ground from the input side of the fuse, and then check the output side voltage. If there is no flow through the fuse, you will get the same voltage. If there is current flow, the voltage will drop through the fuse.

Most vehicle with modern electronics have some parasitic draw. The computer systems for the engine mamagement and body management draw a bit of current all the time, as do the radio, and any other thing that may have been added. So, if they sit for any length of time the battery will drain down.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

If any of you are an idiot like me, then you qualify to use an idiot light. In hook the + cable. Connect the idiot light between the pos terminal and the pos cable. If there is a draw, the light will shine. Most times it will light briefly when you connect it but will go off if no draw. If it continues to burn just pull different fuses until it goes out. Then you have the circuit it is on. Or, you may have to disconnect larger cables to find it if it isn't on a fused circuit. But if you connect it and it stays off, you don't have a short, it may instantly light up and go off. But not stay on.