First of all I should introduce myself... I have lurked in the background for awhile now learning and listening and this past April I purchased a new ck35 hydro. Haven't only 11 hrs on it so far just trying to break it in( most of the time on the JD mowing out our treefarm etc.) My question concerns the amount of corrosion in the battery compartment. We have all seen corrosion on the posts from time to time so you clean them with baking soda and grease them up and your good to go....but today as it has done nothing but rain I decided to lift the hood and look around the new "toy" a bit and was shocked to see corrosion on EVERY metal bolt, fitting, and bracket down below the battery. Even the oil cooler line nuts and the hood release housing were covered as was the inside of the lower grill in a couple of spots ( took the paint off). I took out the battery and cleaned it all, freshened the posts and cables,wirebrushed everything and washed it all out and air dried it. Put the battery back in for today and plan on some felt washers for the posts when I get to town tomorrow. IS there anything else I should do to keep this under control better than it was other than what I have done?? I enjoy the knowledge I find on this site and know of no better place to ask these questions. Got to go, time to start trimmin' Thanks, Bob Swingle SpringBrook Tree Farm
Battery corrosion
- Thread starter heybob
- Start date
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mrutkaus
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2004
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- 990
- Location
- 15 mi. N. of Winchester VA
- Tractor
- Kioti CK30HST, Kubota BX-1500,
Get a Battery Mat, put it under the battery. All your batteries. It is a colorful yellow and red thick fiber matt which you cut to shape if needed, and it is full of alkaline substance.
They are made I think right here in Winchester VA.
I have no connection with them. Neither do any of my multitude of batteries have any kind of spurious connection to anything when I use them either!
Battery Mat
Mike
Winchester VA
They are made I think right here in Winchester VA.
I have no connection with them. Neither do any of my multitude of batteries have any kind of spurious connection to anything when I use them either!
Battery Mat
Mike
Winchester VA
ToadHill
Elite Member
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- Catt county New York
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- Kioti DK35, Ford 8N, Oliver Cletrac
If you've had the tractor only 2 months, I'd certainly call the dealer, something may be wrong with the charging system if the battery had boiled over enough to cause this kind of issue.
Bird
Rest in Peace
I have an aerosol can of this Battery Protector from NAPA. I also have a similar looking can, same brand, for cleaning everything first instead of using baking soda. I don't know that it works any better than baking soda (doubt that it does), but it's a little easier to use because of being in an aerosol can.
Yea, I have no problem calling the dealer on this. Now that I am aware of it I will watch for more signs of an issue with it.... How would I take a read on the charging system myself so I have some info for the dealer? I will also look for this type of mat... Hopefully the holddown will still work as it's suppose to as there are rubber strips under there now... Thanks, Bob
Highbeam
Super Member
That battery is filled with acid and has holes on the top. The acid will slosh out during normal operation and splash onto all sorts of things causing corrosion. That is not the battery's fault or the tractor's fault. I had the exact same problem very soon after putting my CK to work so I got rid of the stupid liquid acid battery and replaced it with an optima style AGM or "gel cell" battery. These batteries will not slosh acid or leak anything out to corrode your machine.
Also consider that you have sucked this highly corrosive acid through your radiator and oil cooler.
Since installing the optima, my corrosion problem has ended. The damage has been done however and it will never be as good as new.
Also consider that you have sucked this highly corrosive acid through your radiator and oil cooler.
Since installing the optima, my corrosion problem has ended. The damage has been done however and it will never be as good as new.
My dealer has agreed to replace the battery with either something with a vent tube or a sealed unit. The alternator is charging right at 13 volts so I think they threw in a battery that might have been over filled? or is just bad enough it can't handle the charge.... Also, in layman's terms, can anybody explain just how those felt washers that go on the posts scientifically work ? Thanks for your replys, Bob
VictorW
Veteran Member
I've always used those felt post washers on anything with a battery. I learned of these from an early job in a garage. They do work. The ones I used in the garage and at home are Noco brand with a purple oily chemical soaked in. It feels like bar chain oil for a chain saw. I never used those pretty red and green ones and at times have seen them fail. The chemical is the same as you can buy in the Noco brand spray can to coat the terminal connectors. After setting on the felt washers and then your terminal, they make a barrier to keep any acid off the post and terminal, counteract the acid, but do nothing for the other areas getting corroded. I guess you could also make your own felt washers and soak them with grease to form the barrier. So far, four years for my CK30, no battery corrosion.
Mickey_Fx
Veteran Member
Has the dealer agreed to do something about the damage already done, i.e. corrosion? I'd sure insist on it.
"Battery charging right at 13 volts", way too low of a charge voltage. Should be in th range of 14-14.25V. Fully charged battery that has been setting for a few hrs will read ~12.7v. At 13V too low of a charge voltage to keep battery fully charged.
IMO between the low charging voltage reported and the "spilled" acid, you have more problems than just some corrosion.
Coyote machine
Super Member
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Charging voltage is WAY too low. As stated, optimum is around 14-14.25 volts. The way the system works is the battery holds a charge that is released as a demand (load) occurs for current (amps)to flow from the battery to the starter(for instance, or the lights) as the engine runs it turns the fan belt and the alternator sends current back to the battery to keep it charged. Batteries are nominal (name only) 12 volt. In order to keep them charged the alternator must supply more current to the battery than any load removes. That is why you have to have higher readings than 13volts (potential), or the battery will eventually die and leave you stranded when you least expect it to.
As to the fix, I suspect one of several things. First make sure your fan belt is good and tight but has some deflection in the belt between the water pump pulley and the alternator pulley. You don't want slippage of the belt under load, but you don't want it so tight as to damage a bearing in the alternator or the water pump. Once verified, then look for any loose or bad grounds. The battery must have a good chassis ground which may have been compromised by the corrosion of the bad battery that you just replaced. The negative post ground cable needs to be traced to the chassis and determined whether it sustained any corrosion, especially where it attaches to the chassis. If it did or looks like it did than have it replaced by the dealer under warranty.
Once you have a known to be solid ground to the chassis and the fan belt is adjusted to specs then see what charge is being supplied to the battery at idle, AND with a load on it like headlights, etc.
If it still fails to give you the proper voltage range 14-14.25volts then suspect your alternator is faulty. It could be an intermittent diode starting to fail or the bridge rectifier which converts the ac which the alternator produces to dc voltage which the tractor needs to feed the battery. No matter what the problem with the alternator, assuming this turns out to be the problem it should be rebuilt or replaced with a known good one.
Most likely the problem is the old battery was just bad and had a problem with a cell across its plates, but the 'boil over' condition could just as likely come from a 'runaway' alternator deciding to supply over voltage one day and undervoltage hte next. Since I am not familiar with the CK 20 and whether it has a separate voltage regulator that limits voltage sent back to the battery- I would say, if the voltage regulator IS separate from the alternator than check it too, because it could easily be faulty. Most alternators these days use a built in voltage regulator, however, but you dealer can determine that for you.
Good luck and have them fix the whole problem, not just the symptoms! And require then to remedy the corrosion problem too. They may want to blame the battery and say it is covered under a separate warranty which does not cover consequential damages from the acid, etc. Hopefully they will come through for you!
Post back results.
CM
As to the fix, I suspect one of several things. First make sure your fan belt is good and tight but has some deflection in the belt between the water pump pulley and the alternator pulley. You don't want slippage of the belt under load, but you don't want it so tight as to damage a bearing in the alternator or the water pump. Once verified, then look for any loose or bad grounds. The battery must have a good chassis ground which may have been compromised by the corrosion of the bad battery that you just replaced. The negative post ground cable needs to be traced to the chassis and determined whether it sustained any corrosion, especially where it attaches to the chassis. If it did or looks like it did than have it replaced by the dealer under warranty.
Once you have a known to be solid ground to the chassis and the fan belt is adjusted to specs then see what charge is being supplied to the battery at idle, AND with a load on it like headlights, etc.
If it still fails to give you the proper voltage range 14-14.25volts then suspect your alternator is faulty. It could be an intermittent diode starting to fail or the bridge rectifier which converts the ac which the alternator produces to dc voltage which the tractor needs to feed the battery. No matter what the problem with the alternator, assuming this turns out to be the problem it should be rebuilt or replaced with a known good one.
Most likely the problem is the old battery was just bad and had a problem with a cell across its plates, but the 'boil over' condition could just as likely come from a 'runaway' alternator deciding to supply over voltage one day and undervoltage hte next. Since I am not familiar with the CK 20 and whether it has a separate voltage regulator that limits voltage sent back to the battery- I would say, if the voltage regulator IS separate from the alternator than check it too, because it could easily be faulty. Most alternators these days use a built in voltage regulator, however, but you dealer can determine that for you.
Good luck and have them fix the whole problem, not just the symptoms! And require then to remedy the corrosion problem too. They may want to blame the battery and say it is covered under a separate warranty which does not cover consequential damages from the acid, etc. Hopefully they will come through for you!
Post back results.
CM