confused by apparent battery problem

[Jframe]

2008 S 185, now with 364 total hours. Have owned it 5 years. All it has ever done since new is remove snow from 2 or 3 driveways, and machine is very clean. Bought it from the widow of the original owner who cleaned snow from the very same driveways. So interior cab light stopped working. First replacement bulb flashed out when turned on. Second replacement bulb did nothing. Left it in to then notice days later cab light had come on by itself. Battery was about stone dead, presumably from the light coming on. Removed the bulb. Charged the battery but 2 or 3 days after using machine, which had started and run normally, battery was dead. Happened 2 or 3 times. Seemed to me battery didn't hold a charge anymore. It was 6 years old. Just now put in new battery. Battery looked good on my analog multimeter. Machine acts like battery is dead, a few clicks instead of turning engine over. A battery symbol was flashing; first time I had ever seen that. Gives me a code: M0309. I'm not sure if the 0s are zeros or the letter 0. First time I had ever seen any code on this machine. There was probably only 5 minutes between hooking up the new battery for the first time and trying to start the machine. Ideas appreciated.

 

[RjCorazza]

Sounds like a short somewhere, AND resistance in a high current cable such as battery / starter / ground.

 

[CH4Ohio]

What does the battery read across the posts while in the tractor? Should be about 12.5 volts DC

I’d carefully check battery connections and cable connections — especially ground. If the battery reads good, check that you have the same reading using frame and engine on the ground side (negative side).

 

[Jframe]

Thanks. Very encouraging. I will try these ideas when the sun comes up. Here at 58 degrees N the sun has become quite lazy, and the bears are very hungry.

 

[LHF2019]

I have a S185 and while mine was ran in very corrosive conditions your symptoms sound all to familiar. when I first got it 6 times a year I would go out and no start. Remove battery and clean all connections and Every time it would reliably start until it corroded enough to not start again. Usually during very humid conditions like in spring when everything is dripping wet. You knew it was going to not start at some point. Eventually I got it down to twice a year no start. Then the positive cable end broke and corroded away. Replaced the end. And I think it was this spring the battery gave up the ghost and replaced that. I'm hoping all my no starts are resolved finally


Moral of the story Clean cables, clean posts, and clean ground connections. First place to start. Lack of use is just as detrimental as lots of use.

 

[Jframe]

I want to thank the people who responded. I did clean all connections and used electrical grease in some instances. I tested for a short and found none but my abilities with electricity are very limited so I still worry about a short, especially related to the interior cab light. I put a charge on the battery and so far the machine starts and runs very well again. Corrosion is very bad here as our house and the others for which I plow snow are on the salt water beach. At a high tide I plow within 25 feet of salt water. And we are surrounded by a rain forest: Only one day out of the entire year, July 8, has a less than 50-50 chance of rain or snow according to the fed weather service. This machine sat outside from new to when I bought it (2008 to 2020) and it's prone to have rust lift paint. I seem to have caught up with that now and have no rust whatsoever but it's a constant battle. People who know about chemistry and metallurgy tell me that equipment mfrs could help us all out by paying attention to the fasteners and frames so far as different metals being in contact. They say that any two different metallic compounds touching one another in the wet, sale air are a battery. Thanks again.