Flat battery

[peteinthehills]

Ok, I know. Another stupid question to add to my list of stupid questions...but it's my first tractor and I'm learning!

My battery has gone flat. It's been in for about a year. It's charging just now, but I'm wondering what might have happened. I've worked it hard the last weeks bush hogging our 12 acres. It's been sat in a shelter away from the weather, but we have had some storms so it's not been used for a week, but that's nothing compared to sitting all winter unused. I saw that in other posts folk were talking about having the same battery for 9 years.

I know when I start it a yellow light comes on next to the label chrg. But I always turn it back a bit so that goes off. I'm wondering if I need to leave it with the yellow light on now and again. I've got a mitsubishi compact tractor, its from the grey market so there are no owners manuals or the like. I'm mostly making it up as I go along and I don't want/can't afford to mess up here.

Let me know what you think I should do.

Pete
Texas

 

[Agvg]

If the chrg light is on then you have a fault in the charging system and you battery will go flat at some point.

 

[Gunny]

I agree with Agvg, either an alternator, voltage regulator or wiring issue. When you turn the key back until the charge light goes out, you're essentially turning off the ignition circuit. Your FD2050 will run all day long with the ignition key off, as long as it has fuel.

Next time, start it up and see if the yellow light goes out as you increase the rpms, then check voltage with the engine running. It may have been getting some charging, but if so, you defeated it when you turned the key back.

 

[scdeerslayer]

If you're turning the key off after starting, you're not charging the battery. It's not uncommon for the charge/battery light to be on for a little while at startup under idle. Rev the engine up and wait a little while to see if the light goes out.

 

[Dave M7040]

It would be worthwhile if you are going to be doing any electrical work to buy a cheap multi meter.

This one for less than $10 on Amazon.com is more than adequate for work on 12 volt DC systems.

Amazon.com: Neiko 48 83B Digital Multimeter | AC/DC Voltage, DC Current, Resistance, Diodes, Transistor hFE Tester | Max Reading 1999: Home Improvement

Then you can check voltage at the battery while the engine is running and know if the charging system is or is not working.

It likely is not and then more tests can easily be done.

Dave M7040

 

[peteinthehills]

ok, thanks for all these, I'll see what happens the next time I run it. I'm starting to see why this was a relatively cheap buy. These seems to be no end of problems. But it's a great little workhorse. I'll see if the light goes out after a while and let you all know.
thanks
pete
Texas

 

[MortOz]

Ok, I know. Another stupid question to add to my list of stupid questions...but it's my first tractor and I'm learning!
I know when I start it a yellow light comes on next to the label chrg."

This sounds like it is the alternator charge indicator light - these come on when the key is turned on and the light is actually powered by the field current for the alternator (it is this field current that guarantees the alternator will start charging in cases when there is not enough residual magnetism to self-excite). However, on most modern tractors, when you turn the key back to off, the fuel solenoid shuts off, and so the engine stops.
That makes me have a small doubt about the light in question - it couldn't be the glow plug indicator could it?

Pete - when you say you "always turn it back a bit so that goes off", do you mean after the tractor is running, or before it starts? If after it is running, then the light should disappear when the alternator starts charging. If it is a glow plug indicator, then it will go off by itself without you doing anything with the key - though a glow plug indicator will usually have a graphic of a heating coil beside or on it.

As others have said, if this light stays on, then the alternator is not producing enough current to self-excite and so is not going to be charging the battery or powering anything else on the tractor. Use a cheap multimeter to check the battery voltage before, during and after starting (with the engine at a fast idle >2000rpm on a small tractor). The voltage should start a bit higher than 12V with nothing on, drop while starting, then be noticeably higher with the engine running (13.8-14.4 volts). Make sure you have the multimeter on a 20V or higher DC setting, you don't want to fry it!

 

[peteinthehills]

Ok, I charged the battery and it starts no problem. I've attached some pictures.

This first one is the console of my tractor. The labels for the key are heat, off, on, start...which is why I turn it to start and once its started I turn it back a bit to on.


Now, this picture is what it looks like if I start it and don't turn it back a bit. You can see the orange light comes on for the chg label.


I did run it with the light on for about an hour and at no point did it turn itself off.

I have no problem with irregularly charging the battery manually once a year, but if this issue might be from a different more problematic thing, then I'll need to track it down. Tomorrow I'll get the multimeter out and see what the numbers say.

Pete

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

How old is the tractor? I'm wondering if the key switch is shot and is allowing the engine to run (fuel solenoid not shutting off fuel), but isn't allowing the alternator to charge.

 

[TMGT]

Does the tractor shutdown with the key or does it have a manual shutdown, like a lever or pull knob?
My B7200 is mechanical shutdown only and if you turn the key off it shuts off the charging circuit.

It looks like it's time to get out the volt meter and do some diagnostics.