Help Please

   / Help Please #1  

MMCSKPD

Bronze Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2004
Messages
66
Location
Apollo, PA
Tractor
BX23
Went down to take the BX23 out for the evening and I found the battery dead. It has only 3.4 hours on the hour meter. The key was not in the machine and it was fine when I parked it last night. What did I leave on that would kill the battery....
 
   / Help Please #2  
The flashers is the only thing that I can think of, and that is hard to miss. You might have a drain on the battery from some other problem. Just because it is new, doesn't mean that it is problem free. If it happens again, it is off to the dealership to fix in my opinion.... It could also be nothing more than a defective battery with a dead cell.
 
   / Help Please
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Thanks for the reply. The Flashers were definitely not on. I have it on a battery charger right now. I'll check it out tommow and see if it will start. I really have a lot of work to do with it tomorrow......
 
   / Help Please #4  
If it is on the charger now, don't leave it on too long. Feel the outer side of the case and if it is getting hot, remove the charger. It should be only warm. Many a good battery is ruined by over charging. If you have a trickle charger, that is best. My best guess is that there is a bad cell in the battery. If you have a car with a battery of the same size, switch it and see if the problem goes away. If it doesn't, then it is in the tractor. Another trick to try is to remove the positive terminal and then touch it to the battery with everything off. If you get a spark, that indicates that the is something drawing current. You can also use a test light between the battery and the terminal to see if the light comes on. If it does, then there is a draw on the battery. If it doesn't, then there is no draw. Unlike a car, that has the computer, clock, radio, etc. constantly drawing current even though the ignition is off, tractors don't draw any current when the key is off.. Good luck with this and if I can be of any other assistance, please post or PM me...
 
   / Help Please
  • Thread Starter
#5  
I just came up from the garage. I was able to start the machine. The battery was just warm. I left it on trickle charge for the night. (2 amps). I'll keep you posted.... Thanks again.
 
   / Help Please #6  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I just came up from the garage. I was able to start the machine. The battery was just warm. I left it on trickle charge for the night. (2 amps). I'll keep you posted.... Thanks again. )</font>

Well, this answers my question of "are you sure the battery was dead and not some safety feature preventing it from turning over?". If the trickle charger works then it is possible that the charging system isn't recharging the battery fully or at all. I would check the belt to make sure it's tight and then try to test the dymo with an amp meter. The max it puts out is 14 amps but that should be enough to handle all the stock electrical equipment on the tractor. Also check the battery as suggested by Junkman but if it holds a charge after being trickle charged then I suspect it's okay.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

BTW, the WSM doesn't show the charging system to be fused directly except throught the 30 amp slow blow fuse. The tractor won't start and run if that's blown so I don't think it's a fuse problem.
 
   / Help Please #7  
If you run it again make sure you check the voltage output from the generator.....mine will run almost 14.4 volts at 1500 rpm's.
Like junkman said, could be a bad battery....check the fluid level in all the cells as well.
 
   / Help Please #8  
I too find that the simplest way to check your charging system. An alternator should be putting out 14+ volts. If you measure 12 or less volts with the engine running, you have a problem. I would also suspect the battery to be at fault.
 
   / Help Please #9  
In my experience, most "dead batteries" turn out to be corroded battery clamps/posts (especially if it's been damp or got cold suddenly). A wire brush (the special kind or not) or a jack knife often does the trick: just make everything that touches shiny and put it back together.
 
   / Help Please #10  
My bx23 had problems right away. I started with a tire puncture within 10 minutes of delivery. ( bought a 48 inch bush hog and promptly found out about bamboo punctures - 3 so far) Anyway, this forced me to leave the tractor outside and then the rain came and shorts the flasher switch (apparently they are not weather proof) . That ran the battery dead. I tried to charge the battery but it won't take the charge. I found the battery cables weren't tight, I mean the nuts backed off 3-4 turns. was arcing and burned
Lessons learned so far
1. now have installed tire armour.
2. don't use or leave out in the rain.
3. fel is invaluable tool when bush hogging.
4. 20' tow chain and neighbor with bx23 will get you (or him) out of places that 4wd won't.
5. don't overlook the basics - check, clean and tighten the cables, even on new ones.
Rich
 

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