Leaking Battery on Boomer

[djradz]

Well, I thought I was going to stay immune to the problem of battery leaking/overflow, but alas, not. Checked under the hood yesterday only to find the radiator, some hydraulic hose fititngs, and other metal parts corroded due to fluid from the battery. Checked the battery and the fluid seems about right, but now I'm theorizing that the fan is virtually sucking any fluid that gets near the battery top, right out of the battery. I disconnected and shook the battery and nothing came out, so what else could it be? Didn't see any of this during the first 9 months of use but maybe I didn't bounce the tractor around as much as lately. Will be asking the dealer to replace the radiator and much of the metal and hydraulic lines at the front of the tractor. Jim (jinman) I know you had something similar, what has everyone else seen?

 

[jinman]

Duane, you have my sympathy (empathy?), and I haven't experienced anymore problems since mine was repaired. Good luck. /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif

 

[djradz]

Jim, what got repaired (radiator, tray, hoses???). Did they do anything to the battery itself to correct the problem? Mine doesn't look too full at all, but could probably stand to loose about 1/4" in fluid level, nothing more. If the dealer doesn't have a correction, other than changing the corroded parts, I'm going to put in a model 24 (vs 24F) battery which will put the terminals more toward the radiator and the fill caps more toward the tractor front and away from the radiator. Maybe this will help with what appears to be this sucking of the fluid. Hoping someone else has some other ideas or fixes. Don't think this is a case of the battery getting too warm and overflowing as this has become most noticeable just lately, in the coldest time of the year.

 

[DVerbarg]

I wonder if this could have anything to do with the charging system? I vaguely remember from working on an old Dodge truck that had a bad voltage regulator that the battery would bubble when it was being overcharged. This condition would also make the fluid levels drop rather quickly (which I don't recall anyone mentioning). Checked my battery last night and it had signs of moisture on top but there was not corrosion anywhere on adjacent metal parts.

 

[jinman]

Duane, I got the radiator, hydro-tranny coolant hoses, and the foam insert in the battery tray replaced. Recently, I noticed the bottom screen below the battery was showing some signs of detorioration, so I probably should have asked for that to be replaced too. Also, be sure and ask for new hardware since you don't want to have bolts rust up or rust out in the future. None of my radiator hoses were bad since they seem to be impervious to the acid. If you need more info, let me know. I've checked my battery numerous times since I got the parts replaced (didn't replace the battery). It has always been dry except for when I hose it off, which I now do very often.

 

[Egon]

jinman:

Do you spread a little baking powder on the battery when you hose it off ? It will help neutaralize the acid.

Egon

 

[jinman]

Do you mean baking powder or baking soda? I don't normally do either because enough water is a universal neutralizer and since my tractor is fixed, I don't have any additional problem. My battery is completely dry now, and the cables have no corrosion whatsoever. I will use baking soda or something designed specifically for the problem if it ever comes back. I may also design a pan-type tray with a drain hose after my warranty runs out. I did that on another tractor and it has worked successfully to eliminate all corrosion and rust around the battery. I actually made the tray from the top of a plastic toolbox, but the bottom of a marine style battery box should also work very nicely. ...we'll see what happens.

 

[djradz]

What do you think has changed, since the battery appears to be the same one? Did they make they take out some fluid to make the level lower?

Has anyone else seen this problem? I can't believe it could be isolated to just a few of us.

 

[jinman]

Duane, I just made sure that the fluid level in my battery cells is not at maximum (took a little fluid out) and also made sure the caps are securely in place. I don't have a lot of confidence in this method in the long run, but one of the techs who monitor this website mentioned that that is his solution and so far it has worked for me. Be sure you keep the fluid above the plates though.

I agree with you that there should be a better solution. Honestly, it seems that batteries are a problem in almost any kind of vehicle unless you do regular maintenance. My solution is going to be to keep the area clean and be very vigilant about looking for fluid leakage. I'm sure that others are experiencing similar problems with their Boomers and I've heard of other tractor colors having battery leaks. I'm kinda glad the battery is located where it is on our Boomers because it makes it so easy to check. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[djradz]

Dan, I too was wondering about the charging. Yesterday, after clearing some snow and then shutting the engine off, I could hear some gas excaping (like a little bubbling sound) from the battery top. Not that this was wrong, I think I've heard the same from auto batteries, and certainly when I've had a charger hooked up to them, but just seemed a little odd since I'd run the tractor for a good 45 minutes after starting and I'd a thought all charging would be done. Also, looks like when the fluid gets out, most of it is immediately sucked into the radiator by the fan. Only a little ever gets to dripping down the back of the battery. .... just my observations to date.