TS354C decompression?

[michaelTS354]

I see alot of you guys talking about using the decrompession lever on your tractor. Mine is of course a Kama ts354c. This morning it was a little hard to start in the cold weather, but the battery was a little weak too and wouldnt turn it over fast enough until I put the boost box on it. It had been setting for a few weeks. I guess my question is, have I missed the decrompession release or does it do it automaticaly when the engine is trying to statrt?

Michael

 

[JINMA224XR]

<font color="blue">I see alot of you guys talking about using the decrompession lever on your tractor. Mine is of course a Kama ts354c. This morning it was a little hard to start in the cold weather, but the battery was a little weak too and wouldnt turn it over fast enough until I put the boost box on it. It had been setting for a few weeks. I guess my question is, have I missed the decrompession release or does it do it automaticaly when the engine is trying to statrt?
</font>

Hey Mike,

Not all of the Chinese Tractors have a Decompression Lever. But it sure does help out a lot in cold weather.

However, if your's is one that doesn't have a decompression lever; I would use one of the new Float/Automatic Battery Chargers , when your tractor is waiting to be used. These chargers are different from the old type chargers, in that you can leave them hooked up to your battery and it won't overcharge the battery. Once the battery is charged, the charger automatically goes into a float mode, and will stay their, until the battery needs to be charged again. Another thing that you can do is to get a magnetic oil pan warmer or a permanent mount warmer, which will make it much easier for the engine to turn over.

I use one of the Float Chargers on my Motorbike year round and have a permanent pigtail attached to the battery. When I get ready to ride, I just unplug and hit the start button, and when I get home, I just plug the charger back into the pigtail again, and forget about it. The new Float Chargers are better than Sliced Bread. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Just read about the charger before you buy it, as some say Automatic, but they don't go into float mode, once the battery is fully charged. We always have to muddle through the Marketing Trickery.

Have a nice day,
Joe /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[bluechip]

The 4 cylinder on the TS354C does not have compression release, but the direct injection design is usually pretty quick to fire...with a hot battery of course...

 

[michaelTS354]

Thanks for the replys, I knew my battery was a little weak but I was curious if I had a decompression release anyways. The trickle charger is a guy idea also, i have one of those on a car that I do not drive much and it helps to maintain its charge by kicking on just when the voltage drops to a certain level.

 

[3RRL]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I would use one of the new Float/Automatic Battery Chargers The new Float Chargers are better than Sliced Bread. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif)</font>
Jinma...
Any weblink to one you'd recommend?
Thanks,

 

[JINMA224XR]

<font color="blue">Any weblink to one you'd recommend? </font>

Hey Rob,

I saw the same small one that I have at AutoZone for about $30 dollars or so(Don't quote me though), but I'm sure that it wasn't over 40 dollars. It is made by Schumacher, and is a good one. I think that they have larger one's also, but I read on mine that it can be used on Auto Batteries also. I have used mine only for the Motorbike and LawnTractor batteries.

Schumacher, has their own website. They are a little bit more expensive there though.
http://www.batterychargers.com/

They may have them at Advance Auto Parts as well. I think that I even saw one a WalMarts.

The one that I have, goes to "Float Mode", which means that it will shut it self off when the battery if fully charged and also shut itself back on, when the battery needs to be charged again.

I also noticed that they have one that is an automatic charger, that will shut itself off, but I am guessing, since it doesn't say that it goes to float, that it won't turn itself back on, if the battery falls below full charge. Just a guess though.

In the winter time, these new Automatic Chargers are so nice to have, and they won't overcharge your battery. Just hook'm up and forget'm.

Have a nice day,
Joe /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[3RRL]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The one that I have, goes to "Float Mode", which means that it will shut it self off when the battery if fully charged and also shut itself back on, when the battery needs to be charged again.)</font>

Joe,
I am really interested in a solar powered trickle charger that has that feature. Do you know of any website that might advertise one? I think it best to start a new thread under owning/operating, putting the question out to everyone for more exposure.
Thanks for the Schumacher information...

 

[greg_g]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Do you know of any website )</font>

Start HERE.

//gerg//

 

[Matt_A]

http://www.homier.com/detail.asp?dpt=&cat=&sku=05115

I have about six of these and they work great.

http://www.homier.com/detail.asp?dpt=&cat=&sku=01566

I don't have one of these but I need one. My chinese battery is completely dead and I need to replace it. Homier's stock changes weekly so you have to keep checking there site for availability. Harbor Freight has both these items for similar price.

 

[3RRL]

Greg and Matt,
Thanks for the links. I'll start reading about them, since there must be a difference as to application, performance etc., reflected by the price differences, then make a decision. I'll get right on it.

 

[JINMA224XR]

<font color="blue"> I have about six of these and they work great. </font>

Hey Matt,

For a float charger at $5 a piece, that is a supper buy.

It appears that they charge at 600ma, which I am guessing to be about 1/2 amp. Is that enough to charge & maintain an auto or a 20 to 30 hp Diesel Engine Tractor Battery?

My little Schumacher, charges at 1.5amps, so that is why I am wondering.

At 1.5 amps, it takes about 8 hours to charge up a large motorcycle battery, from about 30% discharge.

I am thinking that 1.5 to 2 amps would be about optimum for the smaller batteries and 5 to 10 amps, being about optimum for the larger batteries.

Just a thought /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Have a nice day,
Joe /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Matt_A]

Joe,
I have them on two dirt bikes, one street bike, two cars, atv and my tractor. You may be right about the limited amp draw with the tractor. My tractor battery is completely dead. It is the original battery that came with the tractor three years ago so normal age is defintely a factor. My tractor got very limited use this year and sat in a field without a charger. It was showing signs of a weak battery last year. It is also the type you add acid to which from my understanding is of less quality that the gel type batteries.

I use to buy the cheapest battery I could for my Triumph streetbike and would have to replace it about every year and a half. I got sick of replacing it and got on the the charger plan. I have had good success. The small economy batteries for bikes, atvs don't seem to charge to full levels once they have fully drained.

What is the moral of this story? Don't buy so many motorized vehicles like I've done because you can't ride them all enough to make it worth your time /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[JINMA224XR]

<font color="blue"> I have had good success. The small economy batteries for bikes, atvs don't seem to charge to full levels once they have fully drained. </font>

Hey Matt,

Sounds to me that you have a very good plan, that is working well, and that is what counts.

From what I have read and heard, as a battery begins to loose it's charge, the molecules, become less stable, and begin to attach themselves to the metal plates inside the battery. As the Plates become coated with more and more molecules, they cannot be 100% efficient and therefore, cannot be brought up to the same Battery Power, as when the battery was new. I think this is what they refer to as: The Battery Plates becoming Sulfated.

That's where the Trickle chargers come in, as they keep the ElectroLyte in a higher state of charge and helps resist the molecules from attaching themselves to the metal plates.

I see that there are also different chargers for Gel Cell Batteries, and I don't know what the difference is, but I guess there is something different going on in these type of batteries.

My 224 came with a sealed maintenance free battery, and I am guessing that it is one of the Gel Cell type of batteries. So far, it is doing good, but I probably should try to put some type of charger on that battery as well from time to time.

Have a nice day,
Joe /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[SPIKER]

that first link MattA psted for Homier is what I have, I bought 2 of them, one at a time, one is on my tractor and works great. the other one I have hooked up to some extra batteries that are out of cars. I tied the 2 car batteries in paralell, and the charger/maintainer is on them, I haven't checked the voltage to confirm the status, on those two, but the first one on my tractor has been a great help. I left the key on for 2 weeks fully killing the battery, (the oem china battery) I have a crate purchace so I had to charge it with acid from a dry state when tractor was new in 2002. it was on my charger after killing it for 2 weeks and would not take a charge any more than about 12.2 volts, so I put this on hopping it would knock off the sulphate on the plates. it now holds a 13.4 volt charge! so yes they work great.
probably the best 4.99 I ever spent, and was reason I got the 2nd one... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Mark M /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Matt_A]

Since this thread is about decompression I'll tie it back in with charging. When my battery was really weak the last few times that I mowed I had a really hard time getting the tractor to start. After leaving the battery connected to my car I finally got it started. I mowed about a half acre and was down in a low patch and accidentally killed the engine. I went to start the tractor and it didn't have enough juice to turn over the engine. I got a little depressed cause the sun was going down and this was my weekend job and the weekend was coming to an end. I couldn't get my car close enough to jump it so I started thinking I may have to replace the battery. After some brainstorming and remembering the decompression info I had read here I realized I could use the decompression lever to start the tractor using less battery power. Sure enough I turned the lever and she fired up.

I know you cold weather guys use this feature all the time but us guys who don't get much belows the teens don't normally use this nice feature.

 

[JINMA224XR]

<font color="blue"> it was on my charger after killing it for 2 weeks and would not take a charge any more than about 12.2 volts, so I put this on hopping it would knock off the sulphate on the plates. it now holds a 13.4 volt charge! so yes they work great.
probably the best 4.99 I ever spent, </font>

Hey Mark,

Do you remember how long you had to use the float/trickle charger on the battery, before the sulfated crystals were removed from the plates?

Have a nice day,
Joe /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[JINMA224XR]

<font color="blue"> After some brainstorming and remembering the decompression info I had read here I realized I could use the decompression lever to start the tractor using less battery power. </font>

Hey Matt,

I think that it was GregG, that recommended using the decompression lever, to help the starter and battery last longer.

I wasn't using mine all the time, but I am now, and mine just seems to start so easy now.

I must admit though, that it sounds so strange to me, just hearing the engine spinning over, before I release the decompression lever.

Have a nice day,
Joe /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif