battery issue maybe
8x56mn
Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 167 Watkins Glen NY |
2009-04-18 162145
Well this seems to be my week for problems with equipment. I always keep a can of wasp spray on my tractor for the occasional yellow jacket and wasp encounters. Well the other night I looked down beside my seat as I was moving and caught the glimpse of sparks coming from underneath the spray can that had fallen down and was lying across the battery terminals. I quickly grabbed the can and noticed fluid leaking from a couple of holes that were burned through the can. The first thing that come to mind was that I was very lucky the can didn’t explode, tossed the can aside on the ground and kept working my manure pile, everything seemed ok.
The next night after work I went to start the tractor and the battery was dead and I had to jump start the tractor. I ran it for about 2 hours and shut her down and tried to restart and the battery was still dead. I took the battery out and put it on my “smart charger over night and put it back into the tractor and started her up with no apparent problem. Last night I go out after work to start the tractor and same thing dead battery, I took the battery out and recharged over night. The charger indicates full charge this morning, but have not put the battery back in. Do you all think this is battery problem or have I somehow damaged the tractor electrical system with the shorting out of the battery or is a battery alone the issue? I don’t have anyway to test the amps.:(
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battery issue maybe
auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 2168 West of Toronto Pics |
2009-04-18 162146
Likely just a battery issue. A full discharge damages the battery (less so if it's a "deep discharge" design). The newer the battery the better it can mostly recover from a draining. ....
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battery issue maybe
greg_g
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1816 Western Kentucky Pics |
2009-04-18 162148
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I doubt there's any damage to the electrical/charging system. But just to be on the safe side, check your tractor's wiring diagram. Some have a fuse between the alternator and the battery. If that blows, there's no way for charging voltage to get back to the battery.
//greg// ....
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battery issue maybe
8x56mn
Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 167 Watkins Glen NY |
2009-04-18 162150
Thanks, was not sure about maybe a melted wire causing a dead shoert or something. Reason I say that is the battery just went dead over night after charging. One thing that bothers me is I have a charger that does a complete check of the battery and it charged fully and gave me a read out saying that the battery was good and fuly charged. I didn't think about this morning before I left for work, but I should have restarted the charger to see if it had drained again after completeing the charge cycle last night. If it has then I would think that the battery is toast. Frankly I would rather it be the battery and someing within the tractor. ....
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battery issue maybe
8x56mn
Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 167 Watkins Glen NY |
2009-04-18 162151
One thing I just thought of my charger will check the alternator for output as well when the tractor is running. That would tell me if I have a blown fuse. ....
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battery issue maybe
kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon Pics |
2009-04-18 162152
While you have the battery out take it to an auto parts store and have them put it on the load testers. The specific gravity test can tell you a lot but it won't tell you if the battery has an internal short or can't hold up under load. ....
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battery issue maybe
greg_g
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1816 Western Kentucky Pics |
2009-04-18 162155
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Without even disconnecting the cables, specific gravity testing CAN in fact ISOLATE an internal short to a specific cell or cells. Each GOOD cell contributes about 2.2v to the overall 13.2v available from a typical 12v lead acid battery. Each cell has an internal connection to the + and - posts. These connections are on plates that form the cell boundaries. Current flowing between the plates is what keeps the specific gravity within spec. When that current stops flowing, it can no longer keep SG at spec. And each cell failing the SG test is longer providing it's full 2.2v to the combined output.
SG testing is simple, cuz you can do it right on the vehicle. If all six cells pass, look for the starting problem elsewhere.
//greg// ....
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battery issue maybe
kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon Pics |
2009-04-18 162157
Greg, I spent a few years as manager of a tire and battery store and disagree about the significance of SG testing. I have personally tested many batteries that measured full battery voltage and failed the load test due to internal shorts. On the flip side, if a SG test showed a weak cell the battery could still pass a load test and start the vehicle. I never saw a battery that passed a load test fail to crank a car that had good cables, connections and a working starter.
....
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battery issue maybe
8x56mn
Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 167 Watkins Glen NY |
2009-04-20 162170
Well when I got home from work I restarted the charger and the battery had drained which tells me the battery was in fact toast. Went down to Car Quest and got a new Champion 52 series battery, put her in and now things seem to be fine. Thanks to evryone for the great advice. ....
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battery issue maybe
greg_g
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1816 Western Kentucky Pics |
2009-04-20 162174
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I've got a dozen various lead acid starter batteries around here, and always do a SG test as part of routine home troubleshooting. The main reason is just to narrow down the scope of a starting issue. If the SG is suspect, only then do I justify taking the battery into town to confirm battery health by load testing. And then only by someone that I can trust doesn't have their finger on the scale.
//greg// ....
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battery issue maybe
kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon Pics |
2009-04-20 162175
We had hydrometers and used them on new batteries before installation to make sure there were no weak cells. It just seemed sort of pointless for troubleshooting since good SG was no guarantee that the battery would hold up under load.
It's sort of like a D-cell. Who cares what the chemistry of a D-cell is if it won't light the flashlight? :) ....
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