Very difficult to diagnose this without actually being there!
My first test would be to see whether the battery is in fact being charged properly by the alternator. It should float at about 14.4V when on charge. An ammeter in series will show the charge rate. With everything switched on (lights, heaters etc) the voltage should hold up while the engine's running at sensible revs. The voltage should never rise above about 15V under normal conditions and never fall below 10V except when cranking. Outside these limits, the battery can be damaged.
Assuming it's getting charged, the next question is whether it's getting discharged by something. Modern vehicles draw a lot of current even sitting in the garage doing nothing. If for some reason I don't drive my Discovery 4x4 for two weeks, the battery goes flat because of the standby current drawn by the various electronic gizmos, and the battery's own self-discharge (modern batteries being worse in this respect). In winter it's even worse, as the battery may not get a decent charge on short runs due to lights and heaters taking most of the alternator's output. Also the starter draws more in cold conditions. My feeling is that batteries and alternators are often a bit undersized these days, probably to save money. On normal discharge the voltage should be around 12V, depending on the state of charge.
You should also consider the possibility of intermittent connections somewhere in the charging system. In particular check the battery connections and ground wire.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Tractor Profile: Farmall M - by Staff. H so that mountable implements were interchaneable. The Farmall M was most popular with large-acreage row-crop farmers. It was powered by either a high-compression gas engine or a distillate version with lower compression. Options included the Lift-All hydraulic system, a belt pulley, PTO, rubber tires, starter, lights and a swinging drawbar. It could be ordered in the high-crop, wide-front or tricycle configurations. The high-crop version was called a Model MV.
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
1964 I-H 140 tractor with cultivators and sidedresser. Starts and runs good. Asking 2650. CALL RON AT 502-319-1952
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
