Dirty battery tray on class III boomers

[grainger12002]

Is everybody replacing there factory battery w\a sealed on. I clean and paint mine couple of months and it never seems to hold up. I talked w the dealer and they dont want to hear it. I also removed a little juice from the battery because it was to close to the top, it helped but I still have spillage. wondering what the call is on this- signed-
TC35 w messy battery area.

[tc35dforme]

I replaced mine with about 30 hours on the clock. I just felt like it was the right thing to do. I bought an reverse pole Optima. The only little headache was re-doing the clamps. I used those long threaded 'J' hooks with a rubber 'dog-bone' strap across the top of the battery. The Optima doesn't have the low mounts. Here's where I got mine Auto-Barn.com.

You won't be disappointed. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[kensfarm]

"I talked w the dealer and they dont want to hear it. "

This is when you call the dealer's regional manager from New Holland Corp.. they know this is a problem.. they'll straighten your dealer out! The bigger problem is when the acid gets on the radiator & hoses and everything else.. the problem has been common.. the $ to fix it shouldn't come out of your wallet!

[jinman]

I just checked my battery last weekend, and the connections are perfectly clean and the area on top of and around the battery is dry. I had my radiator and hydro cooler replaced under warranty for the problem and always rinse off the battery and radiator with a water hose about every two months. Maybe the atmosphere here in Texas is so mild that there is no issue, but since my warranty repair, I've had no battery problems. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] All this doesn't help you much if your battery is problematic, but I do think if the battery electrolyte level is full, you are going to have a problem. Since you said your level is not full, I don't have any really valuable advise except to suggest the Optima style battery.

[jcollins]

Print out this post and bring it to you dealer. They can pull this up on the dealer assist site.

RQ4966

Series TC SERIES TRACTOR CLASS 3
Group Electrical systems - 55
Summary Description BATTERY BOILING OVER
Symptoms Battery boils over
Excessive corrosion of front end components from battery electrolyte emitting from battery vents.
Causes 1. Alternator is overcharging battery.

2. Battery is overfilled with electrolyte.

3. Battery composition
Solutions 1. Connect a charging system tester to check alternator output. Start the engine and operate at 1200 - 1500 ERPM. When the charging rate has dropped to less than 10 amps, the system voltage will be stabilized. Stabilized voltage will be approximately 13.2V at 100 degrees F to 15.2 volts at 32 degrees F.. Average voltage at 70 degrees F. will be 14.2 volts. If the charging rate is less than 13.7 volts or more that 14.7 volts at moderate temperatures (70 degrees F.) there is a fault with the charging system. In a overcharging situation, be certain to check the battery ground attachment point at the front frame of the tractor for resistance. Remove the battery ground at this point and remove the paint to bare metal for a better connection.

2. Electrolyte level should be 1/8" to 1/4" below fill ring in each cell. Due to overfilling, temperature and vibration the electrolyte may vent out of the fill caps, onto the top of the battery. If necessary drain electrolyte from the battery until it is at the proper fill level. Wash the battery with a water and baking soda solution to remove any excess acid.. Clean and/or replace any tractor parts that were exposed to electrolyte. Check alternator for proper output (max) 14.7 volts.

3. Batteries used on TC series tractors are an agricultural type (antimony charged and rated for rough service). Typically agriculture machinery use is seasonable and equipment may go for extended periods of time without being run and without the battery being charged. An antimony charged battery will maintain charge over longer periods of inactivity than standard automotive type batteries, however, agricultural type batteries (antimony charged) will however produce more corrosive/acid vapor. For units in continual use where periods of inactivity or rough usage/service is not a concern consider a maintenance free automotive battery.
Attachments No Attachments
WARRANTY: Standard warranty terms apply.

[markie61]

At 200 hours, my dealer replaced all the corroded parts and installed a NAPA copy of an Optima - all on NH's nickel. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I knew about the potential problems from TBN and saw the corrosion when I bought it with 34 hours on it.
Mark

[Hoeman00]

I've got a 100+hours and it still looks likenew w/ no corrosion at all.
I did have a hydraulic cooler start leaking and dealer had to replace at 70 hours.

[have_blue]

I found this problem with zero hours on the clock (except whatever was on it brand new) First time I popped the hood, I saw rust on the battery box, and acid on the battery. I cleaned it up, and ran it about 10 hours. Couldn't open the hood, because the hood latch corroded and rusted solid. Dealer sprung for a new sealed battery and hood latch. It's just those rough service batteries they use. They spray acid all over the place.

[markie61]

Had the camera out today. The attachment is a picture of my TC40D after all the rusted parts were replaced and the battery switched to a gel cell (NAPA label). A picture of the damage before the repair is at this link.
Mark

[markie61]

Closeup of the gel cell installation. As you might be able to see, the tech who did the work had to fashion a bracket to make it fit in the stock location. There is no evidence of new rusting in the 35 hours since it was installed - significant since I bought the tractor with 31 hours on the clock and it was already rusted!
Mark