Battery terminal problem

[RobT]

Yesterday I spent a few hours moving dirt with my dirt scoop (slip scoop) and the Foton 404. Everything running great, sunny and about 88 degrees, having some fun.

A few times I would shut off the tractor, get down, and use a hand shovel to smooth out some spots.

One time I get back on and turn the key. Nothing. Check everything...push the clutch in harder...still nothing. Not even a peep from the starter. I lift the hood, check the battery cables, and they are tight. I check some wiring around the starter. Nothing weird looking. I check the fuses. Nothing blown. I'm getting really worried now.

I decide to remove one of the batteries and replace it with one from my pickup (have to do that sometimes in the cold weather). I remove the positive terminal from the tractor battery, but don't remove the battery just yet. I go ahead and put the terminal back on and tell myself "Give it a crank and see if anything happens..."

That's what I do and the tractor starts beautifully the rest of the day. Whew!

[Bird]

Sounds like a little corrosion was preventing a good contact.

[RobT]

Bird,

I think you're right. I plan on spending some time this week om PM. I will clean up those contacts really well this time!

[BB_TX]

It is common for a fine white crusty stuff to form on battery terminals. Sometimes it is so thin it is hard to see and even harder to imagine it interrupting the circuit. But it will. Get a battery brush from your local parts store and give it a good cleaning.

[sasquatcher]

I have had a battery cable that looked perfectly fine from the outside. The contacts at the battery posts were beautiful, however, after taking the cable out, I found that there was a tiny pinhole on the bottomside of the cable far down the side of the engine compartment. I went ahead and cut open the shielding and found it to be totally corroded throughout all of the strands of the cable. I mean, it was just the tiniest pinhole that you wouldn't be able to find easily. It was quite surprising. The cable was pretty much worthless.

It's probably a good thing to inspect your cabling really well. It's amazing how a seemingly good cable can be trash.

[SnowRidge]

After cleaning things up, a squirt of battery terminal protector will help to keep that from happening again. I like the CRC brand. They also make a cleaner that will cut and neutralize the corrosion.

[California]

I already had some electrician's CU and AL corrosion inhibitor paste so I used that. Does anyone know if it is suitable?

[Ford850]

Once it's clean and nuetralized, anything that seals it from oxygen will work.

[Bird]

I have had a battery cable that looked perfectly fine from the outside. The contacts at the battery posts were beautiful, however, after taking the cable out, I found that there was a tiny pinhole on the bottomside of the cable far down the side of the engine compartment. I went ahead and cut open the shielding and found it to be totally corroded throughout all of the strands of the cable. I mean, it was just the tiniest pinhole that you wouldn't be able to find easily. It was quite surprising. The cable was pretty much worthless.

It's probably a good thing to inspect your cabling really well. It's amazing how a seemingly good cable can be trash.

Yep, I've seen that same thing before myself. Sometimes, but not always, the shielding, or insulation, may also show signs of swelling when it happens.

[Soundguy]

I like using vasolene or plain ole chassie grease to coat my elec terminals aftr cleaning them.. keeps them from getting the white and collored fuzzies!

Soundguy