Won't start after recharging battery

[grayhame]

Tractor got left on and killed the battery. We recharged it and still only get a click at the starter. Battery shows 12.86 volts. Always started great before the battery died.

Any ideas? What can I test?

 

[Roadworthy]

My usual approach to starting problems is to remove both cables from the battery. Clean battery terminals and clean cable connectors. Inspect connectors for corrosion on the cable itself. Add water to the battery if it's low and if you have removable caps. Replace cables and tighten securely. If they can be moved they're not tight. Follow ground wire to frame. Clean and tighten. Attempt to start. If you still only get a click, monitor the battery voltage while start is attempted. If it drops below ten volts you're due for a new battery.

 

[DonRybak]

You don't mention how old the battery is but if it's several years old then it's possible the battery was on it's last leg anyway and can't really reach a full charge. The battery voltage isn't near as important as the amps that the battery can supply. The amps are the force that turns the starter. Also, how long did you charge it? Was it long enough to indicate a full charge? As Roadworthy said, check all connections and then if you still have an issue you can pull the battery and any major parts store will run a load test on it. Good luck......

 

[ultrarunner]

Load Test after charge is my test.

 

[Up to the Axles]

Tractor got left on and killed the battery. We recharged it and still only get a click at the starter. Battery shows 12.86 volts. Always started great before the battery died.

Any ideas? What can I test?

Put voltmeter on the cable side of the terminals, not the battery post. With third hand, crank.

What is the voltage while {failing to} crank??

 

[CH4Ohio]

Did you try to jump it? If not, try to jump from a known good battery. If it cranks / starts from a jump, then your battery either needs more charging or will no longer hold a proper charge.

Did you take the battery out of the tractor to charge it? If so, suspect loose cables. Either way, check cables at battery to be sure they're tight. A loose cable can let your dash, etc. light up but will carbonize the connection as soon as you try to draw heavy amps through it.

Also check the other ends of the battery cables to be sure the ground is solid and the positive cable is tight at the starter end.

 

[Up to the Axles]

Also check the other ends of the battery cables to be sure the ground is solid and the positive cable is tight at the starter end.

Agreed. But my lesson for Grayham is that a bad battery will look good with no load; it's the voltage under load that counts.

 

[grsthegreat]

Yup. Thats why i always test all problem batteries with a carbon pyle load tester and my Midtronics electronic analyzer. Testing voltage alone does nothing.
also, alot of junk chargers cannot charge a fully dead battery.

i have had great success with the NOCO 10 amp charger in Resurrecting dead batteries.

 

[WranglerX]

Actually do voltage test with volt meter in place and trying to start..... IF voltage of battery drops below about 10 volts during attempt to spin up engine its probable toast, no matter what it tests at with no load....

 

[seville009]

12.86v is an odd number when it’s not running.

I agree with the posters above in that it may be bad.

If it were me, I’d throw a brand new battery in. May solve the issue. If not, always good to have a spare battery around…..

 

[ultrarunner]

Jump would be one way to zero in.

 

[grsthegreat]

My back hurts too much to jump.

 

[jaxs]

Check,charge,clean,tighten,test and jump. Might as well have the battery load tested.

 

[ultrarunner]

Here is my battery testing tools

 

[RjCorazza]

Here is my battery testing tools

View attachment 819467

I have the same charger, and love it. I have been topping off my diesel transfer pump battery recently, and the charger has just started indicating the battery is "weak" based on whatever voltage, load, and charging data it's seeing. The battery was marginal when I took it out of the wife's car, but I'll use it up pumping fuel.
In addition to real load testers, I use a Midtronics electronic tester that is surprisingly accurate and is great for tracking the overall decline of battery capacity.

 

[jaxs]

Only the size of one's wallet and shop limit number of tools they could own. Very seldom do batteries pass tests using a multimeter and still fail a load test. Stated another way I often see battery testers recommended to people who don't know how to use a multimeter. I can only recall once in past 20 years having a battery fail load test after passing tests with multimeter. Point being a multimeter is used 1k times before a load tester is needed and a trip to parts store can handle that. Harbor Freight testers do the same thing as volt meter between posts of fully charged battery then attempting to crank.

 

[grsthegreat]

Well, i maintain some 300 generators, and i dont trust just checking voltage vs a load testing . I have seen batteries pass a voltage tester but fail under load testing. ive done side by side testing of carbon pyle testers vs the midtronics tester, and i rely on these tests, so as not to have units fail in dead of winter with utility power out.

i know, a voltage tester while turning over engine will also give a pretty accurate test, but if done in warm weather the engine will turn over alot easier than during winter. The midtronics can calculate available cold cranking amps remaining.

a carbon pule tester can vary amp load on battery to simulate winter starting. I generally use a 50% of listed CCA as passing score.

 

[ultrarunner]

At the Dealership it was required to Load Test any battery prior to replacing.

We would have Diesel where the battery would initially test good and then drop off into abyss

One was a Cadillac diesel the owner was having trouble starting in the morning but never when warm.

Charged battery and then did the crank load test and for the first 4-5 seconds measured good and then rapidly to zero... battery simply no longer had the necessary capacity.

Another was a 68 Mustang brought in and the owner was frustrated... had changed out battery twice plus cables and solenoid once.

I did load test and said battery is fine but car acted like weak battery.

Pulled the starter and the bronze pinion bushing from the end of the starter was missing...

The incredible amp draw of the binding starter mimiced a weak battery.

I bought the same Load Tester the Dealership had on the battery bench and it has served me well many decades...

 

[grsthegreat]

This is pile of dead batteries from last month, awaiting for exide to pick up.

this is their available replacements, plus 3 on service truck. I do get tired of storing them between pick up and delivery though. Dont like the mess nor the acid that results. I doubt i have a pair of work clothes that dont have acid holes.

 

[ultrarunner]

Yep...acid holes...

Still remember the first time I changed a battery at the dealership holding it close to my chest leaning over the bumper and grill of a 70 Buick.

My shirt was in tatters and I didn't even realize it until someone said is this how you come to work?

Back then a battery additive called VX6 was popular... I tried it once on a dead 6v battery and it worked...

Always wondered about that product but my guess is sealed batteries killed the market for it?

Obsolete Product Review: VX-6

I had a 1954, small-window Dodge truck back in the 1970’s. It’s funny how a 20 year-old truck seemed so much older when I was younger. My 1990 Suburban is the same age now as the old Dodge was then…

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