4300 - Battery Post Corrosion, Spillage Check Urs!

picard335 · Oct 16, 2003

Only 1 1/2 years old and I've cleaned the battery terminals and tray and the battery twice now, last fall and again this fall.

The terminals were white with stuff, both - and +. The battery looked like it boiled over and ran down the sides of it and even was sucked back into the radiator and hydro cooler.

Last year I saw this with little hours on it. Are these factory batteries cheap? Is the motor making them hot, and causing them to seap out, the water level is fine when I check.

I greesed the terminals, used felt and that red preventative stuff, and used battery cleaner on the battery and tray to de-acid everything.

Just wondering if anyone else has checked theres recently?
Is this just something with deere batteries, or is it just overheating them from brushhogging/summer use etc...

Also is there a better battery for our tractors? Interstate? Optima? I don't want to do this every year. The wire side terminals are in great shape, but if someone would never check, I'm sure they be gone in a year, plus the tray would be rusted in-two.

As I maintain my battery on my other vehicles, when installing new, deacid new battery, tray, dielectric greese, clean, red prevent stuff, and install, lasts 4 years no corrosion!

Thanks,
John

yellowsocks93 · Oct 16, 2003

On my 990 with 9 hours I have noticed white film around one of the caps on the top of the battery. I think it is time to replace mine with a new JD battery or Optima. I think this battery is cheap because it has no labels on it or anything. Just a black battery. I never had any problems with the JD battery in my 4300. I am concerned it the acid was to hit the metal on the 990 it would take the paint right off. When we replaced the battery in our 320 garden tractors the new JD battery boiled over right away taking paint off the plastic hood and wrecking my brothers leather boots.

MJB · Oct 17, 2003

The battery acid problems with the stock JD batteries is a known issue. Mine did the same thing. The stock battery does not do a good job of condensing the acidic vapors that are normally given off when a battery charges. With the battery located right in front of the radiator the vapors are pulled through the oil cooler and radiator by the fan. On mine the oil cooler was corroded as well as the battery terminals. JD has a service bulletin out on this issue. My dealer replaced the oil cooler and the battery for no charge. The new battery has 6 individual caps on the cells instead on the 2 caps like the stock version. The new battery is supposed to do a much better job of condensing the vapors. I have not seen any evidence of the problem returning since the battery was replaced. I looked around for an Optima or Hawker battery to replace the stocker but was unable to find one is a size that would fit the the tractor at that time. Since you are still within warranty your dealer should fix the problem. Good luck.

Rch · Oct 18, 2003

There are "Battery Mat(s)" out there that neutralize the acid and are placed under the battery to protect the case. I wonder about anchoring one to the top of the battery, perhaps with nylon zip ties around the cables, to catch the splatter.

5030 · Oct 18, 2003

I'd either get a sealed battery, one with a vent hose or a saturated mat battery like the Optima.

By sealed, I mean a gel-cell type.

OkieG · Oct 18, 2003

The stock battery does not do a good job of condensing the acidic vapors that are normally given off when a battery charges. I've never heard that before...about condensing vapors. Is that what causes the white fluff on some battery terminals?

My father-in-law is a long time farmer. He always buys AC Delco batteries when he can. He doesn't say they work any better or last any longer, but they don't corrode at the terminals. Maybe Delco has a better system for dealing with the vapors?

OkieG

Trev · Oct 18, 2003

( The new battery has 6 individual caps on the cells instead on the 2 caps like the stock version.)

I just looked at my 4300, and it has two large rectangular caps on the top. Each looks about big enough to cover 3 holes.. so I'm not sure which one I have. It has "00 Nov" on a sticker on the side, so my guess is that this is the old model. OTOH, I don't notice much in the way of white fluff or any other type of leakage evidence. I do occassionally put some dialectric grease on the contacts, but that's about all.

It's alway cranked up quickly even in really cold weather. Think maybe I'm pushing my luck and aught to get one of the 6-cap batteries just so I don't get stuck during the middle of what people are saying may likely be a rough winter?

Tks,
Bob

yellowsocks93 · Oct 19, 2003

I talked with a couple guys at work today and one guy who bought a 990 from us had his battery boil over and wreck his hood, side shields, and everything else a while back. All because of his battery. I am going to replace mine with a new JD battery with 6 individual caps as our other tractors have this type and we have had no problems with them. I checked the battery acid level in the 990 today and it is where it's supposed to be so if you guys have the same condition I would talk to your service manager about ordering you a new battery. Also a new 4310 came in and they changed to the 6 individual caps on the battery.

budman72 · Oct 19, 2003

My 4200 is only 1 1/2 years old, I've had to charge the battery twice in the last two weeks, it had the corrosion on the lugs + acid has spilled and corroded the mount. It has the 6 caps. I'm not sure what I'm going to replace it with, but it won't come from the JD dealer! The Optima sounds good if I can find and afford it, My buddy uses them in his rock -crawler Bronco, they don't leak even upside down. That I know for a fact! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Trev · Oct 19, 2003

Does anyone have a link to these Optima batteries that would fit a JD4300?

Tks,
Bob

yellowsocks93 · Oct 19, 2003

I sent Optima an e-mail but they have not got back to me as to which model will fit the 990. I bet it would be close to the same thing for a 4300.

Trev · Oct 19, 2003

( I sent Optima an e-mail but they have not got back to me as to which model will fit the 990. I bet it would be close to the same thing for a 4300. )

Probably identical. Please post if they get back to you..

Tks,
Bob

MJB · Oct 20, 2003

( I just looked at my 4300, and it has two large rectangular caps on the top. Each looks about big enough to cover 3 holes.. so I'm not sure which one I have. It has "00 Nov" on a sticker on the side, so my guess is that this is the old model. )
Yup. You have the older version. I had very little corrosion on the terminals when I replaced the battery, but the oil cooler had an area about 4 inches wide and an inch high that was packed with that white corrosion. Luckily there did not appear to be any damage to the radiator.

MJB · Oct 20, 2003

The vapor condensing part I got from the service bulletin that Deere put out on the problem. The bulletin was posted somewhere on this site a while back.

yellowsocks93 · Oct 20, 2003

I just recieved an email from Optima here is what they said:

WE OFFER A RED TOP GRP 34R PART# 8003-151 IN CROSS-REFERANCE TO YOUR
APPLICATION WHICH OFFERS 800 CCA, 980 CA, 110 RESERVE CAP, 50 AMP HOURS.

Thank you for your interest and support of Optima Batteries.

Optima Batteries
Customer Service
1800 292-4359

Trev · Oct 20, 2003

Thanks, Yellowsocks! Unfortunately, they said they don't have one for the JD4300. They said it required a "22F group size battery" and that they aren't showing that they have one like that.

Go figger! Maybe they have one that would fit, but I'd hate to risk ordering it just to find that it didn't.... sigh.

Thanks again,
Bob

nello · Oct 21, 2003

got my optima group 51 yellow top battery from tna sports. they give you all the dimensions for every optima battery.so pick the one that match the jd. for me on the 4210 i just replace the metric u-nuts with 3/8 u-nuts.use two 10"long 3/8 bolts and over the top of battery a 1"x11" piece of plastic matching the two holes on the bottom plate where the battery sit. $80.00 +$20.00 for shipping. live in binghamton ny.the new 4210 came with the 6 caps,gave up after they replace it with a new one that did the same thing,it just spit acid all over.you just have to take care of the problem your self.do we have a defective alternator ????

MikePA · Oct 23, 2003

$80.00 +$20.00 for shipping. 
The current price is $89.95 plus $20 shipping. I just ordered one. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Jim_Fisher · Oct 25, 2003

MJB,

( My dealer replaced the oil cooler and the battery for no charge. The new battery has 6 individual caps on the cells instead on the 2 caps like the stock version. The new battery is supposed to do a much better job of condensing the vapors. I have not seen any evidence of the problem returning since the battery was replaced. )

My dealer did the same for me last November. When I serviced the tractor today, I could find no evidence of corrosion. The terminals were clean and the top of the battery was dry. The electrolyte in the battery was at the proper level.

Prior to the replacement, I cleaned the battery and the oil cooler every time I changed the oil. I probably should have cleaned it between oil changes.

Jim Fisher