John Deere 345 Battery Acid (Help)

[Secretec]

My friend has a 345 (very well maintained). Everytime he mows grass or runs the tractor at higher RPM for a while, the battery boils acid out the top. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif It blew the top completely off one battery. JD people are not sure what it is or what to do /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif, anyone else had this problem or can help. Thanks in advance.

 

[SnowRidge]

Sounds like it is being seriously overcharged. If there is a regulator, it should be checked. If it is a shunt regulator, it may be open or disconnected.

Put a voltmeter across the battery terminals with the engine running at cutting speed. A fully charged battery should read around 14.0 - 14.4 volts. Anything more than 14.8 volts should be viewed with suspicion. If it is up near 16 volts or higher, it is almost certainly a failed regulator or burned out always-on headlights.

If there is no regulator and the headlights are not of the always-on variety, turning them on may help.

 

[Secretec]

He is on the second regulator now. We will check the voltage though. Thanks

 

[SnowRidge]

<font color="blue">He is on the second regulator now. </font>

If it is a shunt regulator, it could be a wiring problem. Shunt regulators work by consuming excess alternator/generator output. They don't actually control the alternator/generator itself. If they fail or aren't connected properly, you will get full unregulated output.