Mahindra 4530 is killing batteries

dickfoster · Jul 3, 2016

daydk1 said:
So, is it possible the alternator is bad on the brand new tractor? Can you tell me or show me a picture of what alternator connections I need to take loose?

Yes, it could be especially since Mahindra spray paints the alternator along with the rest of the engine, fan belts, wiring, filters etc.. I don't know why they do it because it's ill advised and silly but they do it. At least they did mine.

If the alternator is the cause of the drain it is likely the voltage regulator which is part of most modern alternators.

Navasot · Jul 7, 2016

Do your flashers work properly? A bad flasher relay can cause this type of issue.

daydk1 · Jul 7, 2016

Yes, they seem to be working fine. All of the lights are working properly.

Navasot said:
Do your flashers work properly? A bad flasher relay can cause this type of issue.

daydk1 · Jul 9, 2016

I have narrowed down the parasitic draw. The multi-meter showed 0.11 amps today with nothing on. I took off the wires to the alternator and no change. I started unhooking wiring harness connections and found one that dropped it to 0.01 amps. Unfortunately, when it is unplugged, it kills everything. When I turned the key on, there was nothing. No lights on the dash. The horn wouldn't work. Nothing. I plugged it back in and everything works. So, it's something in that wiring harness. I'm attaching pictures so maybe someone will know what is in the harness. I did not have my light with me to isolate which wire is causing the draw. This harness is right under the dash on the left side where you enter the tractor. There is another one right beside it. So, it doesn't appear to be the alternator. It seems to be something in this harness.

Navasot · Jul 11, 2016

take out your 5 screws and unplug just the dash... iv replaced more than a few of those.

Then unplug just the flasher relay

dickfoster · Jul 11, 2016

daydk1 said:
I have narrowed down the parasitic draw. The multi-meter showed 0.11 amps today with nothing on. I took off the wires to the alternator and no change. I started unhooking wiring harness connections and found one that dropped it to 0.01 amps. Unfortunately, when it is unplugged, it kills everything. When I turned the key on, there was nothing. No lights on the dash. The horn wouldn't work. Nothing. I plugged it back in and everything works. So, it's something in that wiring harness. I'm attaching pictures so maybe someone will know what is in the harness. I did not have my light with me to isolate which wire is causing the draw. This harness is right under the dash on the left side where you enter the tractor. There is another one right beside it. So, it doesn't appear to be the alternator. It seems to be something in this harness.

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Well one thing you could do is hook the battery up then use your amp meter to connect between the mating pins in that connector one by one until you find the one that's causing the problem.

They shouldn't be using cheap open connectors like that for tractor wiring. They should be using weather pack types so maybe it's just water and junk shorting stuff out. Till then you might want to try taping them up to prevent water from getting in. Self fusing or silicon rescue tape with vinyl electrical tape over it would be good.

daydk1 · Jul 24, 2016

I have narrowed down the parasitic draw a little closer, but need your help determining what it could be. I disconnected the wiring harness again and tested all of the sockets with an electrical light. On the end going to the dash, nothing was hot. On the end coming from the engine compartment, one wire lit up. It is a white and green striped wire. I could not trace exactly where it was going to, but I did see that it connects to the alternator. It is the wire with the red boot that screws in the back of the alternator. I thought I had found the culprit. So I touched the bolt that the wire was connected to on the alternator and it lit up.

Here's the confusing part. I disconnected the wire from the back of the alternator and touched the post on the alternator and it did not light up. I then touched the green and white wire that was connected to the alternator and it lit up. Still hot. This wire must go to something else between the alternator and the harness connection. Any ideas? All of this was tested with the switch off and the battery connected. I also removed the fuses in the fuse block one at a time and the wire was still hot, so it's not something in the fuse block. I hope someone can help.

daydk1 said:
I have narrowed down the parasitic draw. The multi-meter showed 0.11 amps today with nothing on. I took off the wires to the alternator and no change. I started unhooking wiring harness connections and found one that dropped it to 0.01 amps. Unfortunately, when it is unplugged, it kills everything. When I turned the key on, there was nothing. No lights on the dash. The horn wouldn't work. Nothing. I plugged it back in and everything works. So, it's something in that wiring harness. I'm attaching pictures so maybe someone will know what is in the harness. I did not have my light with me to isolate which wire is causing the draw. This harness is right under the dash on the left side where you enter the tractor. There is another one right beside it. So, it doesn't appear to be the alternator. It seems to be something in this harness.

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