Maybe we should have gotten a crankcase heater in the L3940!

[RickB]

You need a new high cranking amperage battery, You need to remove the old battery and charge it over night and have it load tested, Your alternator is pumping the amperage and voltage that the windings are generating so the readings are meaningless.
If you have answered this already my apologies; but have you checked the belt?


The starting and stopping should not affect it, but as the tractor is not wound up to charge the battery thats a lot of the problem.

There isn't enough information to warrant replacing the battery. The solution could be as simple as cleaning the battery connections, and/or increasing the run time and decreasing the number of start/stop cycles.

Claiming that the starting and stopping should not affect it is both incorrect and naive. A lack of run time and too-frequent starting is quite likely to be the only problem. KWentling and I are in full ageement here.

 

[Johnbro]

You need a new high cranking amperage battery, You need to remove the old battery and charge it over night and have it load tested, Your alternator is pumping the amperage and voltage that the windings are generating so the readings are meaningless.
If you have answered this already my apologies; but have you checked the belt?


The starting and stopping should not affect it, but as the tractor is not wound up to charge the battery thats a lot of the problem.

Well maybe, but I would suggest that's jumping to a conclusion. If the resting voltage is 12.6, it implies that the battery is probably ok, and so is the charging system. I wonder if the oil is too viscous? Or, there could be a fault with the starter motor. Does it crank quickly once warmed up? If so, then rule out defective starter.

 

[Grateful11]

Well my wife did tell me that even back in the late summer the starter sounded a bit sluggish. The belt is fine, I wouldn't want to make it any tighter. There's not even a speck of corrosion on the terminals, which I know that doesn't always mean anything. I may call the dealer and see if he's got someone coming this way anytime soon and maybe check things out. I know a couple really good auto electric shops so if he doesn't find anything I may pull the starter and let them check it out. I've got to pull the alternator from the the IH 686 and get it worked on because it's not charging right anyway, might kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

As far as the oil, my BIL owns 3 diesels and he's a maintenance planner for a large company and he said in our climate I shouldn't change from the 15W40 but he is a big fan synthetics.

I think the starting and stopping back during the warm weather may have taken a toll on the system.

OT: BTW: Just looked out and it's snowing here in NC.

 

[chieff]

I have an l4330 that is now 7 years old with the original battery. It is kept in an open shed/barn and it starts quick even down in 15-20 degree weather like we have had the last few weeks.

I will add that I have a diesel truck and it got sluggish, the batteries were old and not holding a good charge so I replaced them and it did start somewhat quicker but not like it should. A few weeks later it wouldn't start at all and come to find out it was the starter. Once I replaced it the truck would start super fast. It happened over a long time so I never realized that all along it was the starter dragging until it finally died.

I am not saying to throw parts at it but it is something to consider.

 

[crazyal]

Being less than a year old I would say it's time to call the dealer. The last thing I would do is buy a new battery, if yours is bad it should be replaced under warranty.

 

[Willl]

Being less than a year old I would say it's time to call the dealer. The last thing I would do is buy a new battery, if yours is bad it should be replaced under warranty.

Totally missed the '-1 yrs old', agree with above, dealer.

 

[ibnxe]

I've been watching this thread from the begining and thought I better put my two cents in.

12.6 to 12.8 volts is a good figure for a battery at rest. Durring cranking, voltage reading should not fall below 9.6 volts. If it does, one of two things is at fault... either the battery is bad or discharged. Charge the battery and re-run the cranking test... above 9.6 volts, good. If the voltage is still low, you have a bad battery.

Something many people don't relize is that the battery connections can look fine, but still be bad. Just because there isn't green moss growing on the terminals, one shouldn't assume that the connection is sound. Disconnect the cable and look at the connection. If the mating surfaces of the post and clamp are gray, sand or wire brush them until these surfaces are shiny. Clean lead is shiny... gray is the color of lead oxide. When the mating surfaces are gray, you are looking at a poor connection. After assuring a clean connection, use a spray sealer on the battery posts and clamps (available at any auto parts store).

With the engine running at operating speed and battery charging properly, the voltage should be somewhere near 14.2 volts. Don't expect this voltage at idle speed.

As long as the voltages fall within these guidelines, you do not need a new battery.
Good luck

 

[leonz]

There isn't enough information to warrant replacing the battery. The solution could be as simple as cleaning the battery connections, and/or increasing the run time and decreasing the number of start/stop cycles.

Claiming that the starting and stopping should not affect it is both incorrect and naive. A lack of run time and too-frequent starting is quite likely to be the only problem. KWentling and I are in full ageement here.

No it is not incorrect or Naive; starting and stopping diesels or gas engines repeatedly is not a problem as long as the charging system, battery and starter are in good condition; its no different than doing the same thing with a gas powered LLV mail delivery truck.

He could have a broken cell plate or a ground draining condition and still have good conductance.

The battery needs to be fully charged and load tested and this should have been done! The uglier option os carbon build up in the exhaust system which will affect the engines operation as the carbon acts like an exhaust retarder if it is thick enough.

 

[KWentling]

No it is not incorrect or Naive; starting and stopping diesels or gas engines repeatedly is not a problem as long as the charging system, battery and starter are in good condition; its no different than doing the same thing with a gas powered LLV mail delivery truck.

I agree to a point, but I would let it run. No sense in the added wear and tear on the starter, ring gear, contact points, etc. You're taking life from all of these.

At this point I would see what the battery voltage is when cranking. The number I have seen is 9.6 volts, no lower. I would also take the volt meter from the positive post on the battery to the battery lug on the starter and see what it reads when cranking. You want to see no more than a few tenths of a volt. (Test is showing the voltage loss due to resistance) If it is more than that, you need to clean the connections. You can further isolate a bad connection by using the volt meter from post to cable clamp, cable clamp to ring terminal on the end of the cable, across starter solenoid if external, etc. You can do this same testing on the ground side of the battery. All these tests need to be done when cranking. Connections can look good and be bad. Even cables can fail inside the insulation where it can't bee seen.

If the battery voltage drops below the 9.6 volts, I would charge it and get it load tested. If the battery passes that, I'd have the starter checked out.

Kim

 

[RickB]

starting and stopping diesels or gas engines repeatedly is not a problem as long as the charging system, battery and starter are in good condition.

If the run cycle doesn't charge the battery as much as the start cycle discharges it, that is a problem. Not uncommon if the tractor is hooked to a spreader and started and stopped repeatedly while moved through a horse barn alley while the stalls are mucked, as an example.