Won't start

murph1 · Jul 25, 2018

I went to start my tractor yesterday and all I got was a click click click.

I charged the battery and now I get a louder CLICK CLICK CLICK.

Thanks for any and all help

Murph

Highgear · Jul 25, 2018

Ok - I'll be first to start - How old is the battery and your sure it's good .

murph1 · Jul 25, 2018

7 years and its at 10.30 volts. I charged it last night too

Coyote machine · Jul 25, 2018

murph1 said:
7 years and its at 10.30 volts. I charged it last night too

Voltage is too low for it to start. Try another battery. Take yours in and have it load tested. I suspect it will fail. Also check your battery cables for corrosion at the frame for negative, at starter for positive. And cut back the insulation a bit to see if there is any corrosion under the insulation. Shiny clamps where they connect to the battery too. Report back, Murph.

murph1 · Jul 25, 2018

Should I use Interstate again?

ch1ch2 · Jul 25, 2018

You got 7 years out of it, and I bet it had no maintenance.

mguitas · Jul 25, 2018

7 years is good any battery.

murph1 · Jul 25, 2018

ch1ch2 said:
You got 7 years out of it, and I bet it had no maintenance.

It was on a smart charger all the time. You lose your bet

atsah · Jul 25, 2018

I have had very good service out of many interstate batteries over the years..

murph1 · Jul 25, 2018

I seemed to have misplaced a cell.

VictorW · Jul 25, 2018

A new battery should be 12.5-12.8. A little older probably 12.0. Yours, at 10.3 after a charge, has served it's life. I've had good service from Deka brand but Interstate is also good.

CMV · Jul 26, 2018

murph1 said:
It was on a smart charger all the time. You lose your bet

Smart charger can mean a lot of things. If not something similar to a CTEK 4.3 with a reconditioning cycle, just charging then switching to a trickle charge isn't something most would call any kind of maintenance. Anyway....those chargers are incredible and running that cycle once per year will significantly extend a battery's life all else being equal. Expensive for what they are, but do pay for themselves... Amazon.com: CTEK 56-864 MUS4.3 12 Volt Fully Automatic 8 Step Battery Charger: Automotive

murph1 · Jul 26, 2018

CMV said:
Smart charger can mean a lot of things. If not something similar to a CTEK 4.3 with a reconditioning cycle, just charging then switching to a trickle charge isn't something most would call any kind of maintenance. Anyway....those chargers are incredible and running that cycle once per year will significantly extend a battery's life all else being equal. Expensive for what they are, but do pay for themselves... Amazon.com: CTEK 56-864 MUS4.3 12 Volt Fully Automatic 8 Step Battery Charger: Automotive

I use a genius smart charger genius charger | eBay

CobyRupert · Jul 26, 2018

murph1 said:
7 years and its at 10.30 volts. I charged it last night too

murph1 said:
I seemed to have misplaced a cell.

VictorW said:
A new battery should be 12.5-12.8. A little older probably 12.0. Yours, at 10.3 after a charge, has served it's life. I've had good service from Deka brand but Interstate is also good.

Yes. A 12.6 volt 6 cell battery has about 2.1 volts/cell when charged. You're missing a cell, that is a cell is shorted, probably from building up sulpher deposits.
You can find out which cell it is with a battery specific gravity tester. Charged cells should have a specific gravity of about 1.265, discharged, or not fully charged cells will be less. Then again, it doesn't really matter what cell is bad if the battery is useless unless you can de-sulphate it.

I would recommend Interstate batteries.

CMV · Jul 26, 2018

The Genius is similar to the CTEK and has a recondition mode too. Have you tried running a couple cycles of that? Mine will allow a cycle to complete and then run another full recondition cycle if you want without need to discharge some in between the two.

My CTEK has saved some batteries I was sure were toast.

Coyote machine · Jul 26, 2018

Yes Murph, Get another Interstate from fresh stock from a local dealer. You won't have to worry about a dead battery in dead of winter. Forget reconditioning your dead one, its toast. The price of a good battery that lasts 7 years over that time, is less than an expensive coffee and cruller once/year. Why waste time, electricity, and aggravation on a dead horse?

Grateful11 · Jul 26, 2018

Our son bought a set of blemished Interstates about 3 years ago for his IH 686, two 12 volts. It still zips it over like the day he put them in. He paid $35. a piece for them. Personally I couldn't see anything wrong with them cosmetically. I think they both had a black X on them for some reason, I guess so they couldn't be sold as first quality.

Coyote machine · Jul 26, 2018

Grateful11 said:
Our son bought a set of blemished Interstates about 3 years ago for his IH 686, two 12 volts. It still zips it over like the day he put them in. He paid $35. a piece for them. Personally I couldn't see anything wrong with them cosmetically. I think they both had a black X on them for some reason, I guess so they couldn't be sold as first quality.

They're marked as seconds and sold at reduced prices. Good as new, and same warranty, IIRC. I'm a former Interstate dealer and get a reduced price on all Interstate items because of having been a retail dealer years ago. I too have bought their seconds; they are just as good, but even less money. Yeah!