electrical problems with my 400

With a fully charged battery, all I'm getting when I turn the ignition on is a "snap/pop" at the ground battery terminal. This is a positive ground system.
I have carefully sanded and cleaned all electrical connections and tightened them down.
A few years ago I had a faulty voltage regulator that I had to tap to make functional so the battery would charge. I replaced it with a new one and all was great until mid last year when the new regulator seemed to not allow for charging (according to my guage). So the tractor would die due to no battery juice. I would charge the battery and all would be good for a little while. Then I noticed that if I charged up the battery and left it connected to the tractor cables it would drain the battery in no time - so I had a drain/short/bad ground somewhere. So I simply kept the battery disconnected from the tractor between uses and it would start fine and run fine - just needed to recharge it often. (you know how it goes - I was always going to get to the bottom of that problem, but never did) So just now it won't start or even turn over - just s weak pop back at the positive battery terminal, even after all connections were cleaned.
Any thoughts? Think the battery might be dead (I can check for that)?
Solenoid? Short somewhere?
Thanks

Change your battery cable or put a new end on it.

Change your battery cable or put a new end on it.

So you are thinking even tho it has been cleaned and tightened it mcould be faulty? Shorting out right there?

Yes. I've had battery cables that looked perfectly good on the outside, but were severely corroded inside of the terminal. The insulation was still firmly intact with NO visible signs of deterioration.

i have had the contacts stick closed in the reg. and drain the batt. also the same thing with cables as rusty says.

Also, you might check your points and see if their burnt at all. If your points are set wrong it can create a draw.

shawn, how do improperly adjusted points create a draw?

(quoted from post at 11:48:50 09/29/09) shawn, how do improperly adjusted points create a draw?

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The points inside the regulator. When they get burned the air gap becomes too small and they will stick closed

sor ry,but i knew that, the word" points" threw me off as i was refering to them as contacts.i thought of dist. points, see how one word changes the sinario.

Sorry for using the word points..distracted at work. Load test your battery if you think it may be bad. You may have already tried this, but hook your test light to the negative battery cable. Unhook the positive cable and touch the point of your light to it. If the testlight glows, with the ignition switch off, you have a draw somewhere. As for the location of the draw, that will require some poking around with the testlight. You describe a "pop" sound. As some of the others have said, I too would start with changing your battery cables or at least the ends.

You guys are all great - thanks for all the insights and ideas.
I will start with replacing the cables and cable ends. The contacts (points ! ! !) in the voltage regulator look fine. I will test with my light with the positive cable off the battery to see about a draw (think there is one).
Thanks for the help.
I'll be doing all this probably Thursday as I am away right now.
Thanks again.

a really quick draw test is to unhook one cable and touch it to the batt.lightly. if you see a little spark you have a draw with switches off.best to do when starts getting dark and you will or wont see spark. can hear it also .

Thanks, Rustred

Ive had many times the battery end not making a good connection to the cable,even on solder on ends when they corrode in there they'll pop and not do anymore

Thanks - I'll be changing the battery cable and ends.