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battery or alternator?

L

LinWI

New User
I replaced the battery on my diesel IH674 9 months ago. Been running and starting fine.

Left it sit for a week, and when I first went to start it, it cranked real slow then fired right up, like a weak battery. After that it wont"t start at all. The starter sounds like it wants to try, just no juice.

If I jump the battery, it fires right up. After running the tractor for an hour, the battery was dead again, and needed a jump.

I"m assuming it"s my alt(generator)not re-charging the battery since the battery is new and fires right up if jumped? How do I distinguish between bad battery or generator?

If it"s the generator, can it be rebuilt or do I need to buy new?
 
Connect a voltmeter across battery terminals. Note voltage. Start engine & run at speed for 3-4 minutes and note voltage again. If second reading isn't 1 or 2 volts higher than first, very good chance charging system is not functioning.
 
Put a volt meter on it. If its not running, you should have just over 12 volts. When it running, you should show 13 to 14. Test across the terminals of the battery. 5 minute check and you will know. Generators can be rebuilt, voltage regulators can be replaced, broken wires can be repaired.
 
An alternator can usually be rebuilt, unless the armature is bad (shorted). I would take it to your local automotive starter-alternator place, as most of them do tractor alternators also. They can give you an estimate. Most reputable rebuilders can tell you if it would be cheaper to purchase a new one, versus rebuilding the old one.
 
Check the battery terminals clean them to bright shiny metal. If you have lead ones and you get a hard scraping noise and feel then use a sharp knife and clean the hard scale out. Clean terminals are important. A test that I use is to turn the head lights on then if they are nice and bright then hit the starter if they go out then it's dirty or corroded terminals. If the lights are dim when only they are on its the battery not getting enough charge. Jump start the vehicle and turn on head lights they should get brighter as you raise engine RPM if not alternator is not putting out enough voltage to charge the battery.
Walt
 
Is it one of those single wire alternators? The one on my 1550 Oliver would draw the battery down after it sat awhile too. I had to put a toggle switch on it so I could shut off the wire to the alternator to keep it from doing it.
 
Check your battery cables. If the cables are corroded around the terminals, that will cause your starting issue. Also flex the cables. If they are stiff, the copper may be corroded under the insulation. If this is the case replace the cables. Also check your ground connections. From there i would go to the battery and then the alternator.

Jared
 
Even with a new battery if was completely dead the alternator will not fully charge it after one hour of run time.
 
Take your volt meter set on Dc volts and with the engine at 1/2 thottle or better see what the charging voltage is across the battery terminals. Should see around 14 volts on a 12 volt system. Jump start the tractor to get the engine running. If you're getting 14 volts across the battery terminals your alternator or generator is ok. You probably have a battery drain. Disconnect the battery ground cable when the tractor is parked for a few days. Then reconnect the groundcable and see if the tractor will start without jump starting. Hal
 
First thing I would do is to take the wires off the battery, and hook up a 2-4 amp charger, to the battery. Run the charger on it's lowest setting, for a week. With a fully charged battery, then do a carbon pile load test, or a electronic load test. If the battery tests good, then hook up the wires, and see what the voltage drops to as you are cranking. If the starter isn't pulling down the battery too bad, then start it, and run the checks for operating voltage. Remember that an alternator is not necessarily for charging up a dead battery. It is for maintaining a mostly charged battery.
 
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