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What should normal starter amp draw be?

Tx Jim

Tx Jim

Well-known Member
Location
Coyote Flats, Texas
If someone was checking ampere draw with an inductive amp meter while engaging starter on a 4 cyl diesel engine what would normal ampere draw be? If it makes any difference it's a JD 410E. I'm thinking around 300 amps but I'm probably wrong.
Thanks,Jim
 
300 amps is probably a good rule of thumb. But you have to enter in some other variables that can change the amount of draw. Ambient temp, 15 degrees and thick oil, hydraulic pumps not de stroking, other accessories driven by the engine, Over the years I've had locked up alternators and a/c compressors that gave the same won't crank or crank slow symptoms as a bad starter.
 

I'm trying to help someone on another tractor site. The starter in question is chattering upon engagement and only drawing 120 amps. I think the problem is "poor battery cable connections" or bad battery. Tractor in question has pressure compensated load sensing (PCLS) hyd's which I know very little about.
Thanks,Jim
 
Asuming that the battery is good and fully charged, such symptoms are most likely caused by improperly sized or corroded battery cables and/or connections.

Has the owner recently replaced the battery cable(s)? If so, what gage cable(s) was/were installed?

Dean
 
My rebuilder told me once roughly 1 amp per cubic inch displacement. As was said there are some variables but it's a ball park starting point.
 
Deere used 2500 and 3000 watt starters on four-
cylinder diesels. When cranking fairly hard - they
draw 200-270 amps @ 9 volts. At first surge they
spike over 400 amps. An easy-to-turn-over engine
with no hydraulic drag and spin at less then 200
amps.
 
Bad or low battery would be my first impression.
If it's chattering it is not fully engaging and not reaching it's peak amp draw, so the reading obtained is not comparable to what the actual draw under normal conditions should be.
What is the voltage dropping to would be a better indicator in this case.

Electrical - Low on charge - poor connections - iinsufficient current from starter switch to solenoid ...

Mechanical - chewed up teeth on flywheel preventing full engagement of drive teeth - damage from arcing of contacts in solenoid...
 
First check out the battery put you volt meter directly on the
posts and then crank engine if voltage drops off below 9 volts
it most likely in the battery charge it up good. And try again.
Next turn on head lights then crank engine if the lights go out
you have a bad connection. Take then off at the battery and
take a sharp knife and scrape the inside of the terminal if you
hear scraping then clean it till it stops and you are down to the
lead. Also do the same to the battery post. Don't use one of
those wire scrapers as they won't break though that hard crust
on the terminal. I have saved a lot batteries and starters with
this simple test and fix.
Walt
 
Like you say, temperature can play a big difference. I've seen 4-cyl self-propelled windrowers draw over 1500 amps from dual 1000 CCA batteries during cold start testing (less than 20 F). Warm starts with the same machine will pull about a third of this. The parasitic drag from rotating cold hydraulic pumps takes a lot of oomph.
 
This is where having ample battery power instead of minimum makes for better starting and less starter wear.
The difference in cranking power if 3Kw at 10volts. Would be 3.6Kw at 11 volts. 2.4Kw at 9V.
 
buickanddeere,

As voltage is less, the amperage would increase?

As far as the kw to crank the engine, wouldn't it be the same?

D.
 
Engine will turn the fastest at 11 volts. The voltage is what aligns the atoms of the wire to produce the magnetic field.
 
I would think anywhere in the 300-400 range on a larger 4 cylinder engine. If the draw was low I'd have to wonder if there isn't an open winding? Usually bad connections draw harder and make heat...

Rod
 
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