Battery drain on Super M

DTK

Member
If I don't use the SM for 2 or 3 wheels at a time the batt. Will be dead. It is 12 volt. When I use it regularlily it will stay charged. How and where should I check it? Thanks DTK.
 
I added a battery main disconnet switch, mine will sit over-winter and not drain down. Plus I've got some security from 6 year old boys playing around Pop's tractor. .
 
Install a master switch as been mentioned. The military has used them for years. Install it on the ground cable as this will isolate the battery from ground. Hal
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If your SM has an alternator a couple possibilities:

1 - If a "3 wire" alternator it is wired wrong

2 - The alternator is failing (has an internal current drain). This applies to both "3 wire" and "one wire" alternators.

Can also be the battery itself failing. Try disconnecting the cable to negative post and see if the battery now stays up.
 
2 or 3 wheels I bet you mean weeks LOL
Pretty easy to trouble shoot a problem like that by checking for a current draw. You simply take a test light and unhook one wire at a time and see when you stop the current draw. If it has an alternator which is likely since 12 volts good chance it is going bad
 
i understand that an alternator, will draw continuously. so a master switch is in order; or as i try to do, pull the ground cable off, when i park tractor
 
There is no absolutely no need for a master switch, you either have a slow drain or bad battery.

Take a cable off the battery next time you park it, come back 3 weeks later, that will tell you if it is a battery.
 
We had a truck that was doing that. It would go dead after about a week. We had a little spark when we unhooked the ground wire. we started pulling fuses and it still did it. unhooked the alt. and the spark stopped. replaced alt. and good to go after that.

Bob
 

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