Followup on Dead 8N Battery - Maybe it wasn't a Senior Momnt

Ed S. · Mar 1, 2013

I just installed my new battery in the 8N, and got a big spark when I connected the negative cable (after having connected the positive ground cable).

Hmmm, I thought. Something's turned on or drawing current. But after checking lights and ignition, everything was off, so it appears I have a short somewhere in the system that is probably what killed my first battery (rather than me hooking the float charger up backwards).

I see no obvious worn wire shorts, and before I start checking things with the ohmmeter, thought I'd see if anyone has suggestions on where to check first. Would a broken VR act this way?

The generator is charging - I can start it up and she shows a +10 charge rate, but as soon as I shut down, it drops to -10 to -20. I have to disconnect the cable, or it would flat the battery quickly...

Thanks for any suggestions.

es

old-9 · Mar 1, 2013

ED, any time you have a problem with a battery drain, remove the grounded cable from the battery. Hook up a test light from the battery to ground. If the light , lights, you have a circuit that will drain the battery.. The Brighter the light the more current drain. Simply start unhooking wires, when the light goes out you have isolated the "drain". Narrow it down to find the "problem".

If you have a problem, email me. I am a "retired electrician" and have found a lot of shorts this way.

Joe

Colin King · Mar 1, 2013

Joe, Great tip. I am wiring challenged...I'm gonna file this one away.

Colin, MN

old-9 · Mar 1, 2013

An old trick the "old timers" ( rember I am over 65) taught me. All the older electrical pannels had "plug" fuses, same base as a light bulb. If one had a "direct short", just screw in a 100 watt light bulb. If it was dim just a normal load, if it was BRIGHT then a direct short. Locate the part of the wiring that killed the lamp and you found the "short". Just rember you Still are working with a HOT circuit!!!!!!Current running through your body HURTS! don't ask, joe

souNdguy · Mar 1, 2013

anytime you shutdown and the ammeter goes -10/20.. do check that cutout in the reg.

otherwise.. put in a test lamp inline with bat cable and pull wires till lamp goes out.. etc..

retired farmer · Mar 1, 2013

Unless you can see the full length of your battery cables, you might have one that had worn thru on a sharp edge and is touching metal.

Hobo,NC · Mar 1, 2013

Its not a short,,, shorts make smoke... Its a draw,,, this may be the rare time yer amp meter may be useful no test lamp needed just un-hook chit till yer amp meter settles back down... This would be were I would use a amp meter (DVOM amp meter fuction) as the test light trick is old news and useless to me are anyone else on modern chit...

ASEguy · Mar 2, 2013

Something should be getting warm with that draw if your ammeter is correct.

JMOR · Mar 2, 2013

(quoted from post at 08:55:20 03/02/13) Something should be getting warm with that draw if your ammeter is correct.

es, something like the generator.

teddy52food · Mar 2, 2013

That wouldn't show on the ampmeter.

Ed S. · Mar 2, 2013

Fixed it - stuck VR. Whacked it with the screwdriver handle, and the ammeter immediately went to "0." Repolarized the generator, and now I'm heading out to plow the driveway.

Thanks for the advice, all!

es

souNdguy · Mar 2, 2013

luckilly this forum is about 'old chit' and the test lamp would have been fine.. though the ampmeter was a for sure 'tell' with that much current at shutdown.

splitting hairs on a short or shunt.. with the armature as a 'load'.

tracman · Mar 4, 2013

Maybe that is why your charger pulled high current? Was in or out of your tractor? Maybe you can charge your old battery out of the tractor.

Ed S. · Mar 4, 2013

That's probably the case, as I still had the battery hooked up in the tractor. Unfortunately, I've already bought a new battery and turned in the old one for recycling. Maybe I'll stop by and see if they still have it - I could use it in my '63 Beetle I'm restoring.

Followup on Dead 8N Battery - Maybe it wasn't a Senior Momnt

Ed S.

Well-known Member

old-9

Well-known Member

Colin King

Well-known Member

old-9

Well-known Member

souNdguy

Well-known Member

retired farmer

Well-known Member

Hobo,NC

Well-known Member

ASEguy

Well-known Member

JMOR

Well-known Member

teddy52food

Well-known Member

Ed S.

Well-known Member

souNdguy

Well-known Member

tracman

Member

Ed S.

Well-known Member

Similar threads