notjustair
Well-known Member
I'm having some battery issues around the farm (because it has been a whole three weeks since something around here needed a battery) and it got me to thinking.
Growing up if a key was left on and the battery was completely flat on a tractor grandpa would say that it was too dead to charge. We never jumped something unless it needed just a little boost. If it was really low he was convinced that if we jumped it the charging system would not charge it up. We always put those on the charger overnight.
Is there any truth to this? I'm thinking maybe it was partially true back then because everything had a generator and regulator. Is there a situation where the regulator would not turn on the current due to the lack of voltage? With an alternator you need an exciter, but the jumping battery would give you that.
I still follow that rule of thumb but these days I do it because I think it is hard on the generator or alternator to have to put out that much juice. I just use the charger.
So, was grandpa right?
Growing up if a key was left on and the battery was completely flat on a tractor grandpa would say that it was too dead to charge. We never jumped something unless it needed just a little boost. If it was really low he was convinced that if we jumped it the charging system would not charge it up. We always put those on the charger overnight.
Is there any truth to this? I'm thinking maybe it was partially true back then because everything had a generator and regulator. Is there a situation where the regulator would not turn on the current due to the lack of voltage? With an alternator you need an exciter, but the jumping battery would give you that.
I still follow that rule of thumb but these days I do it because I think it is hard on the generator or alternator to have to put out that much juice. I just use the charger.
So, was grandpa right?