b2150 battery going dead

[soldvette]

i have a b2150 tractor with a front mounted 4660 snowblower and my battery has needed to be charged twice this season. the same thing happened last year so i tested the battery and dynamo (alternator), both fine. What i did notice was the swithes to the lights and heater the previous owner installed are wired directly to the battery. Is there a better way to wire them so i can rule out this theory? thanks

 

[birddogger]

The first thing I suggest, and do myself, is wire brush, and tighten all cable ends. The ground to the chassis, the hot to the solenoid, both ends at the battery and both battery posts. Check for the possibility corrosion has crept up under the plastic sheathing on the cables near the battery and that the cable is not eaten halfway through where you can't see it.

Are the lights and heater(?) additional/optional items? it could be they are just too much for the alternator. Some of these alternators are pretty wimpy and barely keep up with standard equipment let alone extra electrical devices.

 

[orangemen1]

what does the alternator put out, and what does the heater and

lights draw, if they draw more that the alternator can produce then

nothing goes back to the battery. secondly a battery tender might

be in order.

obviously check for corrosion as mentioned.

 

[soldvette]

Thanks for the info. I dont really know what the numbers meant when i tested the alternator.... the guy at the dealership walked me thru the process because im not familiar with mil/volt system. According to him the numbers were fine. Also the ends and wires are all in great shape, most are fairly new. So my question now is, how do i figure what the lights and heater draw? Then how do i figure what the alternator puts out? thanks!!

 

[Bulldog]

Do you have a battery tester or a volt meter? If so check the battery with engine off so you will have a baseline to work with. Crank the engine and see what it's putting out with no load. Turn all your light ect. on and check the voltage again. You need more volts going back in to the battery than what your baseline was before you started the engine.

My bobcat has been giving me trouble from time to time. Replaced the battery first and then the new one only lasted a couple of days and it was dead. Charged it up and it was fine for a week or so then dead again. Had the alt. checked and it was fine. Ended up replacing the belt while it was off and that fixed my trouble till last week. Checked the belt and it was barely loose. Charged battery and tightened the belt and it's been fine again. Only thing I can figure is that the alt. output is just barely enough to keep the battery charged. When the belt is just a little loose it must let it slip just enough that it can't keep up. I'm not even running lights or anything else on mine so it must be very critical to keep the belt in top shape.

 

[soldvette]

ok so did alittle more research and found that the stock dynamo isnt powerfull enough to run extras and charge the battery. The solution is a kubota alternator kit which includes an alternator and wiring harness. I think ill price that kit out and go from there! thanks

 

[soldvette]

so i called the dealership to get a price on the alternator kit and as it turns out i need two kits...... the alternator kit ($250) including the alt., wiring harness and belt. I also need the mounting kit ($380) including the mounts, tensioner and adjuster. $630 plus tax and freight ummmm is it worth it?

 

[birddogger]

Months ago I saw here an aftermarket alternator, 60 amp, built-in regulator, 2 wires to connect (ground and B+).
It was from a speed-shop supplier, like for hot-rods, dragsters & etc.