I purchased a battery through Sears for my riding mower. It was shipped to me without acid/water in the six chambers. There were no instructions for filling either. I can purchase the acid at an auto parts store, but how much do I put in the battery? Do I fill it with acid or combine a certain amount of acid and distilled water?
Before attempting to do either one of these it is necessary to make sure the battery was intended to be shipped this way. if it was there should be instructions for filling the battery correctly. if not then you need to contact Sears and get the information from them before attempting to do this yourself. If you can't find this information take the battery to an auto parts store and get the help you need to fill it correctly. If you don't fill it correctly this can void the warranty of the battery.
I have a Craftsman riding mower. Every time I use it after about 15 minutes of cutting, it cuts off. It drains the battery which I then have to recharge. I have replaced the battery, ignition switch, had the starter rebuilt, solenoid switch replaced, and seat wiring. Any suggestions?
By NS
Check the part called "Protection Wire Loop". This nothing more than a diode that allows the stator (from your starter unless your model has a full blown alternator) to send one half of the a/c electrical signal (IE: just the positive part of the the alternating current (a/c) sign-wave) back to the battery to charge it. It's a simple way for getting "dc" voltage from an ac source and therefore recharging the battery. IF the diode is bad the battery can't be recharged.
Look at a wiring diagram for your mower and it will probably be labeled something like "Charging System Output." It may even state the rating - IE: 3 Amp @ 3600 RPM.
It's a cheap (maybe as little as 10 cents) part at Radio Shack or order one online for a few bucks. It's an easy cheap thing to check for a fix. My diode had a part number of 1N5404. Hope that helps. Good luck.
In my previous answer I thought they were using the stator from the starter. This is incorrect. The stator is part of the overhead flywheel assy. However, the diode issue is still likely the problem. The diode on my mower was located in the wire harness on the right side at the back of the engine. Trace the wire coming from under the left side of the flywheel around the back of the engine. Begin to open the wire harness just before it joins into the main harness.
I apologize for the misinformation. I'm surprised ThriftyFun does not allow for editing ones own post. Hope that corrected information helps someone.
I believe I have a ranchero by MTD, it won't hold a charge on the battery while it's running.
I've been having a problem with my riding mower. It's an older Craftsman DYT 4000 with a 18hp Briggs and Stratton engine model no 917.275640. I've tested the alternator and its putting out 28 ac volts and I also replaced the voltage regulator. Also I have two good batteries I switch back and forth between charging so I can use the mower. I'm lost on what else the problem could be. If anyone has any ideas please let me know.
Thanks.
I replaced the battery on my Craftsman LT1000 mower and it worked just fine, but a week later the battery is dead. I turn the key to crank and it just clicks. What could be draining the battery so quickly?
I have a MTD Pro 15.5 hp riding lawnmower that will not stay charged. The battery is new and once charged the mower will run until shut off and will then need to be re-charged. Any suggestions/comments?
By sdokis from Ontario
My John Deere does the same thing. So I bought a charger for 50 bucks at a auto supply store. Now a couple of hours before I mow the grass I hook up the charger.
Check the part called "Protection Wire Loop". This nothing more than a diode (P/N 1N5404) that allows the stator (unless your model has a full blown alternator) to send one half of the a/c electrical signal (IE: just the positive part of the the alternating current (a/c) sign-wave) back to the battery to charge it. It's a simple way for getting "dc" voltage from an ac source and therefore recharging the battery. IF the diode is bad the battery can't be recharged.
Look at a wiring diagram for your mower and it will probably be labeled something like "Charging System Output." It may even state the rating - IE: 3 Amp @ 3600 RPM.
The diode on my mower (Craftsman 16HP LT-1000) was located in the wire harness on the right side at the back of the engine. Trace the wire coming from under the left side of the flywheel around the back of the engine. Begin to open the wire harness just before it joins into the main harness. You will find the diode spliced into a wire. The diode starts the split so that one wire (the continuous one) runs the lights and the diode goes to recharging the battery. The diode will likely be broken and literally fall apart.
It's a cheap (maybe as little as 10 cents) if you can find someplace that has them. Or I ordered one online for a few bucks. It's an easy cheap thing to check for a fix. The diode used had a part number of 1N5404. Hope that helps someone. Good luck.
After you're done using your mower turn it off and raise the seat up and leave it up. Pop had the same problem until he tried that and it works.
I have a John Deere lawn tractor. The new batteries keep draining after three weeks. It is getting expensive. What could the problem be and how do I repair it?
I took it to the dealer and they said it ran fine. But after mowing twice the battery was drained.
Why won't my Murray riding lawn mower battery hold a charge?
I have a 16.5hp MTD riding mower and the battery keeps being drained. We purchased a new battery. As soon as we put it in we had to jump it off. Now it won't even jump off. This is only the second time we have tried to use it since the new battery was installed, 2 weeks ago!
By Michelle
1. I would have the battery checked to see if it indeed drained.
2. What kind of engine do you have.
Reason I ask is I have a John Deere L120 with a Briggs and Stratton engine and it would not start. I though it was the battery. I had it checked at a battery store and they told me it had a full charge. They told me there may be an open ground on the mower. I bought a new battery with more cranking power. I installed the new battery and not even a burp from the engine. I asked a JD dealer what could be the problem. He said the valves were out of adjustment. ( Two dealers have told me the same thing.) He explained I had a Briggs and Stratton engine and they have made junk engines for the past 10 years.
My Craftsman mower battery is dead after 2 uses. Is this normal? I had to push mow my yard today with a dead $1900 machine in my garage.
I have seen other posts that indicate this is an ongoing problem.I have a 1963 IH Cub Cadet original lawn tractor and I just recently replaced all the wires and the 12 volt battery. I don't use it that much, but when I want to go and start it, it won't even turn over the engine once. I have to put a car charger on it and wait like 5 minutes and then it turns over just fine. But if I take it off the charger and try to start it it just dies really quickly.
