Gotta go buy a new battery for the JD tractor I guess.

Went to start it up yesterday to do some clean up work from plowing and
I think the battery was frozen. When it's as cold as it's been lately I
can usually get it to fire up by putting a small battery charger on it
for five or ten minutes to warm it up a little. This time however the
charger displays "Full" after about 1 second of trying to charge and
automatically stops trying to charge. Battery voltage is low though,
about 11.8 volts, so I know it isn't charged.

Hate this cold. I can deal with the occasional snowstorm but the cold
is getting to be too much.

I bought an led side marker type unit and put alligator clips on the two wires.
I attached them to my boat battery to put a small constant drain on it.
Then at the first of each month u til spring, I'll attach the battery charger to bring the volts back up.
Also bought a battery blanket for the Highlander to supplement it's block heater.
When I hear it's going to drop to 15F or lower, I attach the extension cord.
If I plan on going out I'll throw the outside plug switch about 45 minutes in advance.

On 1/25/2014 10:28 AM, True North wrote:
I bought an led side marker type unit and put alligator clips on the two wires.
I attached them to my boat battery to put a small constant drain on it.
Then at the first of each month u til spring, I'll attach the battery charger to bring the volts back up.
Also bought a battery blanket for the Highlander to supplement it's block heater.
When I hear it's going to drop to 15F or lower, I attach the extension cord.
If I plan on going out I'll throw the outside plug switch about 45 minutes in advance.



I'd be a little concerned about running your battery down too low
between chargings. A fully charged battery won't freeze (well, to a
point). A battery that is not fully charged is more prone to freezing
in the kind of single digit or below temps we've been having here.

I think that's what screwed me up. I started and briefly ran the
tractor the day before the storm just to move it about five feet.
I didn't let it run long enough to recharge the battery from that start.
It takes a lot of amps to turn over a diesel in cold weather.

On 1/25/2014 10:41 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 1/25/2014 10:28 AM, True North wrote:
I bought an led side marker type unit and put alligator clips on the
two wires.
I attached them to my boat battery to put a small constant drain on it.
Then at the first of each month u til spring, I'll attach the battery
charger to bring the volts back up.
Also bought a battery blanket for the Highlander to supplement it's
block heater.
When I hear it's going to drop to 15F or lower, I attach the extension
cord.
If I plan on going out I'll throw the outside plug switch about 45
minutes in advance.



I'd be a little concerned about running your battery down too low
between chargings. A fully charged battery won't freeze (well, to a
point). A battery that is not fully charged is more prone to freezing
in the kind of single digit or below temps we've been having here.

I think that's what screwed me up. I started and briefly ran the
tractor the day before the storm just to move it about five feet.
I didn't let it run long enough to recharge the battery from that start.
It takes a lot of amps to turn over a diesel in cold weather.



Surprised you tried to put a charge on it...

On Sat, 25 Jan 2014 10:19:00 -0500, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

Gotta go buy a new battery for the JD tractor I guess.

Went to start it up yesterday to do some clean up work from plowing and
I think the battery was frozen. When it's as cold as it's been lately I
can usually get it to fire up by putting a small battery charger on it
for five or ten minutes to warm it up a little. This time however the
charger displays "Full" after about 1 second of trying to charge and
automatically stops trying to charge. Battery voltage is low though,
about 11.8 volts, so I know it isn't charged.

Hate this cold. I can deal with the occasional snowstorm but the cold
is getting to be too much.

I've had the same thing happen with my digital charger.

Yesterday I went to the doc about a pain in my butt, which he diagnosed as ishiogluteal bursitis.
Then he asked me if I'd been sitting a lot more lately. I've been able to get out and play golf
twice in the past month. Yesterday I took the dogs out and we'd not gone two blocks when one started
licking at her paws. Just too damn cold for them.

On Sat, 25 Jan 2014 07:28:00 -0800 (PST), True North wrote:

I bought an led side marker type unit and put alligator clips on the two wires.
I attached them to my boat battery to put a small constant drain on it.
Then at the first of each month u til spring, I'll attach the battery charger to bring the volts back up.
Also bought a battery blanket for the Highlander to supplement it's block heater.
When I hear it's going to drop to 15F or lower, I attach the extension cord.
If I plan on going out I'll throw the outside plug switch about 45 minutes in advance.

Reminds me to go put the charger on the truck. Thanks.

On 1/25/2014 10:48 AM, KC wrote:
On 1/25/2014 10:41 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 1/25/2014 10:28 AM, True North wrote:
I bought an led side marker type unit and put alligator clips on the
two wires.
I attached them to my boat battery to put a small constant drain on it.
Then at the first of each month u til spring, I'll attach the battery
charger to bring the volts back up.
Also bought a battery blanket for the Highlander to supplement it's
block heater.
When I hear it's going to drop to 15F or lower, I attach the extension
cord.
If I plan on going out I'll throw the outside plug switch about 45
minutes in advance.



I'd be a little concerned about running your battery down too low
between chargings. A fully charged battery won't freeze (well, to a
point). A battery that is not fully charged is more prone to freezing
in the kind of single digit or below temps we've been having here.

I think that's what screwed me up. I started and briefly ran the
tractor the day before the storm just to move it about five feet.
I didn't let it run long enough to recharge the battery from that start.
It takes a lot of amps to turn over a diesel in cold weather.



Surprised you tried to put a charge on it...

There's no danger in trying to charge a frozen battery with the charger
on low current (2-6 amps). The danger is when jump starting and having
a hundred or more amps available.

I could tell it was frozen because it wouldn't even take a slow 2 amp
charge.

I just went outside and tried starting it for kicks. The temp is up
about 38 degrees right now. Tractor fired right up.

On 1/25/2014 11:10 AM, Poco Loco wrote:
On Sat, 25 Jan 2014 07:28:00 -0800 (PST), True North wrote:

I bought an led side marker type unit and put alligator clips on the two wires.
I attached them to my boat battery to put a small constant drain on it.
Then at the first of each month u til spring, I'll attach the battery charger to bring the volts back up.
Also bought a battery blanket for the Highlander to supplement it's block heater.
When I hear it's going to drop to 15F or lower, I attach the extension cord.
If I plan on going out I'll throw the outside plug switch about 45 minutes in advance.

Reminds me to go put the charger on the truck. Thanks.



Yeah, I bought a block heater for the tractor but I should also get a
battery blanket.

I think it's about due for a new battery anyway. May as well bite the
bullet.

Re my boat battery..
I keep it in my boat gear/exercise room in the basement over the winter.
Temp down there is a toasty 13 - 14 C except when I'm there using the treadmill and BowFlex machines.
Then it gets jacked up temporarily to 16C.

On 1/25/2014 3:00 PM, True North wrote:
Re my boat battery..
I keep it in my boat gear/exercise room in the basement over the winter.
Temp down there is a toasty 13 - 14 C except when I'm there using the treadmill and BowFlex machines.
Then it gets jacked up temporarily to 16C.


Ah ... smart.