Need a little help for a 48 cub

[farmall48]

Hi! My Cub's battery won't hold a charge. The volts always stay at 0, even with a new battery so, where do I start? The lights burn strong but, not enough juice to turn her over. Generator? Any ideas are welcomed. Thanks.

[Todd]

first i would take a Volt meter and see how the Generator is charging. I dont kow much about 6 volt systems, however it needs to charge greater than 6 volts to charge the battery, if not it drains the battery

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Does it charge when the tractor is running? Will it start if you charge it with a battery charger then go down while setting? If so there is a good possiblity the relay in the cutout on top of the generator is sticking. It's supposed to close when the generator builds up voltage, and then release when it stops. if it stays closed the battery will discharge through the generator.

If it won't crank over good after charging with charger check both battery cables at both ends for good connections.

Not:e if the cut out is sticking closed you may have to disconnect a bettery cable to get the battery charged with a charger. The generator can pull more current than many home chargers will produce.

[Bigdog]

Go back to basics. Like John said, make sure both ends of both cables are clean. Also be sure to check the cables themselves. If you have those clamp-on replacement cable ends, remove them and clean and wire brush the cable ends themselves. Don't neglect the grounds. Then take some voltage readings. You say the headlights are bright so the battery must be up and the problem could be a defective starter switch or starter motor. Do the lights dim when you try to start the tractor? You can also carefully check for hot connections when trying to start the tractor which would indicate a high resistance connection.

[beaconlight]

When you clean the connections put some grease on them or one of the commercial products (like NO-OX) to prevent corrosion in the furure and the need to do it again. No comments about di electric grease please.

Bill