Farmall Cub

Bought a new 6V Interstate battery last year. Now, it won't hold a charge enough to turn over the engine. Reading just over 3V. Ugh!

My other 6V battery (Excel) purchased in 2009 is also showing signs of low voltage. Ugh!

Both were pulled out over the winter, set on a board in the garage (average temp 50-55 degrees F) with a battery tender trickle charger. Frustrating.

I topped off the cells in both before winter with distilled water. Must have put too much water in, because they "leaked" some out the top after on the charger for a day or two.

Should I try to fully discharge the Interstate battery to zero, then slowly recharge it? Or should I bite the bullet and just go get a new one?

The Excel battery (3-1/2 years old) is probably due to be replaced.

Stanton, are you saying the Interstate battery won't increase to over 3v on a charger or it is happening while installed on your Cub?

cubguy47 wrote:Stanton, are you saying the Interstate battery won't increase to over 3v on a charger or it is happening while installed on your Cub?

Had it up to 6V while on battery tender, but within a day or two, was only showing 3.5V-4V. Loosing voltage somehow.

If the battery is just sitting there after you disconnect the charger and you do not hook it up to anything and it still drains, I would guess you have a bed cell within.

Wash off the top of the battery with soap and water or baking soda. Charge up again. Day or two check for voltage drop.

Probably a bad cell.

Other alternative is to charge up battery then take to auto parts store and have tested.

Take your batteries to Avance Auto or Auto Zone and have them load tested

google how to refurbish a battery, i have not tried it yet ,but i plan to in a few days. tomcat

the interstate is pro rated, may still be under warranty

tim

tst wrote:the interstate is pro rated, may still be under warranty

tim

I'd take it back where I got it. Dealer should stand behind it.

If the battery is out of warranty and want to try something to get a few more months out of your battery try putting two aspirins in each cell. I got over a year out of one when I had a B years ago. I heard during WWII when they got ready to unload over seas they put salt water in the batteries to get them started if the battery was dead. They didn't last much after that but they did get them unloaded.
Ron

Stanton wrote:.........Both were pulled out over the winter, set on a board in the garage (average temp 50-55 degrees F) with a battery tender trickle charger. Frustrating.

I topped off the cells in both before winter with distilled water. Must have put too much water in, because they "leaked" some out the top after on the charger for a day or two........

Depending on the sophistication of the battery tender it may not have been to much water. Had a friend several years ago was going to have his car in storage over winter took out the battery and set it in basement with a trickle charger that looked like a calculator brick power supply with two light wires coming off with alligator clips for the battery terminals. Hooked it up and checked it a day or two later and didn't look at it for a couple weeks when he found half the water had been boiled out of the battery.

my experience in the last few years the 6 v batteries just don't last more than a year if I get two years I figure I was very lucky, that is why I have been switching to 12 v, tired of b uying new 6v batteries.

You may want to search around for a 'smart charger'. The Vector (now B&D) I have works for 6 and 12v and has a de-sulfate cycle. You can leave it on the battery and it WON'T over charge it, just stops when it reaches full charge and will cycle as needed to keep a full charge. I believe a battery minder type will always 'run' and could possibly overcharge a battery??

A battery with a charge should be slightly above the voltage, so should read just above 6v on a digital voltmeter.

Tomcat, if you have to drain the battery, what will you do with the acid?

good question danovercash, we have a place at work to dispose of all that kind of stuff. tomcat