PC200LC-8 battery drain

[southernman13]

Good morning wanted to see if it’s possible for this machine to have a parasitic draw and only drain one battery. Both batteries are new within the last four months basically machines been sitting and I’ve been doing some work to it but anyway I still not even using it but when I go to it to start it up, the battery won’t start it. it’ll start clicking and it’s only one battery that’s draining. I didn’t know if that was possible since they’re hooked together and it’s 24 V system if that’s possible for it to drain just one battery or does the weak battery drain first like I said they’re both I bought post office brand new it was if you jump it off it will charge right up and it would crank all day long, but let it sit overnight and the next morning it will be dead, not dead, but it won’t start. It’ll turn over once or twice and start clicking, I don’t have a battery disconnect switch, but I guess I could unhook the negative terminal from the system and see if it starts tomorrow. Thanks.

 

[HarleyHappy]

You could buy a cheap battery disconnect that goes on the battery posts but sounds like you have a bad cell on that one battery.
Does it have caps?

 

[bam1968]

Hopefully someone will explain this better. Say you jump start the machine with one weak battery and run it all day. Even with the charging system working properly it won't fully charge that weak battery. I would charge each battery individually so they are both fully charged. If the problem still exists then I'm guessing one of the batteries wasn't up to snuff when you bought them. I can't think of a way that there could be a parasitic draw on only one battery on that machine.

 

[John C.]

I would be looking for lone wires hooked up to the dead battery. Are there any operator installed niceties. Stereo system, extra cooling fan, charging connection for a cell phone? Does the battery disconnect fully drop out when the key is turned off? Is there one fuse that stays hot all the time.
Another possibility if the dead battery may be defective. They can short internally.

 

[southernman13]

Yeah, I just haven’t really checked into it at all to tell you the truth other than like I said I put two new batteries in it and only one of them is dying, but there is no loan wires it goes. It’s wired just like it is from the factory and when you shut it off, I haven’t checked to see if there’s any power coming from there at all like it does not have a better disconnect, but I need to check into it. I may go by there in a few minutes. I jumped it off this morning and only ran it for about 1520 minutes. It charged right up like I said, but I would imagine it’s dead now or that battery isn’t charged enough to start. It is what I’m thinking. I do need to put it on charge and let it charge all night. I know the other day we ran it for probably an hour fooling with it, putting on the bucket and all that kind of stuff and came back the next day and it started so if it gets any kind of runtime, it seems like it’ll start, but thanks for everybody chiming in

 

[Welder Dave]

What shape are the battery cables and connections in? I've had it where there's like almost an invisible film/corrosion on the battery post or battery terminal that goes on the battery that wouldn't let full current go through and cause the same problem you're having. Boosting or having the battery at full charge shortly after running would give the necessary current. Boosting worked instantly because it was on the outside of the terminal. Could also be internal corrosion in a cable. Did you try swapping positions of the batteries? That might indicate a problem cable if the batteries both load test OK.

 

[southernman13]

No cables connections all that stuff was excellent. It’s not in that portion of it and yes, I would like to swap the batteries around and that would tell me, but they’re just too much trouble lol some things are heavy. I’m an old man now just had the big 70 Monday woo hoo but I’m gonna charge it up with a battery charger and I’m sure as long as I run it every day or more often it will. It won’t have a problem. I just don’t wanna have a bad battery fail before my warranty. Period expires. I’ll definitely swing by and check it out tomorrow. Just didn’t have time this afternoon and see if I can figure out what’s going on before I put it on charge, but yeah, I’m very familiar with dirty cables and corrosion. I want up the line in the cable and all that I used to have a rental company and I had probably 400 electric carts I learnt lol

 

[southernman13]

But I absolutely appreciate all the suggestions. I really think I have a battery with a bad cell and I don’t believe it has caps. I haven’t been back over to look at it but pretty sure it doesn’t have caps.

 

[John C.]

Good luck and let us know what you find.

 

[southernman13]

Thanks we'll do!

 

[Welder Dave]

Could you disconnect the batteries and load test them in the machine? I get it batteries are heavy SOB's and often in awkward locations.

I've changed the 8D in my track loader by myself in the past but not a chance now. Also backhoe controls in the way. I had a helper the last time. Picked it up with the skid steer and used a come-a-long from the ROPs. Battery was 132lbs. if I recall. I had one battery that was extra heavy, close to 150lbs. Battery shop was even surprised how heavy that one was. Thankfully I get 7-10 years out of that battery even using reconditioned batteries. Last one was the biggest Cat battery you can buy and it was $80. New is close to $500.

 

[southernman13]

Wishing had a heavy duty load tester. We had one at Clemons tractor back in the 70’s it was basically a volt meter w two heavy prongs that u put on pos/neg and it would put a good load on a batt. I’ve never seen one of the modern ones that would put a for load on a battery. When we used to load test a scissor lift u could put the multi meter on a battery and dead head the steering and it would show a bad battery immediately !! But it had to be fully charged to get a good reading. I had one brand new scissor lift that had a bad battery it wasn’t common but it does happen. I installed both these 4D’s myself. It was a mo because of how high I had to lift them and get the stuffed into the battery box. Ultimately I may switch them around to see if it follows the battery. I’ll try to find some help it I do.

 

[bam1968]

I have an Associated load tester that seems to work pretty good. I can't remember what I paid for it but it wasn't cheap.

 

[Welder Dave]

I wonder if a volt meter would show one battery going down a lot more when trying to start it or not coming back up in volts? Maybe where you got the battery has a load tester you could borrow. Some places here loan out tools like pullers and other things you don't need too often.

 

[HarleyHappy]

As a test, I would just isolate the batteries and check with volt meter for which one is draining.
Beware of a face charge, might hook up something with a little draw.

 

[southernman13]

No doubt which one is draining when you try to start it and it makes a revolution then starts clicking only one battery is down on volts. I was out of town this weekend so I didn’t do any checking. Yes a volt meter will show a drop in voltage when starting that’s how we originally figured out which one was draining and which ones to hook jumper cables to. In order to do this test properly it’ll have to be fully charged. I’ll get back on it this week

 

[Shimmy1]

I'd say it's pretty unlikely that you get a bad new battery that ends up in the exact same position as the one you were suspecting earlier. You are going to have to dig quite a bit deeper to make sure you don't have something going on if your "new" battery isn't bad. I'd be replacing the connector cable at the very least, please take some pictures of all the connections at the batteries, and the positive cable at the disconnect. Is it the grounding battery failing, or the positive one?

 

[southernman13]

Wel I finally had an opportunity to fool with the battery issue. Went there Sunday mornin. Put the meter on the suspect battery. Was showing -4.5 volts. The other battery had 12.6v. I then put the meter on the machine side of the shutoff solenoid and it didn’t have any voltage at all which means there couldn’t have been a draw. I jumped it off and moved it to where u could put a charger on it. Set it to 2 amps and let it ride! Went back Monday mornin both batteries over 12.6v. I ran the machine off and on for 3 hrs yesterday. Went well. Went back this mornin and the suspect battery still sittin at 12.7V. No drain whatsoever. Only thing I can figure is when I put these batteries in they were about 2 months apart and it wasn’t used or barely was ran for about 3-4 months. It just never had a good charge. I’ll keep an eye on it now but it seems to be all better lol!

 

[Shimmy1]

No drain whatsoever. Only thing I can figure is when I put these batteries in they were about 2 months apart and it wasn’t used or barely was ran for about 3-4 months. It just never had a good charge. I’ll keep an eye on it now but it seems to be all better lol!

Seems unlikely but maybe it was a fluke deal. That battery that showed -4.5 V would be in the recycle pile for me as soon as I could.

 

[southernman13]

Not me that ones 4-5 months old. I’ll keep an eye on and it will be returned if
Bad. Has at least 1 year warranty. They like $275. Next few days should show something. I won’t be running it