JimmyJam 542 #1 Posted August 8, 2013 (edited) I have an amp gauge in my 1974 B-80. Most times it just "wiggles" around "0". But recently it has been at "0" then spikes to the "+" side. What does that mean? Edited August 8, 2013 by JimmyJam Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeff-C175 7,206 #2 Posted August 8, 2013 Amp gauge measures whether the battery is being charged ( + side ) or discharged ( - side ) If needle is floating around zero, that means that the battery is fully charged. If it suddenly spikes up high for no apparent reason, it could be a problem with electrical connections, the regulator/rectifier on the engine, or the battery itself. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 16,204 #3 Posted August 8, 2013 The ammeter could also be bad. The needle on my ammeter jumps all over the place when the engine is running, but the battery stays fully charged. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JimmyJam 542 #4 Posted August 8, 2013 Well I tried starting it today... and nothing! Swapped out battery and Vrrrooom!!!!! So I guess the AMP gauge was telling me the battery was on it's way out. ...or worst yet the rectifier is faulty and draining battery??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeff-C175 7,206 #5 Posted August 8, 2013 Either is possible, but with the key turned off the regulator is (or should be!) disconnected from the rest of the system and not drain the battery. Do you have a regular battery charger? Put it on the bad battery and see if you can charge it. How does the ammeter act with the new battery installed? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JimmyJam 542 #6 Posted August 9, 2013 (edited) I put the old battery (Interstate) on the charger and it took awhile to charge up on "Fast" charge. The other battery (Walmart, only several months newer) started right up again today and the AMP gauge did it's usual thing of wiggling around "0", no spikes. So does this indicate that it was the battery needing a charge? The B-80 is my winter plow worker and I try to occasionally (every other weekend) run it throughout the summer so to "charge" it up and keep fresh gas flowing! Is there a way to test a battery to see if it has a dead cell or needing to be replaced? Both batteries are going on almost two years old. Edited August 9, 2013 by JimmyJam Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeff-C175 7,206 #7 Posted August 9, 2013 I would sure expect the WM battery to go before the Interstate! It could be possible that there was a cruddy connection on the battery and it wasn't charging... and maybe the connection was intermittently 'making'... and that's when you saw the ammeter peg... How did the connections look when you changed the battery? There is a 'load test' that can be performed on a battery, but you would need a BIG resistor for that. Load test checks the capacity of a battery... throws a load on and measures how long it holds it's voltage while producing current... http://autorepair.about.com/library/weekly/aa101604c.htm Then there a 'hydrometer' test which checks the 'specific gravity' of the acid and can tell the state of charge but not the capacity to hold that charge. http://www.amazon.com/E-Z-Red-S101-Battery-Hydrometer/dp/B000JFHMRU Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JimmyJam 542 #8 Posted August 9, 2013 I keep all my contact connections clean, because I know things don't go well if they are not. I will pick up one of those hydrometers. I am gonna buy another Interstate battery for my newly acquired Commando 800 anyways; so between the new battery and some testing I think I can narrow it down. Thanks for the info! Some say that on average about 2 years is the "life-span" on these batteries. Some get more life. Is that what you guys have found? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeff-C175 7,206 #9 Posted August 9, 2013 I would say that 2 years is probably about average... if the machine is used in the summer and then parked in the barn and not kept charged over the winter. The "(N)EverStart" battery that I'm using now has been in the machine for about four and still seems OK... but for the past 5 years or so I've been using a Battery Tender charger on all of the machines during the winter. Prior to getting the BT charger I was replacing the batteries every 2-3 years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldredrider 2,553 #10 Posted August 9, 2013 You can get your battery load tested at Autozone, Advance or NAPA free of "charge". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JimmyJam 542 #11 Posted August 10, 2013 That is what I was thinking... have it tested! Interstate just had a commercial on the radio about bringing in your battery. I don't have a battery tender, and my B-80 is used in the winter, under a tarp, near the house...and all set to plow the winter snow off driveway. So these batteries are coming upon 2 years; I guess I should think about replacing them! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
