# kioti35 loosing charge while sitting not running



## weldonjr (Sep 26, 2021)

battery will not stay charged while not running key off


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

You have a short to ground somewhere.

I don't keep the starting batteries in my tractors connected when they are parked anyway. I have master disconnects installed on the batteries, on the negative terminals. Basically a knife switch that breaks the circuit. While I don't have a parasitic loss on either (short to ground). I consider a master disconnect to be a theft deterrent as I do leave them in the field on occasion and unless you know they have master disconnects on them, no one can start them and I worry about intentional mischief when not parked in the barn.

They cost about 35 bucks on Amazon or your local auto parts store and completely remove the starting battery from the circuit.


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## rademamj1 (Sep 27, 2020)

weldonjr said:


> battery will not stay charged while not running key off


You don't provide a time frame for this battery drawdown process. Are you talking months or just a few days. If its months, it possibly just a weak battery undergoing normal voltage drop. But if its a few days, you have a hot wire grounding on the tractor somewhere. Check out the obvious locations underneath your tractor. Look for broken wires or even where mice may have chewed a wire, and that wire is now grounding out. 

The short term solution, is to disconnect battery every night, until you locate the wire thats shorting to ground. 

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

rademamj1 said:


> The short term solution, is to disconnect battery every night,


...Or get a battery disconnect for 25 bucks like I have. Good theft deterrent as well. Amazon has them, so does your ,local auto parts emporium.


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## weldonjr (Sep 26, 2021)

SidecarFlip said:


> You have a short to ground somewhere.
> 
> I don't keep the starting batteries in my tractors connected when they are parked anyway. I have master disconnects installed on the batteries, on the negative terminals. Basically a knife switch that breaks the circuit. While I don't have a parasitic loss on either (short to ground). I consider a master disconnect to be a theft deterrent as I do leave them in the field on occasion and unless you know they have master disconnects on them, no one can start them and I worry about intentional mischief when not parked in the barn.
> 
> They cost about 35 bucks on Amazon or your local auto parts store and completely remove the starting battery from the circuit.


thanks


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## weldonjr (Sep 26, 2021)

Thank You


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Disconnect charging wire from alternator and insulate the end, see if that helps, diodes in rectifier pack in the alternator can go open and allow battery to drain to earth, the charge wire is live at all times.


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## weldonjr (Sep 26, 2021)

thanks ,what do you mean insulate the end


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Wrap it in electrical tape so it don't ground out on any surface as it's always hot (positive charge). If it's the rectifier pack, that is easily replaceable by a competent alternator shop or you.


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## weldonjr (Sep 26, 2021)

THANK YOU VERF MUCH


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

weldonjr said:


> THANK YOU VERF MUCH


Ah..... I'm pretty sure it wasn't designed to do that coming out of the factory. You want to actually find/fix the probably, or just spend $25 on a half-ass "Cooter" solution until it develops into a serious problem and possibly starts to burn your machine to a crisp while you're on it?

Pull the negative lead off the battery. Put a test light/DVOM between the post and the ground lead. If the light illuminates, you have a "parasitic draw" (and not a bad battery). Start pulling fuses until you find the draw; when the light goes out, you found the circuit/component that is creating the draw. If you want to know if it's the alternator right off the bat...... Disconnect the alternator wiring as FredM suggested, if the light goes out, it's the alternator staying "live" all the time and that's definitely a potential fire hazard you need to worry about.


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