Grasshopper lawn mower new battery draining

[maplesky7]

My dh is in Iraq.

He came home for a short stint and couldn't figure out what's causing the drain in the battery to our grasshopper lawn mower.

I'm on the 4th NEW battery.

I don't keep the key in it and I have been disconnecting the battery when i'm done and it has died on me in the middle of mowing.

While dh was home for leave, he was able to do 3 things...change the hydrolic tank (which has nothing to do with it), put in a new starter, and change out some bad fuses.

I am gearing up to call someone to take a look at it and I would like some input if you have some valuable info. for my disposal.

What could be the cause?

And how much to fix?

Just some best worst scenerios...


Go ahead and chuckle...then write me back.

me,
g

 

[The Chicken Lady]

It sounds like a problem I had with my car. If you're on four batteries and they're still draining, I can almost guarantee you the battery isn't the problem.

You must have something electrical going on that is draining the battery even when the mower isn't running. You might want to take the mower to a small engine repair place.

The price for the fix would depend on the problem. You're going to be paying for some diagnostic time first, though. Electrical problems can be hard to locate at first. Luckily, you're dealing with a smaller, less complicated engine than that in a car.

 

[maplesky7]

Quote:
i figured it wasn't the battery...just really hoped dh would have found the prob before he had to head back...i hate spendin money...it's tight as it is. And once he left EVERYTHING went wrong...needed repair...car, boiler, frozen pipe bursts, water damage, 3 appliances, roof repair and water damage in 4 rooms...I mean come on...just feel like I'm being tested. Oh and found out my baby has a hole in her heart and just all this crazy stuff you'd like your significant other around for you know? OH and worst winter on record since 1978...

why oh why?

now the blasted mower.

i wish it could be easy sometimes.

thanks for posting.

me,
g

 

[paul65]

Most electric start mowers have a alternator/generator to keep the battery charged it sounds like yours went bad. Does the battery die only while your running it or does it die over night?

 

[maplesky7]

Quote:
all of the above.

me,
g

 

[paul65]

Quote:
all of the above.

me,
g

Not sure i don't think the alternator going bad would cause it to go dead over night, i know on cars if you take the hot post lose on the battery and rub it across the top of the hot battery post and if u see spark then some thing is shorting out thats with key turned off sorry i can't be more help.

 

[seismic wonder2]

Sounds to me like it's not charging the battery. Have someone check the alternator and or the voltage regulator.
The voltage regulator contols whether or not it uses alternator power to run the engine or charge the battery or both.

There should be a guage or idiot light or something that will tell you if it's charging or if there's a fault in the charging curcuit etc...

Sometimes the voltage regulator gets "stuck" and will drain the battery on its own.

It's physically impossible for a NEW battery to discharge its self when its disconnected from the terminals over night. It HAS to be draining it while it's running.

 

[chicken_angler]

It sounds like what everyone said. tHe battery charger. You could go to a mower junkyard and try to look for another charger to replace it with. I learned a lot from my dad about mowers. He is crazy about mowers. He is working on a edger, a push mower, a ariens rider mower and a toro zero turn. Then he is getting another one saturday
sorry. lol

Maybe if you cant find a charger to go on it call a fix it man to come out and work on it. Btw, what state are you in? I could tell you a fem places in ohio if you live in ohio

 

[maplesky7]

Sorry to confuse--

If it's hooked up to the battery, in the morning it's dead.

If it's NOT hooked up to the battery it dies during mowing.


Kinda have a dad of my dd's friend looking at it. He took the manual home and also did a little bit of checking. He checked with his dad, who he says stripped a john deere tractor and rebuilt it...but it was all a phone discussion and they mentioned what you all did. So he says he's calling the tractor place (the only one around here that sells Grasshopper--that's in N. IL.) and checking there tomorrow to see what they say.

me,
g