HJ61 battery issues, won't start with new battery (1 Viewer)

[Earwigg]

Both batterys at once or the old one may kill the new battery.
Even if they hold charge it didn't mean they are good. An auto sparky should be able to load test them for you so you know how much life is left in the other battery.

 

[ChickenFlyLice]

Awesome. Thanks guys.

 

[Greg_B]

Hope it's as simple as the connections in series.

Another consideration (other then matched batteries) is the pole orientation, as someone mentioned a few posts back. The stock configuration, a 27 series and 27F series battery, placed in the trays so the posts are closer to the engine (instead of the front) and oriented so the negative posts are nearest the fenders keeps the positive posts away from the hood when closed and also away from the inner fender sheet metal (in case of accident and crunch is my guess).

Not that you can't run two regular 27 series, but if you do, be aware of the clearance issue and make sure if you use stud style marine connections to have the stud angled towards the center line so hood clearance is not an issue when closed (and room for flex when off road). And have the connection insulated/covered.

Clean all your connections really well (get rid of the corrosion build up visible in the pics above) and use dialectric grease to coat the posts and connectors.

hth's
gb

Hope this edited photo helps. If it just adds confusion, let me know and I will edit it out of the post.

 

[zakthor]

Hey man. You need to buy and inform yourself with a modern digital multimeter. Extech MN36 is $32 on amazon, auto-ranging. Will change your life. Also you can debug house wiring and appliances, and tell if the kids xbox controller batteries are actually dead.

You'll be able to validate your battery voltage and the system voltage. You'll be able to spy on what your charger is doing. You should see > 24v across the two batteries. If you can't find more than 12 between any two points then your batteries are wired in parallel.

As for matching batteries... this is correct, but maybe not even sufficient. Battery characteristics change with age and a pair of new identical batteries often keep similar voltages because their charge/discharge rates are the same. Problem with dissimilar batteries (for example if one is old/has different specs/or spontaneously develops a damaged cell) the damaged battery will start accepting more current than the other (it won't charge) and this can boil or sulphate the plates while leaving the good battery under charged. Similarly the weak battery has less current to give so its voltage drops faster, which makes the good battery work lots harder.

I personally think setting up batteries in series is fundamentally bad. If you want to see how its done right look at 24v boat systems which use computers to manage each battery independently.

For you to determine if you need new batteries:

A first test is to fully charge. Then leave the headlights on for 10 minutes with engine off. Then measure across each battery's voltage with the headlights on. Their voltage should still match.

Another test is have a friend watch the voltage on each battery when you start the motor. You'll want to see a similar drop.

Another test would be to take the two batteries into an auto shop and enjoy a free load test - but problem is those machines don't tell you much detail. And it will only tell you about how the discharge varies at a single voltage. The voltage to discharge rate curves change with age so still no guarantee that your batteries are fully matched.

Lastly: cable problems are really hard to debug. Sometimes you'll see great voltage but the cable won't carry current. Symptom will be that voltage drops when you try to draw current. Another reason to use a multimeter. A cigarette lighter voltmeter will make this easy for you. I have been using an innova 3721 for years to track voltage from the cab. Solution to cable problem: debug by jumpering in parallel with existing cable. If a jumper somewhere fixes the issue then that cable is bad (probably the ends.) Also make sure your ground(s) are good.

 

[GooSe77]

Always change the 2 batteries at the same time - the simple reason is that with a differnet age the inner resistance changes and that results in 1 battery getting a bit more, the other getting a bit less voltage. that make on over full, the other on never gets full. Doing this for a while ( years maybee ) will make that gap larger and larger until one battery dies ....
I read a cuple of times that it also is a good edea to change battery 1 with battery 2 from time to time, although I never do that. I do have a balancer mountet ...

 

[Freewheel]

I have changed battery sides in the past, but now just occasionally charge each battery to full using a 12volt charger on each battery separately- seems to work better than the battery swap and definitely easier.

 

[ChickenFlyLice]

Alright guys, I'm back and trying to figure this out. I have two new Group 27R's (aka F's, reversed poles) but it looks like I'll need to swap both of these for Group 27s. Here's a pic of how I understand that these will need to be connected:

EDIT: Ok, so the stock configuration has left poles at the front of the truck, which explains the 27/27F pairing. Thanks for the photos.

EDIT 2: It's alive!! Thanks for all the help.

 

[georgebj60]

I was going to type this out, but easier to show in pictures. This is what I believe is the correct layout (this is how my very stock HJ60 is connected).

That said, I don't think it matters if the poles are closer to the front or back as long as the polarity is correct, and there is no conflict with the hood against the terminals....

 

[ChickenFlyLice]

I was going to type this out, but easier to show in pictures. This is what I believe is the correct layout (this is how my very stock HJ60 is connected).

That said, I don't think it matters if the poles are closer to the front or back as long as the polarity is correct, and there is no conflict with the hood against the terminals....

View attachment 1931869

Ah ok, so stock the poles are in the front on the left. I'd leave it like this but I don't think my cables will reach.

 

[kevin in okinawa]

same motor here. The left battery is a 95D31L; the right battery is a 95D31R.

Left battery: + post on outboard; right battery: + post is inboard.

left battery NEG runs to right battery POS.

You guys getting twisted about the red caps; it's just plastic, paint them if you don't like the colors. I used a piece of radiator hose to cover the right side + for extra protection.

You need a TIGHT connection at the posts. I've always been told by smarter mechs than me to ALWAYS replace both batteries. it sucks, it's expensive, it's the gospel from really smart guys.

sorry for the dirty truck. It's a DD trail truck on a muddy, tropical island.