advice please ... kohler 15 hp engine drains battery then shuts off

[jetrail]

hi i have a customer who has a craftsman riding mower it has a kohler 15hp on it . its a single cylinder . it was running fine but my customer said it wouldnt start so apon checking it out the battery was down to 5 volts so i jump started it i checked the voltage on a multi meter and it read 14 volts then started a count down ttill it gets to one volt while running then just shuts off . i took the cover off and discovered a mice nest and two dead mice . i looked at all the wires and cant find anything . i know something is wrong with the charging system though . i havent pulled the flywheel off yet . and tips suggestions ect would be greatly appreciated . thanks

 

[reynoldston]

Sound to me like you have a voltage draw. hook up a test light at the battery and trace back to it.

 

[jetrail]

Sound to me like you have a voltage draw. hook up a test light at the battery and trace back to it.

i have never had to ise a test light before . i own one so do i juat check bak till it doesnt light up ?? . i still think those mice chewed something up . isn' the charging system under the flywheel ??

 

[reynoldston]

i have never had to ise a test light before . i own one so do i juat check bak till it doesnt light up ?? . i still think those mice chewed something up . isn' the charging system under the flywheel ??

Hook one end of the test light to the battery, disconnect the battery cable from the battery and fasten the other end to that. If you have a draw the light will light and if not you have no draw. Now disconnect wires till the light go's out. Yes your stator is under the flywheel. It is very possible that it is shorted out. I just had to change one this pass summer.

 

[Buckshot 1]

:smile: Them Mices pee is very corrosive, could have shorted the stator out. You stated it was producing 14 volts after starting so it must be producing something. How old is the battery?

 

[reynoldston]

How old is the battery? You did test the battery?? Nice thing about the forum more then one thought here.

 

[jetrail]

when i went to my customers house i tested the battery with a multimeter it read 5 volts so i jump started it well then i put the multimeter on it again and it read 14 but started counting down then it shut off so i went and tried to re jump start it and it wouldnt turn over . the reaso is because the battery was under 1volt left so i waited a few and re jumped it and put the multimeten on it again and it just cou ted dow quice and when it hit under 1 volt it just shut off again

 

[reynoldston]

Just how do you test battery's? Frist of all you want to get a good charge into the battery and you will only know this by a hydrometer reading. Then you can check how well the battery will hold its voltage.

 

[Rivets]

My opinion, one or two cells in the battery are shorted. I would replace the battery.

 

[reynoldston]

My opinion, one or two cells in the battery are shorted. I would replace the battery.

too many battery's are replaced that are still good, test it first. most places that sell battery will even do it for you if you don't know how