I'm working on a Craftsman 42" riding mower (917.270622). I'm trying to replace the battery. It doesn't have the original battery, so I checked some youtubes. It looks like the battery is installed with the positive connected to ground; i.e. 12Vdc-positive ground. I've never seen one setup this way. Is this correct, or did someone goof something up?
Unusual battery issue
- Thread starter donb108
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2020
- Threads
- 79
- Messages
- 10,274
Most likely someone not paying attention and installed the wrong battery or have cross up the cables.
Definitely a negative ground system. You going to have blown diode and fried stator.
Definitely a negative ground system. You going to have blown diode and fried stator.
I see customers install batteries wrong all the time. Some people don't know they make those batteries with the posts on either side. I've seen briggs intek motors actually turn the starter the opposite direction when hooked up backwards haha.
Not sure how, but I think I got it wrong. I removed the red cable connected to the (+) terminal, cleaned it up, an tested for continuity from it to the frame; nothing, no connection. Then did the same test on the black cable; dead short, as it should be. Tracing the cables, the red cable connects to a contactor and the black cable is bolted directly to the frame.
Last night, while doing quick tests, I just checked for continuity from the battery (+) to the frame and got a beep from the meter. Same check on the (-) battery terminal gave no beep. Maybe the battery is shorted and I got continuity from (+), through the battery, through the black cable, and then to frame. Then, when testing the black cable, didn't have good contact on the meter probe??
All very strange. Maybe all I need to do is install the correct battery. Does this one from Walmart look OK?
BTW-thanks for the help!
Last night, while doing quick tests, I just checked for continuity from the battery (+) to the frame and got a beep from the meter. Same check on the (-) battery terminal gave no beep. Maybe the battery is shorted and I got continuity from (+), through the battery, through the black cable, and then to frame. Then, when testing the black cable, didn't have good contact on the meter probe??
All very strange. Maybe all I need to do is install the correct battery. Does this one from Walmart look OK?
BTW-thanks for the help!
Attachments
7394
Lawn Addict
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2014
- Threads
- 84
- Messages
- 4,718
Throw a voltmeter on it & see what that reads..
Cusser
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 3, 2019
- Threads
- 12
- Messages
- 201
And aftermarket/owner-installed cables may not be of traditional red=positive, black=negative color. If I needed or did something like that, that's what spray paint is for !
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2020
- Threads
- 79
- Messages
- 10,274
Cusser, I don't the problem.
Nor do OEMs I have seen black cables on both positive and negative sides. Just did a JD 420 eariler that I use a section Red heat shrink to id the positive cable after the owner fried the wiring harness and alternator. But what do you expect for a 1958 model?
Nor do OEMs I have seen black cables on both positive and negative sides. Just did a JD 420 eariler that I use a section Red heat shrink to id the positive cable after the owner fried the wiring harness and alternator. But what do you expect for a 1958 model?