Why wont my gator start?

[HotPeppers]

OK so earlier this year we replaced the battery and now fast foward 7 months or so with it gator wont start again. I whipped out the multimeter to read the dc volts on the battery when it was dead which it was 10.6. Not right

So the lights still work now idk if thats because there still enough juice for it to work or some underlying problem. When you put the automatic starter on it it fires right up. So i was needing help on this if you think its the battery or something else. Thanks!

[jergeod]

How long has it been sitting without being started? You may have a draw off the regulator, How old is the machine and what type is it?

[Nomoney]

When you get it started, what is the voltage at the battery? If the charging system is working, it should be at least 12.5 volts. Could have issues with voltage regulator or possibly a fuse that controls the charging system.

[MBDiagMan]

jump it and get it started. Once it's running, it actually should read about 13.5 to 14.5 volts if the alternator is working correctly. If after jumping it and getting the battery fully charged if it won't continue to restart, have the battery checked if the alternator is charging correctly. If all that fails to determine the problem, you may have a short circuit drain of some sort. Use an ammeter in series with the battery and it's disconnected terminal to see if there is a drain.

Hope this helps.

[Nomoney]

Another way I have been able to check for a drain from the electrical system is, with the battery fully charged, put the machine in a dark area (or do this at night), remove the positive battery cable. With the battery area dark, touch the + battery cable to the side of the battery post. If you see a slight spark just before they touch, there is drain from the system.