620i issue with battery after instaling winch

[grebesbakery]

I just installed a 3000lb Superwinch for snowplowing. I put a new battery in there and i'm still having issues with battery being just about dead after a few hrs of blowing. If i turn the gator off, it won't start back up and i need to charge the battery. Does that sound right??? Maybe a new stator???

[Bunky]

It could be the load (winch, lights, other electrical load) is draining the battery faster than the alternator can replenish. You may need a larger alternator. Of course, deep cycling a battery can kill it too.

[grebesbakery]

I wanted to put a bigger alternator, but i don't have on, its a stator/coil....don't think I can upgrade that.

Would putting a bigger battery help???

Just find it hard to believe that the charging system cant keep up, seeing that John Deere knows people are going to put a bunch of accessories on these things.

[Z15]

Just find it hard to believe that the charging system cant keep up, seeing that John Deere knows people are going to put a bunch of accessories on these things.

No one builds them for this. The charging sysem cannot keep up. I had the same problem when I put a plow on my pickup. I ended up installing a 2nd battery and a bigger alternator because plowing for 30 min would kill the battery, charging system warning lights came on.

You need to put the battery on a charger when you park it or you will continue to have this problem. If you don't want to do that then you need to drive it long enough after plowing to recharge the battery.

[grebesbakery]

I drove almost 3 miles after plowing yesterday.......turned it off, would not start. Would a deep cycle battery help??

[Z15]

I am guessing your battery is weak (or bad) because its never been completely recharged (short cycling). I would suggest you find someone to charge it and then test the battery, it may be done for as short cycling (never completely recharging it) can suck the life out of them.

Note - A small amp charger may not be good enough to charge it since its dead.

Also have you thought about the winch being wired wrong? I had a winch put on my 2000 Honda Rancher (back in 2001) and the battery kept going dead if parked for a week. I complained to the Honda Dealer that ever since they installed the winch I have had battery problems. The tech who installed it wired it wrong (so the said) and that the power to the winch was not turning off with the key. Changed it and never had another problem.

[grebesbakery]

It's a brand new battery, I have only let it go down a few times. Now I hook up a trickle charger up to it after every use. It takes a little more then a day to get it fully charged.

Winch seems to be hooked up right....

[MBDiagMan]

You need to make sure that in the course of the wiring work, something did not happen that is causing a key off battery drain.

Use an Ammeter in series between one of the battery cables and the battery post. This means REMOVE the cable from the battery post and connect your ammeter between the two ONLY WHILE THE KEY IS OFF! It should not draw more than .050 Volts (50 milliVolts) at the most. If it is drawing more than that, something is draining the battery and needs to be located and fixed.

That said, from some of your descriptions you could have a bad battery. If you're not familiar with auto electrical systems, you would probably be time and money ahead, to take it to your local Starter/Alternator shop. They can diagnose it in very short order for a minimal fee.

Hope this helps.

[Laxin213]

You need to make sure that in the course of the wiring work, something did not happen that is causing a key off battery drain.

Use an Ammeter in series between one of the battery cables and the battery post. This means REMOVE the cable from the battery post and connect your ammeter between the two ONLY WHILE THE KEY IS OFF! It should not draw more than .050 Volts (50 milliVolts) at the most. If it is drawing more than that, something is draining the battery and needs to be located and fixed.

That said, from some of your descriptions you could have a bad battery. If you're not familiar with auto electrical systems, you would probably be time and money ahead, to take it to your local Starter/Alternator shop. They can diagnose it in very short order for a minimal fee.

Hope this helps.

Agree totally. Plus if you don't have the winch wired correctly so that it is only draining with the key in, you could be looking at a fire. Get it checked out. I've found with my 825i keeping it in a barn in Buffalo in the winter where it gets really cold it needs to be on a trickle charger or it will just go dead. This is the one I have linked below - Sears Diehard- it's nice because you get an LCD readout of what the heck the charge % is.

http://www.sears.com/diehard-platinum-6v-12v-battery-charger-and-maintainer/p-02871239000P?prdNo=7&blockNo=7&blockType=G7

[Bunky]

I definitely agree on trickle charger for intermittent use. I have one and rotate between cars, lawn mower, and gator.

[xcopterdoc]

Deere offers a HD alt kit. part# BM22312. That gets you the 60 amp alternator, brackets, pulley, wiring harness ect. List price is around 350 bucks.