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opinions on charge regulation, 13 HP B&S
Mary B:
I get 4-5 years out of a mower battery, and it sits all winter, BUT it never drops below about 28 degrees. When I went to fire it up this spring it started right up. I keep the top of the battery clean, that dust and debris holds moisture and can create a circuit that will drain the battery!
MagnetJuice:
Those batteries should last longer than a year. I think that the battery is being overcharged by that unregulated alternator, getting it hot and reducing its life.
An inexpensive simple solution would be to place a 3 ohm, 25 or 30 watt power resistor in series with the battery. That would bring the voltage to about 18 volts going into the battery. That is better than the 26 volts that is going in without the resistor. I would clamp the resistor to a piece of metal (preferably aluminum) to absorb some of the heat.
That would be a crude solution, but it would work.
The battery should be removed before winter, cleaned and given a full charge, then kept in a warm place during the winter.
Ed
MattM:
I'm in Florida these days so it may be the crud that literally coats everything each winter. Pollen season is about six months a year.
Simen:
Thanks MagnetJuice, i do have the schematics already. And yes - the battery are being overcharged each time i mow; that's why i want to regulate the charging. After 20-30 minutes runtime, i measure 15+ Volts while it's running... :-/
A resistor would be easy enough to implement.
But i think i'll see if i can get the flywheel off, to get both ends of the charging coil out, and see if the regulator i got (used) will work...
MagnetJuice:
If you choose the option of the resistor, the only place to put it will be somewhere on the RED cable. That way you have the full power of the battery for starting the engine.
Ed
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