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Reversed polarity on KT17 engine? ?


fishnwiz

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I made mention of the fact that I found that a tractor I just bought had the battery installed with the battery reversed in another post but wanted to put this in another format to see if I can get a little more input on it.??

Bought a donor tractor that runs good but did not notice that the battery had been installed backwards (positive ground )  There is no visible damage that I can see but was wondering how this is possible without there being damage to the ignition or charging circuit of this tractor? I have not done anything since I discovered the reverse polarity issue because I am lost on this one?

Another member mentioned that the battery could have had the polarity reversed if battery was fully discharged 1st but that seems to be unlikely but possible? 

Should I change it back to the correct polarity and if I do, will I make it any worse if in fact damage has already been done   and what other tests can I do to determine the damage that is already been done by this battery being hooked up incorrectly , if any?

Thanks guy's 

Wiz

Edited by fishnwiz
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It is possible that the battery was fully and completely discharged, and then hooked up backwards when re-charged.  That would then mean that the battery has had its polarity reversed and the tractor is not really a positive ground tractor.  In other words, the battery is "backwards" and although marked as the + or positive terminal, it is actually a negative terminal.  That being said, I am not sure of the best way to test the polarity on the battery, and would determine that first.  It would take a number of unusual things to happen for the battery to end up reversed, (with all of the hodge-podge, Rhube Goldberg stuff I have seen over the years, it certainly is a possibility) but  I cannot believe the tractor is a positive ground system.

 

Edited by Brettw
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Thanks Brett. ..that is the second suggestion to that effect. I have NEVER heard of that happening but  I am hoping that is the case 

Edited by fishnwiz
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So I put the battery on a meter and it does come up as being -12 volts if I use red lead to Positive and black lead to negitive indicating that the battery was reversed charged!

 

 

Is there any way to get this battery back to normal without destroying the battery itself as this is going to drive me nuts!  

Edited by fishnwiz
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Completely and totally drain it, hook up a light, an electric motor, something to draw it completely down, and then properly re-charge it.  Or, simpler yet, just change the plus and minus marks on the case.

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That is the easy way I suppose...Just freaks me out looking at it!O.o

I didn't know you could change polarity without damage to battery? 

Edited by fishnwiz
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I wonder what happened the first time they hooked this battery properly (black cable to - & red to +)?  I hope there's no hidden damage.

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I was thinking the same thing. How do you get to that point where you realize you charged the battery improperly and then go ahead and install the darn thing in your tractor anyways? 

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Saw the same thing happen to a 1972 Ford LTD.

battery was then discharged again, it takes a long time to completely discharge a battery.

when You think it is discharged, put a wire across terminals.

careful wire will get hot very quickly.

Battery was not good after that

may have been bad before hand.

 

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On 7/21/2017 at 6:14 AM, 720nut said:

I'ld just chuck it and get new battery. Just my $.02

That is what I would do also

 

Ken

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WOW ! I'm way too thrifty for that. I would run it until it quits, get every cents worth out of it.

But then that's just me', I say I'm thrifty the wife says I'm tight. (if she's feeling benevolent)

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If you do try to change the polarity...after draining the battery completely dead (as stated above, also use a VOM to check for any voltage left), you will need a non electronic (dumb not smart) trickle or low amperage charger like a 1 amp charger.  A smart electronic charger will not work, as it will not charge without knowing the polarity.   A higher amperage  charger will not work because the battery will not take the charge, you need to very slowly nurse the battery back to life, it will take many days.

So if you don't have the right charger may help you decide what to do.

I have nursed several bad (completely dead) batteries back to useful life.   These batteries have come off from RVs that people have not fully disconnected the LP and smoke detectors, and other electronic equipment before winter storage.

I drained a battery completely down on a collector car that I forgot to unhook the battery, and the clock drained the battery dead.

Edited by MikeES
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Thanks for the tips. Not sure how much more life is really left in the battery anyways so I may just buy new next spring if the tractor don't sell before than.

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