battery size??

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soonerfan3107

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I currently have a Poulan Pro PP19A42. I am currently using an Everstart Lawn & Garden battery with 230 CCA. The battery seems to need a charge when I first start it up. Is the 230 CCA strong enough for my mower or should I upgrade to maybe a 340 CCA? On a related subject, should I replace the alternator if the battery doesnt stay charged?
 
EDITED FOR DARN TYPO

Have you bother to adjust the valves and verify the ACR is working?

Also if the battery is over 2 yrs old it could just worn out.
 
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StarTech said:
Have you brother to adjust the valves and verify the ACR is working?
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Good one........


soonerfan3107 said:
Is the 230 CCA strong enough for my mower or should I upgrade to maybe a 340 CCA?
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Normally the smaller battery (lower amp rating) has thicker plates. Thicker plates last longer. Going for the highest amp rating is not helping you in the long run. Back to the question. A rough hundred amp increase is fairly small. Guessing you would never know the difference if tested both blindly. Your starter might pull 40-50 amps total. So a 230cca which is rated at 0 degrees F, will crank your mower just fine.

Do you have a Battery Tender you use over the winter? Maybe between mows? Was this a battery that sat all winter with no love?
 
I agree with Slomo on most things BUT when it comes to battery capacity (CCA's) and their effect on the starting system, I will always go with the most CCA's for the physical size of the battery.

Its simple - more CCA's, the faster/better the cranking performance, the lower the starting system temperature, the longer it will last and also the likly service life of the battery. 😈
 
Skippydiesel said:
I agree with Slomo on most things BUT when it comes to battery capacity (CCA's) and their effect on the starting system, I will always go with the most CCA's for the physical size of the battery.

Its simple - more CCA's, the faster/better the cranking performance, the lower the starting system temperature, the longer it will last and also the likly service life of the battery. 😈
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I recommend the 300 CCA battery for mowers at a minimum. Average battery life on mower is about 3 years without additional charging.
 
Tiger Small Engine said:
I recommend the 300 CCA battery for mowers at a minimum. Average battery life on mower is about 3 years without additional charging.
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To “Soonerfan3107” question. You have to check at battery with multi-meter to determine if battery is charging or not. Then test regulator/rectifier and stator to see which needs replacing.
 
A bigger battery is usually not the answer.

What machine are you working on?

We need the product label information off of the machine.

The engine label information is also very important. The mower builder does not make the engine.

Most riders with a v-twin engine come with a 300CCA battery or slightly larger, so they have good cranking reserve power.

You need a multimeter to check the charging voltage when running. Usually, they read 13.2V to about 14V at high RPM. If you are reading only 12.6V battery voltage, the voltage regulator is the first suspect. Next would be a wiring connection from the regulator to the start solenoid.

The 2 wires coming from the stator can be tested using the AC voltage setting on the meter while running with the connector disconnected from the harness side. It should read approx. 25V AC at high RPM. If there is no or a very low reading the stator has failed or the flywheel magnets have come off the inside of the flywheel.

Let us know what you find as you test.
 
You say:
The battery seems to need a charge when I first start it up.

How did you come to this conclusion?

Does your machine have a charge indicator such as maybe a ammeter?

I test charging systems using a ammeter instead of a voltmeter, but a voltmeter will let you know if it's trying to charge or not charge and will get you in the ball park.
 
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