Combines STS battery discharge

the controllers on the combines take small currrent constantly running through them when machine sits for long ,in my experience JD hibernator batteries are junk,have had good luck with installing regular batteries,also installed a power kill switch on the ground side and switch off when machine sits,one time we also had an am_fm radio drawing too much current

After 4 sets of batteries in 2 "off" seasons, blaming it on the radio, blaming it on any other extras we put in the cab, our dealer finally agreed that it was a design flaw. So now the batteries are unhooked, and we put the cheapest batteries we can find in it. Pity the dealer wont refund the fortune we have spent trying to find the problem!

ours was doing that, and our dealer finally found it. the voltage reg was stuck in the charge mode. all the conections were unhooked and checked with a volt meter,and hooked back up one at a time. there was a 2 or 3 amp draw when the alt was hooked back up.

Not a solution, but I keep a float charger on all my combines and tractors when they are going to be sitting more that a month or so.

I found that the hibernators are good batteries you just have to recharge them properly after the "off" season. You have to do a ligth trickle charge instead of a quick full charge. Do a trickle charge for about 8hrs and the battery will come back to life.