These are the specs for my machine: sn PAB06638 Engine SN MAE05872 AR No. (arrangement) 2870092 My CAT 320CL has been sitting a few weeks waiting for me to get back to work with it...dredging out 70 years of sludge in the 20 acre farm pond. Last time I was here it was a bit sluggish starting the last 2 days of work. Yesterday I started prepping it to return to the pond (it sat those weeks with the master electrical cut-off switch in the "off" position) and it would only chatter when I turned the key. Voltages on the battery were 12.6 furthermost from door 10.3 12.6 10.4 closest to door I hooked up a 12 volt charger to each low battery, one charger for each low battery and let it charge for 30 minutes. When I tried to start the engine it fired up for a second and died. Then the starter would only chatter. I rechecked the voltages and the two batteries were low again. I have had them charging overnight and will try to start the CAT later this AM. The batteries are about 5-6 years old. If these two won't hold a charge I am thinking I should replace all four. Any bright ideas on a good way to get the batteries out efficiently? They look uber heavy.
Sounds like a farm machine that sits more than it works, the two batteries are shot most likely, or one of the two is shot. If it was mine, I'd take the two low bats out, charge them up for a couple days each, then let them sit a week, one or both will be back to 10v and have a bad cell. Meanwhile, hook the two good ones in series and run it like that. That engine should start down to zero with one good battery in a 12V truck, two five year old batteries should be fine in any temps you're going to work in. I'd guess the batteries are hooked up in two parallel strings with two in series in each string. One bad cell will drain the weakest cell in the other string, leaving only two charged, one in each string, but not necessarily in the same position in the string, because the strings are separate. One of the bad batteries could be fine on it's own yet, it was drained by the bad one, and may equalize with a good charge. All this is assuming that's a 24v system. With it dying right after starting, and being sluggish before, I'd check the voltage at the batteries once it starts, it should rise close to 28V soon after starting, or it's not charging the batteries.
Good input, Delmer...thanks. You nailed it...a farm machine. It sits for weeks at a time until I can get down here to the family farm. Thanks for the info on how to just use two batteries if necessary...I hand wondered about that. It is 24V...I'll check charging as you suggest once I get it running again.
The four-battery setup is a cold weather option. You don’t need four batteries to do what you want to do with the machine, two would do fine.
The easiest would be to just reconfigure the cables to get 24 volts out of the 2 good batteries and carry on. On the farm you can do whatever you want.
That is great news! I'll give that a go...y'all may have saved the day for now.
These pictures show how the batteries were set up before. I took them all out cleaned everything up and put the two good ones back in. Now I've just got to figure out how to hook the two positives and two negatives to these two batteries to get them wired into the proper series. The last picture shows the two good batteries back in the CAT and waiting for proper connections. At this point I'm researching what needs to be connected to what.
You have both hooked up at 12V. You need to trace those big red positive cables back to where they connect and remove one of them (or you could wrap the one battery clamp end with a radiator hose and lots of electrical tape, but removing is better in case that ever touches ground). Then wrap up one of the grounds and tie it out of the way. Hook the red positive cable to one positive, then the negative of that battery to the positive of the other battery, then last hook the last negative to the black ground cable. Just like it was hooked up, only with two batteries in series instead of two parallel strings of two each in series.
Thanks...I figured I needed to replicate what was done before using that jumper that went from a negative of one battery to a positive of the other battery but hoped to hear from one of you that was correct. It looks like the closest red cable to the door goes from the battery positive, under the electrical cabinet and curves right and disappears towards the starter/engine. The other red cable comes back from that direction but I suppose either one could really go to the starter. How do I know which one to hook to the battery? How do I know which one to remove or tape off? I have not looked at my parts book yet...maybe there is a diagram that shows which cable goes to the starter.
They'd better BOTH go to the same place! Either the starter or possibly a shut off switch. If you're not sure of the hook up, post a picture back before you hook up the ground cable.
This is how I propose to hook it up. The red positive on the battery goes all the way to the starter and the other red returns from the starter and I will be insulating it in that gear oil bottle. I will have the extra black negative connection secured out of the way also. I have jumpered the positive on the furthest battery to the negative on the closest to the door battery. The negative black connector on the furthest battery goes up to the master cut off switch in the electrical cabinet.
That will work as long as the reds are connected to + and the blacks are - . I don't like the gear oil bottle, I'd remove that positive cable at the starter. And the extra black at the disconnect also, if the extra ground touches ground it bypasses the disconnect. Clean is good. That gear oil bottle looks like a fire waiting to start.
Thank you for the follow-up. I'll clean up the madness in a bit. It'll be good enough to get it tested right now. The gear bottle is heavily taped and I've got it suspended for now. I'll do the same for the negative temporarily and then test it. Removing those wires will be a separate project. The starter looks like a bear to get to. And rains coming in now.. sprinkling as I type.
Delmer... You are a champ. Thanks for the follow through. You guys have pitched in thanks for the help. Working on two batteries now instead of four but it fired right up. And she is charging at 28 volts.
GL get some teeth on that bucket while you're at it. Glad you got it sorted out!
Hahaha... Yep. I call her snaggle teeth right now. I've got the teeth but the shanks have an issue. I tried welding them on and my welding's not real good. They came back off. Mostly I'm in the pond digging sand and mud so it's not a big deal; but it is goofy looking