John Deere is one of the leading American names in tractor manufacturers, its name synonymous with durability and craftsmanship. The John Deere LX-188 tractor, like a car or truck, uses a battery to help crank and start the tractor. If a John Deere battery sits for long periods of time it can lose its charge. Fortunately, you can use sopme methods at home to determine whether the John Deere LX-188 battery just needs to be charged, or whether it will not hold a charge and you need to replace it.
Instructions
- 1
Lift the engine cover on the John Deere LX 188 tractor.
2Turn the digital multi-meter on and turn the control setting knob to volts.
3Place the black/positive test lead of the multi-meter to the negative battery post and connect the red/positive multi-meter lead to the positive battery post to see if there is any reading. Make a note of the reading.
4Use a wrench to disconnect the negative and positive battery terminals and remove the John Deere's battery.
5Clamp the battery charger's negative clamp to the negative battery post and the positive clamp to the positive post. Turn on the battery charger and allow it to charge for 14 to 18 hours.
6Remove the battery from the charger, turn on the multi-meter, measure the voltage coming from the battery and write it down. If the battery does not have a voltage reading, it is dead. Replace it. If it has a reading, move to the next step.
7Either place the battery back into the John Deere and try to start the tractor, or let the battery sit a few hours and take another voltage reading with the meter. If the voltage is the same, it is holding a charge. If it has decreased, it means the battery is not holding charges. Replace it.
