5 Common Causes of a Dead Bad Boy Mower Batteries
To kickstart the lawnmower, you charge the battery. Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly annoying to constantly charge the battery because it keeps dying.
When the terminals are rusted, the charging system fails, the ignition key is left on, or the battery is defective, the Bad Boy lawn mower will not start.
You should exercise extreme caution around the batteries and the electrical system. Defend your skin and eyes with the proper gear. Be sure to observe all of the warnings and instructions in the Bad Boy’s manual.
Before diagnosing, repairing, or using the equipment, be sure you’ve read and understood all of the safety precautions in the user handbook.
If you are unsure of how to proceed or if you lack the necessary expertise or physical ability to complete the repair, you should seek the advice of a professional.
Table of Contents
Bad Boy Mower Battery Drains
The Bad Boy Mower’s Battery Has Loose Cables
When you use your mower regularly, it will bounce and vibrate. Battery life could be jeopardized if the wires become unplugged.
Locate the solenoid by following the red cable (positive cable) from the battery down. When you reach the starter, keep following the cord. Verify the integrity of each connection and the tightness of all cables.
Damaged connections on a Bad Boy mower battery
Next, look for corroded connections. A white or green material may have formed on corroded connectors. The Bad Boy battery may not hold a charge or may die prematurely if exposed to corrosion.
When corrosion is discovered on a part, it must be taken apart and cleaned.
To begin, please remove the battery cable.
To interrupt the circuit, disconnect the negative cable from the battery.
When removing a battery, if you don’t cut the circuit and you strike the frame or another metal object with your wrench, the battery could arc the wrench and throw sparks, possibly causing the battery to explode.
Thus, you should always cover your eyes and skin with safety goggles and clothing when working with your battery. After disconnecting the negative cable, you can take out the positive cable (red) without incident.
Keep in mind that the positive cable is the last one to be disconnected and the first one to be connected.
After disconnecting the cables from the battery, you can remove the remaining cables to inspect them, clean them, or replace them. A baking soda and water solution can be used to clean cables and connectors.
A paste can be made by combining 4 cups of water with around 6 tablespoons of baking soda. Cover any rust or corrosion with this paste. Foaming will occur as the paste cleans the cables.
The process of rinsing the wires clean of the solution might become quite filthy, so you may want to do it outside. Remove the baking soda paste by rinsing the affected areas with water.
The use of a wire brush helps hasten the process. Cola soda is another effective method for corrosion removal.
Lawnmower Charging System Defective on a Bad Boy Lawnmower
Once you’ve checked that the cables are intact and properly attached, you should examine the charging setup.
Investigate the charging system once you’ve finished dealing with the cables.
Charger Functionality Check:
- In order to check the charging system, you should use a volt-ohm meter.
- Start the meter up and verify that it is set to read 12 volts.
- While the car is turned off, you can safely touch the battery cables. The positive (+) terminal requires the red wire, while the negative (-) terminal requires the black wire.
- Understanding battery voltage is the term for this process. A voltage reading of 12.4 to 12.8 volts is ideal. Depending on the charging speed and the battery’s health, the reading may be higher for some batteries.
- The reading from the volt-ohm meter should be recorded.
- Put on the stop and turn on the car.
- Put red on the positive (+) and black on the negative (-) terminals of the battery (-).
- Get a reading from the mower’s tachometer at three-quarters throttle. The voltage should be at least 13.2 volts and no more than 13.9 volts at this point.
- If this number is larger than the one obtained with the engine turned off, your alternator is successfully charging the battery.
Your charging system is malfunctioning if the results of the most recent test don’t differ much from those of the initial test. A faulty stator or alternator could be to blame.
You will need to run extra diagnostics on your lawnmower or bring it in for servicing to find out what component has broken. There are also 20 amp systems and 15 amp systems. The manufacturer and engine specs both play a role in determining the overall size.
If you’re having trouble with your charging system, it’s best to have a trained mechanic take a look. A Bad Boy service center near you should have one.
It’s possible that a skilled mechanic in your area can help you figure out what’s wrong with the charging mechanism and fix it.
Several high-priced engine components could be at fault. It can get expensive to just keep adding pieces to a problem in the hopes that it will be fixed.
The aforementioned procedure can be performed on your battery at any time using a volt-ohm meter, provided that the cables are clean. It is possible that a faulty connection will be discovered during this test.
Starting the Lawnmower Bad Boy Mower with On/Run Key Still In It
After you’re done mowing, you might have forgotten to turn off the engine.
If you don’t have an oil light on the dashboard or keep a 12-volt accessory cord hooked into a Bad Boy’s accessory port, you won’t notice much of an impact on the battery life.
If you leave the key on the mower and go to use it later, you may find the battery is dead and will need to charge it.
If you own a Bad Boy lawn mower and need to charge the battery, one of the techniques outlined below should get the job done. This battery charger from Amazon is great since it features a trickle charge setting that works well for charging a very weak battery.
Both the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals require an attachment, with the red wire going to the former and the black cable going to the latter.
Method One for Charging the Batteries in a Bad Boy Lawn Mower:
It’s time to cut the power supply to the battery. Keep in mind that you should always reconnect the positive cable (red +) first after removing it. Next, if the battery has a removable cap, see if it needs to be refilled.
Put some distilled water in the battery if the plates inside aren’t submerged. A battery should not be refilled with well water. Even though using city water is preferable, the best water to put in your battery is distilled water.
Inspect the water level, then connect the charger to the battery.
Use a voltmeter to find out how much juice your battery has. You won’t have to plug it in for very long to charge if the battery already has 11.8 volts.
Your battery will need to be charged for some time if it only has 10.1 volts. The longer you leave your battery plugged into its charger the lower the voltage reading.
When I’m in the mood for a “slow bake,” I like to use a low battery. Depending on the charger, there may be a 6-amp, 4-amp, or 2-amp toggle switch.
A dead battery can be charged in roughly an hour using 2 or 4 amps. Check the voltage rate after an hour to make sure it is rising. If that’s the case, go ahead and add another hour to your bill.
Method Two for Charging the Batteries of a Bad Boy Lawn Mower:
Your mower won’t work without a fully charged battery, so if the voltage isn’t too low, charge it at 6 amps for 30 minutes to get it up to 12 volts.
As soon as the battery voltage reaches 12 V, you can disconnect the charger and begin using the lawnmower. To charge the battery while the mower is operating, keep the throttle between three-quarters and full.
It’s a good idea to double-check the battery life once you’re done mowing to make sure you’re ready for the next round.
A Bad Boy lawnmower with a Poor Battery
You know you have a faulty battery when it has been on the charger for at least two hours and won’t charge to more than 12 volts. A new one is needed to replace it.
12-volt lawn and garden batteries are available at most hardware stores, automotive parts outlets, and Bad Boy dealerships.
It’s a good idea to take the battery out and bring it along. If you don’t return your old battery while buying a new one, most stores will charge you a battery core fee of $15 to $25.
Typically, when you buy a brand-new set of batteries, they already have a full charge. However, it may need charging before use if it has been resting on the shelf for some time.
You can either completely charge the battery before installing it in your Bad Boy mower or use a jump starter to get it going (as described above).
New Bad Boy Lawn Mower Battery Needs a Jump Start
Use a high-quality battery, like the one in your car, to jump-start a Bad Boy. It’s common for lawn mower batteries to have the same 12 volt power source as a car’s. Check that both batteries are 12 volts before attempting to jump-start the mower.
Simply park the vehicle close to the Bad Boy and turn off the engine.
Get out your jumper cables and connect the positive (+) ends to the mower’s and the car’s terminals, respectively.
To finish, connect the black negative (-) cable to the car’s negative battery connector. Join the side of the mower where the black cable is to the mower’s chassis.
Don’t forget to put the lawn mower’s brake on before you start it up. Please give the mower a few minutes to cut the grass. You can start your lawnmower without the cords if you want to.
Put the key in the ignition but don’t start the car. The battery from the car can kick-start the lawnmower. You should let the mower run for a while after it starts.
Unplug the cords in the reverse sequence from which they were connected. The lawnmower’s alternator will maintain a charged battery.
Again, a volt meter will reveal any problems with the battery’s charging process.
The Average Battery Lifespan Is 3 Years
You may have a problem with your battery or battery connections if you need to replace it more frequently than every three years. If you keep them in good condition, most batteries should last for at least three years.
Care for your batteries by doing the following:
- Maintain a clean battery cable.
- The battery and its cables need to be fastened firmly to the machine.
- Make sure the battery doesn’t get frozen. Never let your battery die in the cold.
The primary cause of battery failure is vibration, therefore before you start mowing, check to see that your battery is seated firmly in the battery tray and is not moving around.
Yet, the battery’s plates are easily damaged. There’s a risk of internal plate breakdown, which can quickly shorten the battery’s life.
Temperature extremes are another factor that might cause a battery to die. A frozen battery from being undercharged is a bad thing. When putting away your lawnmower for the winter, make sure the battery is fully charged.
Mower Battery Capacity
When replacing the battery on your Bad Boy lawn mower, if the deck is powered by an electric clutch, you should seek for a model with at least 300 cold cranking amps (cca).
The higher the number of cold cranking amps, the more powerful the battery. While a smaller battery, like 250 cca, will do if you don’t have an electric clutch, a larger one is preferable.
Check the dimensions of the battery you’re considering to be sure it will fit in the battery compartment.
Get More Information on Battery Charging for Bad Boy Mowers
Read our article Charging Times for Lawn Mower Batteries to learn more about batteries, charging, and charging times.
Still Having Issues with That Bad Boy Zero Turn Mower of Yours?
If you keep a lawn mower long enough, eventually it will have issues, such as starting, not continuing to run, smoking, leaking gas, cutting poorly, vibrating, or another issue.
My goal in writing this tutorial was to help you avoid spending unnecessary time and money the next time your Bad Boy mower breaks down.
Fixing the most frequent issues with your Bad Boy lawn mower is the purpose of this manual.
A professional mechanic should handle diagnostics and repairs on your Bad Boy lawn mower if you lack confidence in your ability to do so safely.
You’ll save yourself some trouble and the mower from further harm if you do this. If you’re having trouble with your lawnmower, get on over to the nearest Bad Boy dealer or repair facility.
