# battery drains too fast on 04 arctic cat.



## snowwizards (Dec 10, 2008)

i just started plowing this year and dont really have alot of experience with atv's to begin with. my battery drains after plowing one lot. i then have to start it with the rope and it wants to die when i raise and lower the winch. do atv's not have a charging system? what size and amperage/voltage should my battery be? right now i have an xtreme 12 volt permaseal. also, could it just be a bad connection? thanks. 

randy


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## ghunter67502 (Jan 13, 2011)

I have an 04 artic cat mine does the same thing I am going to have my mechanic try and figure it out next week.


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## irv (Oct 20, 2010)

what electric accessories are you pulling off the battery and how old is it.
ask your dealer what the alternator raing is too. you might need a hd battery or just 
a new one.


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## ghunter67502 (Jan 13, 2011)

Mine is a new battery


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## sublime68charge (Dec 28, 2007)

to start with was you battery fully charged when you started plowing?

the Winch's draw alot of amps you need a good charged battery to stay ahead of the draw that your winch will take.
what size winch?


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## ghunter67502 (Jan 13, 2011)

I just found out on mine you either have a problem with the stater or coil.


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## blueballs (Oct 15, 2009)

Try plowing in low range to keep the rpms up, therefor more juice going the battery.


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## perrysee (Jul 30, 2009)

i keep my atv running between accounts to charge up battery .


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## Yooper75 (Dec 30, 2010)

When I was using my four wheeler to plow I would put a trickle charger on it when it was not being used and that helped out quite a bit.


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## ghunter67502 (Jan 13, 2011)

I am having to replace the magneto on mine it is bad.


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## wildwilly (Oct 6, 2009)

Why not try a battery isolator, get a second battery and run your winch off the larger battery. That is what i did never a problem anymore. I bought a cheap tractor battery and swap it out with my tractor during off season.

The batteries that go in quads are soo friggin small its no wonder the run down so quick. My buddies 700 2 up came with a battery that is half the size of my 99 500cc a.c....i coiuldn't believe it when he took the seat off...you might as will wired up 10 "d" alkalines..well it does increase a.c.'s bottom line putting in smaller batteries
good luck


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## ghunter67502 (Jan 13, 2011)

Where did you mount the bigger battery?


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## wildwilly (Oct 6, 2009)

i ran cables under the seat to the back rack on one side in a plastic battery box and mounted it with ratchet straps. That way if I was going up to the camp (long ride in in the winter) and I was winching alot I still had room for all my camp stuff and beer.I am going to re-locate it to the underside of the rear rack somehow this summer.


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## danvdd1 (Nov 28, 2010)

I mounted my deep cycle boat battery to my 500 Polaris. I set it up in the extra gas can holder bolted onto the back of the atv. I had all the same problems you are all talking about. So far this is working great. The alternator is not that strong but I just put the battery on a charger when finished plowing and top it back up. Being deep cycle it is made to be discharged and recharged. A regular car battery is not made to function the same as the deep cycle battery. Over Christmas I built a cab for the machine and have a fan and heater hooked up in the cab. Plowing is much more pleasurable now.


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## IPLOWSNO (Oct 11, 2008)

dam my battery is the original 03, and it was dead in the fall,so ipricedanew batt and was shocked that it cost 80 bucks, so i charged it and its alive and well,got to love jap electronics imo


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## rcr4w (Jan 21, 2011)

add a second battery I had to do that on my new ranger that cured my problems I guess lights,radio,heater, and the winch was just too much for 1 little battery


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## Mr.Freezzz (Sep 17, 2010)

snowwizards;1193857 said:


> i just started plowing this year and dont really have alot of experience with atv's to begin with. my battery drains after plowing one lot. i then have to start it with the rope and it wants to die when i raise and lower the winch. do atv's not have a charging system? what size and amperage/voltage should my battery be? right now i have an xtreme 12 volt permaseal. also, could it just be a bad connection? thanks.
> 
> randy


must have a short or your alt is not charging as well any more. turn off your lights and hand warmers they suck up the amps.

I also run the military grade battery plus in my cats there 200 bucks but have a 3 year warrenty


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