Battery not charging

ml_work

Member
Ford 4000 3 Cylinder Diesel
When I just got my tractor the Generator locked up (posted here for help) I purchased a new one from NAPA. Seemed to be working good, tractor cranked no sign of lower battery. My dash controls do not work. Around first of the summer last year it would not crank, I don't use it much so I jumped it off a few times. In September 2016 I decided to replace the battery, the one in there had a 2012 sticker so I figured 4 years old, must be the battery. Got a new one from Auto Zone with the same specs as what was in there. It ran the next few times I used it and I did crank a couple of time in the winter to just drive up the road. Last month it would not crank, I jumped off and drove for a few hours, shut down and it would not even try to start. the battery has a 1 year replacement that goes out in September but I am thinking it is new and the generator is knew so I was going to ask here where to check next. I used it last weekend, jumped off drove a few hours and before I shut down I removed the cable on the (see picture ) right side with the Red Arrow and pushed the insulation back on the connection on the left side White Arrow to check with my meter.
Connected the Red lead to right side and black lead to the left side, got one small spark when the Black lead touched the left side but that was it. the meter did not show any voltage coming out, I tried DC and AC ... nothing. Was I checking at the correct place? If so then the "new" generator must be bad? It does get some oil on it from the leaking of the Power Steering but I would not think that should stop it from working correct.
Is there is something else to check ... I really thought I would get output from the generator and was going to ask where to check next but it appears it is the problem.
49344.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 21:07:15 06/01/17) Ford 4000 3 Cylinder Diesel
When I just got my tractor the Generator locked up (posted here for help) I purchased a new one from NAPA. Seemed to be working good, tractor cranked no sign of lower battery. My dash controls do not work. Around first of the summer last year it would not crank, I don't use it much so I jumped it off a few times. In September 2016 I decided to replace the battery, the one in there had a 2012 sticker so I figured 4 years old, must be the battery. Got a new one from Auto Zone with the same specs as what was in there. It ran the next few times I used it and I did crank a couple of time in the winter to just drive up the road. Last month it would not crank, I jumped off and drove for a few hours, shut down and it would not even try to start. the battery has a 1 year replacement that goes out in September but I am thinking it is new and the generator is knew so I was going to ask here where to check next. I used it last weekend, jumped off drove a few hours and before I shut down I removed the cable on the (see picture ) right side with the Red Arrow and pushed the insulation back on the connection on the left side White Arrow to check with my meter.
Connected the Red lead to right side and black lead to the left side, got one small spark when the Black lead touched the left side but that was it. the meter did not show any voltage coming out, I tried DC and AC ... nothing. Was I checking at the correct place? If so then the "new" generator must be bad? It does get some oil on it from the leaking of the Power Steering but I would not think that should stop it from working correct.
Is there is something else to check ... I really thought I would get output from the generator and was going to ask where to check next but it appears it is the problem.
49344.jpg
eft, red, is Field & other, white is armature. To measure output, measure armature to ground.
 
Did you polarize the new generator when you installed it ? If
not polarize and then check output.
 

JMOR, thanks for the quick reply. I will test from the armature to ground. And if I do get an output, where is the next point to check? It will be weekend before I can do this and it may be too wet to get my truck to the tractor to get it started.

Greg, I can do a Google Search or ask you ... I do not understand Polarize the Generator... I had a machine shop put the existing puller on it with an impact wrench ... other than that I just bolted it on.

Thanks
Michael
 
(quoted from post at 19:09:43 06/01/17)
JMOR, thanks for the quick reply. I will test from the armature to ground. And if I do get an output, where is the next point to check? It will be weekend before I can do this and it may be too wet to get my truck to the tractor to get it started.

Greg, I can do a Google Search or ask you ... I do not understand Polarize the Generator... I had a machine shop put the existing puller on it with an impact wrench ... other than that I just bolted it on.

Thanks
Michael
49346.jpg
 

Greg, thanks for the instructions. I cannot read it, when I enlarge it the view is too blurred. I found this on YouTube and it is for a Ford 3000
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROFbX8e-snQ
Is this the correct way to do what you were telling me?

Michael
 

Checking back to see if I was correct about the video. After watching it again I think this is what I need to do. I have a couple of pictures of the voltage regulator, after Zooming up I think I can correctly see the Letters on it but not sure about the first one on the left side. Reading from Left to Right it appears to be B WL F R or the last one could be a B which would put this in the same layout as the video. My second picture does not have the wire in the way of the view and the First letter, left side Looks like B. Since I can not tell for sure I will remove the Middle Wire with the White cover, assuming it to be the F = Field and spark with the Positive Post of the battery. (hope the battery has enough juice to Spark) Unless anyone thinks different and Replies before I get to it this afternoon.

49579.jpg
49580.jpg
 

just getting back to this, with all the rain we have had and just "life" I have not had time to try this. Last Saturday I had a chance to try to Polarize the Voltage Regulator. I tried from the Positive post on the battery to the F Field connection on the VR. Did not see any kind of a spark. Check the battery with a voltage tester and it does not register at all. I did not even try to start. Figure I would jump it off with my truck as I had been.
Got in the truck and 'click...click" it's battery is dead. Check the date 2012.. 5years .. head to "tha Wal-Mart". By time I got the truck battery swapped it was to late to work on the road with my tractor, had to cut grass.
So I am thinking this Saturday I will connect my truck battery (small truck) to the tractor battery with jumper cables. Not have the truck running, and try the Polarize, thinking it should have enough power to make the Spark on the F Field connection. then crank truck and jump the tractor.
Will that work with the jumper cables or do I need to get a battery charger to get the tractor battery charged enough to Spark the F Field connector and Polarize.

Thanks
 
If you don't have a battery charger, just connect the jumper cables from the truck to the tractor with the truck engine running for twenty minutes or so. That should charge the battery enough to be able to excite the generator to polarize it. Even though most instructions tell you to do it at the regulator ends of the wires, you are polarizing the generator, not the regulator.
 

Sean, Thanks for your Quick Reply, I apologize that I did not respond to it. I did login and read it the same day but was waiting until I had tried what you said.
Yesterday I connected my small truck to the battery and let it charge for the 20 minutes. Disconnected the jumpers cable and did the Wire from the Positive Post of the battery to the Field on the VR, got a Real Good Spark! I connected the jumper cable back and let my truck run about 10 more minutes, left it running and tried the tractor. It turned over fine as it should but failed to start and the battery went down after just a few seconds. Even with raising the RPM on the truck it would not turn over once it went down. I tried a few more times, letting the truck run about 20 minutes each time while giving it gas but it did not start. I borrowed a small battery charger, to let it charge over night. When I connected it the battery the charger gauge did not move with it on the 2 amp. I put it on the 6 amp and it jumped to about the middle. This is a small 6/12 Volt - 2/6 amp charger, so I don't think it will hurt to leave over night.
Should I remove the battery caps.... they appear to be vented .. what is the best / safest way.
Also should I try the Polarize - spark again tomorrow since it never did crank yesterday....
Off tomorrow and hope to get it cranked and Hoping this will get the battery charged ... I just purchase new last September... so it is just out of warranty.

I do plan to replace the "dash board" on my tractor so I will have lights to know about charging and Water temp, but that is another day.
Thanks for you Help!
Michael
 
(quoted from post at 17:46:48 09/03/17)
Sean, Thanks for your Quick Reply, I apologize that I did not respond to it. I did login and read it the same day but was waiting until I had tried what you said.
Yesterday I connected my small truck to the battery and let it charge for the 20 minutes. Disconnected the jumpers cable and did the Wire from the Positive Post of the battery to the Field on the VR, got a Real Good Spark! I connected the jumper cable back and let my truck run about 10 more minutes, left it running and tried the tractor. It turned over fine as it should but failed to start and the battery went down after just a few seconds. Even with raising the RPM on the truck it would not turn over once it went down. I tried a few more times, letting the truck run about 20 minutes each time while giving it gas but it did not start. I borrowed a small battery charger, to let it charge over night. When I connected it the battery the charger gauge did not move with it on the 2 amp. I put it on the 6 amp and it jumped to about the middle. This is a small 6/12 Volt - 2/6 amp charger, so I don't think it will hurt to leave over night.
Should I remove the battery caps.... they appear to be vented .. what is the best / safest way.
Also should I try the Polarize - spark again tomorrow since it never did crank yesterday....
Off tomorrow and hope to get it cranked and Hoping this will get the battery charged ... I just purchase new last September... so it is just out of warranty.

I do plan to replace the "dash board" on my tractor so I will have lights to know about charging and Water temp, but that is another day.
Thanks for you Help!
Michael
 

I went to place something over the battery charger in case of rain / we have 10% chance. The battery charger gauge was in the middle as it was (I think 4 amp) while I was there I heard it "Click" and saw that it had dropped to 0 ... this seemed strange as it had only been charging about 2 hours. then it clicked again and went back to 4 amp like it was... is this normal?
I don't want to want in the morning to a blaze of fire in the yard and my tractor burned up.... :(
 
(quoted from post at 20:36:48 09/03/17)
I went to place something over the battery charger in case of rain / we have 10% chance. The battery charger gauge was in the middle as it was (I think 4 amp) while I was there I heard it "Click" and saw that it had dropped to 0 ... this seemed strange as it had only been charging about 2 hours. then it clicked again and went back to 4 amp like it was... is this normal?
I don't want to want in the morning to a blaze of fire in the yard and my tractor burned up.... :(

To know if that is normal you would have to check the manual for that particular battery charger. Some cycle on and off like that while others charge at a steady rate and then drop down to a "trickle" to maintain the charge. 4 amps after 2 hours of charging seems high to me, especially on a new battery that was just low because the charging circuit in the tractor isn't working. It sounds more like something else is wrong with the electrical system other than just not charging, like there is a constant draw on the battery even when the key is off that is deep draining the battery and damaging it.
 
Sean,
Thanks for you reply. this is a OLD changer we do not have the manual, I will look at the make and model to see if I can find a manual on-line. You may have seen the others replies that this could cause damage to the battery (still do not know how those post got outside of this thread, but I think they were in reply to me) I know over the years my Dad would connect the charger to a battery on his work bench and leave it charging over night, I was thinking he said it would cut off when charged.
Then I thought, maybe it was normal to Cycle on and off like it was doing. I have not done any electrical work on the tractor, like change the Instrument Dash because I did not want to chance causing something as you describe that may be more problems. So other than a malfunction from just normal use, I would not know what it could be. I appreciate yours and others input and wish I could be more aggressive in testing your suggestions, but my time is pulled thin with other things in my life right now.
 

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