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JMOR 01-09-2013 06:53:22 72.181.173.171 Report to Moderator

Quoting Removed, click Modern View to seeHope you are not still looking at your first posted diagram. Don't. At least 3 conditions can exist here. 1)The alternator is doing nothing (belt broke), so the battery has to power all loads (ignition, lights....), so current (conventional) leaves + batt post, to ammeter (-), through ammeter (-) to (+) {running current through it in this direction makes it indicate a neg or discharge}, and on to & through the load & out opposite load terminal through chassis & back to battery neg(_) termimal, this completing the loop. 2) New belt on alternator, but battery is dead as a door-nail, so you use a jump box to start tractor. Alternator outputting current, flows to junction block, where the alternator current value splits, with some part supplying loads (ign, lights...) AND some part finding a path through the ammeter and on to the battery{current is passing through ammeter from (+) to (-)and on into battery(+) post {running current through it in this direction makes it indicate a positive or charge}. Thus the ammeter indicates the amount of battery charge current. On a dead or near dead battery, this will be large, but as battery nears full charge, the reading will trickle off to nearly zero. 3) As battery reaches full charge, the alternator will be providing current for the loads and the in/out battery current is virtually zero. So we have three cases, 1) battery supplying all loads, 2)alternator both charging battery & supplying all loads, and 3) battery loafing & alternator supplying all loads. [Reply]   [No Email]