Wiring Issues

Also, our voltage regulator has 4 terminals, 3 on the front and another on the back. However, we acquired a new one, and it only has 3 on the front. Is one of these right/wrong?

1) As mentioned, you wont any longer be using the light switch for any connections to the gennys Field post (how it worked originally) but just use it to control lights. When using a full fledged Voltage Regulator (as opposed to the original 2 wire Cutout relay) the gennys Field wires to the VR's Field terminal versus the light switch as before

2) It can be made to work with EITHER a 3 terminal (BAT ARM FLD) Voltage Regulator ORRRRR a 4 terminal (BAT FLD LOAD ARM) VR. PROVIDED the VR is compatible with your ground, Pos or Neg.

3) On many 4 terminal VR's the 3 terminals side by side are BAT FLD LOAD while the one off on a side or the bottom all by itself is the ARM terminal.

4) 3 terminal VR Wiring:

BAT wires to the Load (NOT battery/starter) side of the ammeter.

ARM wires to the gennys Arm post

FLD wires to the gennys Field Post.

Loads like lights or ignition etc receive their voltage from the ammeters Load side (same place that wires to BAT on VR) often by a wire to the switches BAT input terminal

5) 4 Terminal VR Wiring:

BAT to load side of ammeter ARM to gennys Arm Post FLD to gennys Field Post LOAD now feeds loads like lights n ignition (perhaps a wire to the switches BAT input terminal) versus them being fed off the ammeter as on a 3 wire VR system.

6) Alternatively. The 4 wire VR could simply NOT USE its LOAD terminal and leave lights n ignition powered from the ammeters load terminal, the same place it was powered on the old cutout relay system. Similarly, if you replaced a 4 wire VR with a 3 wire, simply run the wire that used to go to the L terminal (to power lights n ignition loads) over to the ammeters load terminal.

Once all wired up Polarize the genny n see how she performs.

Best wishes n God Bless

John T

You essentially will not use the switch for anything but the lights.

If you look closely at the terminals on the 4 position regulator, you should find letters stamped on the terminals. They should be labeled A (armiture), F (field), B (battery). The 4th terminal will either have L (lights) or G (ground). In most cases, a three terminal regulator can replace a 4 position.

It isn't easy to determine if the regulator you have is compatible with your generator. How did you determine which regulator to buy?

Hook up the regulator as the terminals suggest - B to Battery, A to Armiture but leave the field terminal disconnected.

I'm not an expert but I have made a few of these work. First off, there are two types of generators. On one type, if you jump 12 volts to the field, the generator will charge at maximum. On another type, it is necessary to ground the field terminal to get it to charge at maximum. You need to do each of these to determine which type generator that you have.

Then, with the tractor running, check the voltage on the field terminal of the regulator. If there is no voltage, the regulator is designed to work with the generator that charges max when the field terminal is grounded. If the regualtor has battery voltage on the field terminal, it is designed to work with a generator that charges max when battery voltage is applied to the field terminal.

Once you have generator and regulator that match, the system should work fine without the hi/lo charge switch.