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Good Evening David, I will answer your questions first, then to save time (this is the second long post of the evening) I will post my standard generator/voltage regulator troubleshootign procedure. 1) Yes, it could still be charging. If you turn on the lights with the tractor runnign at idle, and then run her at wide open throttle, if shes charging, the lights should glow noticeably brighter. If you have a voltmeter, not runnimg a 6 volt system should read 6.3 volts and a 12 12.6. If shes charging at wide open throttle, the battery voltage should rise. 2) AMMETER: If you turn on the lights not running, does she swing to discharge????? Does she ever show charge??? The ammeter is basically a short circuit and has to be connected to battery voltage on its high supply side, usually off a wire from the starter post or battery itself. The other (load side) of the ammeter is what powers the lights and ignition and is connected to the BAT terminal on the Voltage Regulator. That side has all the wires to the switch and voltage regulator etc while the other (supply side) only has the wire to the battery. BE SURE YOUR AMMETR IS WIRED THAT WAY. Although this may be repeated below in my standard troubleshootign guide, is the generator well grounded and is the VR well grounded to the generator. MUST BOTH BE. Is the VR's BAT terminal always hot and have you polArized her once all is wired up????? ? Is she still at positive ground as original??? and is the VR compatible with your ground system??? Heres my standard troubleshooting guide. If I get it done, the July issue of Green Magazine will cover this in much greater detail. GENERATOR AND VOLTAGE REGULATOR TROUBLESHOOTING: You first have to have a good battery capable of taking a charge and all the wirign and grounds must be good and in place first. Some people print this and take it to the shop, so try it and let me know how you come out. 1) First, be sure the belt is good and tight and the generator has a good ground to the tractors frame and that the VR has a good ground to the generator. Many problems are caused by a bad ground to the generator or the VR is not well grounded (usually to the gens case). You might run a wire direct from the batterys grounded terminal down to the gen and VR and and connect it to see if thats the problem. 2) There has to be hot full battery voltage present on the VR's BAT terminal so its output can get to and charge the battery. (Use a test lamp or voltmeter to insure that before you go on) The HOT path to get there, is from the battery itself or off the starter post, to and through the ammeter, then down to BAT on the VR. 3) Now if the grounds are good and the VR's BAT terminal is hot, you can finally test the gen and VR to determine which or both are bad. With the tractor running, use a jumper wire and connect the F post out of the generator (smaller of the 2 gen posts) to the generators steel frame ground, and if the ammeter then shows charge, you either have a bad VR or a bad/broken wire connection between the generators F post and the F terminal on the VR. 4) If she still doesnt show charge, leave the F grounded, and then momentarily connect the BAT and ARM (or GEN) on the VR together to see if it shows charge. If she charges then, you have a bad cutout relay inside the VR. If it shows charge only if you connect the VR's BAT terminal direct down to the gens ARM post, the wire is bad (open) between the gens ARM post and the VR's ARM terminal. 5) With the F still grounded and the GEN or ARM on the VR connected to the BAT terminal and if the Gen and VR have good grounds and assuming the BAT terminal is connected to the battery via the ammeter and she still dont charge, its probably a bad generator, cuz you have essentially by passed any bad VR with the tests above. 6) You can also motor test the gen by removing its belt and all its wiring (protect all the wiring so it doesnt short out) and jump wiring the ungrounded bat terminal (i.e. - on a + ground system) to the generators ARM post (larger of 2) and the generator should turn like a motor. A source of such battery power could be the wire from the VR's BAT terminal, as it leads to the battery via the ammeter. If it runs when you do that, then ground out the generators F post and she should slow down slightly. If not, the gens field may be bad. If the gen turns when you apply battery voltage (from the BAT lead or elsewhere) and slows slightly if you ground out the F post, it should generate power fine. 7) For the generator to charge the battery, there has to be a connection between the BAT terminal on the VR to the battery (usually via the ammeter) and test that by using a test light or DC voltmeter and battery voltage should be present on that post ALL THE TIME. If the gens power doesnt reach the battery, it cant ever charge it, and the path is out the ARM post on the Gen, to the GEN or ARM terminal on the VR, through the VR's cut out relay, out to the BAT terminal on the VR, through the ammeter, then to the battery. 8) If she dont charge despite all that and the tests show the gen is bad and NOT the VR because you by passed BOTH the Field and Cutout Relay per the tests above, and the rest of the wiring is good and the gen and VR are grounded properly, heres a few gen troubleshooting tips: a) Many problems are the brush hold down spring assemblys are rusted and corroded so the brushes are not held down tight against the commutator. Use a wire brush and WD 40 and air etc to clean and free up the hold down spring assemblys so the brushes are held tightly down. If the brushes are not worn down too low and held down tight and she still wont charge, you may have an open field winding or a bad armature or a commutator problem. Post back if you want to repair the generator and maybe I can provide more tips. 9) I assume you have tried to polarize the generator lately??? With the tractor off but all the gen and battery and VR all wired and connected properly, momentarily flash jump a wire from the VR's BAT terminal over to its ARM (or GEN) terminal and you should get a small spark. Good Luck n God Bless John T Nordhoff in Indiana
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