john T and others short course on tractor electric

SUper M TA recently bought from old gentelman . Battery is hooked positivr gtound as per manuel. Add on lights were not hooked through amp guage. Generator would not charge. Unless ground cable (positive ) was unhooked would sometimes discharge battery. After getting light wire through amp guage lights shoe discharge as they should with engine shut off. Problen is when engine is running generator shows about 7 to 10 amps discharge. When jumped bat to field while running discharge rate went to 20. The generator is working i guess just in wrong direction Regulator looks rather new. If regulator is neg ground only would this cause the problem?? Was it polarized wrong when I bought the tractor?? How can I fix it?? GLEN I do have I&T Manuel!! just does not help or I am to dumb to understand it!!

Since you wired up the lights in the light box, I am wandering if the wires got reversed on the ampmeter by the previous owner.

Ground the field to make it charge after you polarize it by jumping bat to arm.

Remove the reg and it usually will say on the bottom which ground it is built for then go from there.

Thank you repolizered thr gen after charging battery no charge then full field (field to ground) charged positive in ampmeter thers fore must assume regulator is faulty!!

You moved out of Hobbieville and things went downhill ever since lol.....

1) When jumped bat to field while running discharge rate went to 20.

Youre supposed to DEAD GROUND THE FIELD NOT HOOK TO BAT for the full field test... (hope you didnt fry anything)

2) Regulator looks rather new. If regulator is neg ground only would this cause the problem??

I dont think so, they usually can still work at reverse polarity, its just that the contacts may burn prematurely.

3) Was it polarized wrong when I bought the tractor?? How can I fix it??

Sounds like the genny may have been at the incorrect polarity to match the battery ground, in which case the VR may or may not be bad after all that??????

Im getting mixed signals on ammeter wiring so lets start from scratch, heres what Id do.

4) Insure ammeter wiring. Theres but ONE wire to the SUPPLY side, thats the one that connects to the ungrounded battery post often via a wire to the start switch/solenoid where the big battery cable attaches. The other LOAD side wires to BAT on the VR PLUS feeds power to the light switch. As you already know if the ammeter is correct if you turn on lights when shes setting not running it should swing over to - discharge.

5) Install battery,,,,,,,POLARIZE genny by momentarily flash jumping BAT over to GEN/ARM on the VR,,,,,,,,

Start her up n see if she charges (battery voltage should rise at fast RPM)

If not take 2 aspirins n call me Monday at the office AND RUN MY TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURE BELOW especially the dead ground the Field test to see if she charges then......

Move back closer to me

John T
John Ts Troubleshooting

Faulty ORRRRRRRRR not well grounded (insure that first) ORRRRRRRRR wires bad from FLD on VR to FLD on Genny

You may have fried the VR if the genny was at opposite polarity from battery !!!!!!!!

John T