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Battery running down

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
We have a MM 4 star and the battery will run down completely and basically ruin the battery. I understand there is a wiring problem but where do you start to find the problem area?
 
Does it have generator/regulator or alternator conversion? How long does it take to run it down?

First suspect would be if it still has generator is that the cut-out points in the regulator that disconnect the battery from generator when not running are stuck together. Disconnect battery ground cable, remove regulator cover and inspect contact points. If points are stuck replace regulator.

If alternator suspect shorted diodes in the alternator. Remove alternator and take to parts house for a check. If bad replace alternator
 
Does it have an alternator ? If so, disconnect it and momentarily touch the wire to see if it sparks. Do the same for other connections.
 
If its still a Generator, when you shut it down does the ammeter swing over n stay at a heavy - discharge and the genny get hot?? If so the Cutout Relay (be it either a 2 wire stand alone or an internal part of a 3 or 4 terminal Voltage Regulator) may be stuck/welded/burned/carboned closed.....If thats the case if the belt were removed the genny would spin.


If thats NOT the case but its more a slow gradual discharge, then there must be a minor higher resistance short in the wiring or switches etc UNLESS the battery itslef is bad which a shop can easily and usually test for free.

If when you remove one of the battery cables with all turned off and bump/scratch/touch it to the terminal theres little sparkies, thats a sign of a short somewhere thats draining the battery over time...

If you need a Troubleshooting Provedure for non charging, let me know.

John T
 
Disconnect a battery cable. Connect a 12V bulb between the cable and the battery. It should light. Now, as you disconnect wires, you can see what dims the light or what shuts it off completely.

It will help track down the problem.
 
The way to check for a residual battery drain is simple. Disconnect the ground cable from the (charged) battery and connect a common "test light" between the battery and the cable. If it lights up, you have a a drain. Start disconnecting components and pulling fuses, one at a time, till the light goes out. When it goes out, you"ve found the source of your problem. I"ve used this procedure on everything from antique tractors to new Cadillacs.
Good Luck and God Bless
 
Thanks for the referral of Jim Guarino, owner of Agri-Services on the cutout relay for "Sam" our 51MT.

Found the priority mail package on the porch this morning.
 
iv got an 8n thats got a dead draw just about -30 on the amp meter its got a brand new coil,points,and 2 regulaters. assuming this was the problem iv had the generater and regulater to a rebuild man and he said there workin fine. before it came to me another guy even changed the wiring not original but some nice wiring Iv checked the wiring several times and its wired up just like the schimatic shows. when i put the ground post on the battery I get heavy sparking.Its also a positive ground system. please give anything u can come up with.
 
Good test procedure. But better results are by using a voltmeter instead of the light. Some battery drains show only a fraction of a volt and that would not light the lamp. Disconnect one thing at a time and when the voltmeter drops to zero, that is the problem item/area. One of the trickiest I ever found was the starter switch on a 1950 Allis. All original paint. Owner washed it to take to show, saturated the paper insulator on the starter switch and it showed about 1/2 volt on the meter. Drained the 6 volt battery within a day enough that the tractor would not start.
 
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