electrical issue lt16 vanguard

[Tractor39]

i checked the stator again this time with a digital meter. It says 26 volts at wot. could this be the problem? Not enough voltage? I hear that 30 to 40 should be what I expect at wide open...

[sparklie]

If the PO didn't replace the stater then I would think the problem that caused the fire on the wireing has come back or is still there.

[sparklie]

I also think if it was mine.--- I would replace the fuse and unplug the regulator and stater and see if it blows the fuse. As always make up your own mind if you want to test this way.

If anyone thinks that there would be a problem testing this way just jump in and let Tractor 39 know.

[Tractor39]

i put the original reg back in and was able to get the blades going so i could get some grass mowed. the amp meter showed neg 5 amps the whole time untill the blades stopped working. i checked the power going to the pto and it showed good, but the blades wouldn't engage and they still won't. going out now to check it again with a fresh charge on the battery. could there be a short in the pto?

[sparklie]

Always start checking after you know that you have a hot battery and good clean and tight cables.

Did you have either the stater or the regulator unpluged?

[sparklie]

You said before that you got a neg. 5 amp draw when you engaged the blades. And this time while mowing neg.5 amps
That being the case we can see that you are not getting any charging to the battery.

[WNYTractorTinkerer]

Originally Posted by Tractor39

i probably fried the new regulator...i am ready to set this tractor on fire, that is if it dosn't just burst into flames on it's own. my grass is getting tall. time to get the push mower out.

Hire a herd of Goats or Horses!

It sounds like you are confusing Amps & volts.. The dash guage displays Amps. If it is showing -5, it means you are discharging 5 Amps and killing the battery.

Have you load-tested the battery to verify it is good? Make it happen as a bad battery will defiantely cause your trouble.

Are your positive & GROUND wire connections Clean and tight? Another cause..

**Unhooking the battery and running the engine will fry some regs depending on the type**

I don't know about 40V AC for the stator but I think the output should be closer to ~30-36V AC. Test this by unplugging the Regulator with the engine off and then start the engine, get it to WOT and test between the 2 wires that come from behind the flyheel cover and go to the Reg plug with your multi-meter set to AC volts. If it's below 30V AC theres a problem in Stator-land.. Investigate further..

To test the Stator 'short-to-Ground' theory offered above- The stator windings should be isolated from the engine's ground.. With the engine / key Off and the regulator unplugged, install a Test light connected to the battery's positive terminal. Verify the connection by testing to a known ground.. Test to the two stator wires from behind the shroud and if the light lights- You have a short to ground! Find it and repair it.

If not, plug the reg. back in and test the battery voltage with engine @ WOT with the PTO off. If it's 13.5-14V DC it is working correctly.

If you turn the PTO on and the voltage drops below 12V DC you may have a bad electric Clutch or short in your PTO wiring.

Hope this makes some sense to ya!

Report back with results or questions..

[sparklie]

I guess it would be beter wrote as -5 amps. But we knew we were thinking of amps because we wrote amps and we knew it was 5 amps under center line of gauge.

So the battery has a + and a - mark and they are also called possitive and negative. So the amp gauge can only be called - center line and not neg center line? : thThumbsU

[racecar406]

After you test your stator and its ok, and you have everything hooked back up. Disconnect single red wire from regulator and turn the key to the "ON" position and on the regulator side of the red wire plug you should have your battery voltage 12+V. If not showing battery voltage you could have a faulty key switch or something else in the circuit "Amp meter, Fuse holder, ect. You can extend the red wire from regulator strait to the positive post of battery and check for charging voltage of 14+ volts wide open throttle.

[racecar406]

Originally Posted by racecar406

After you test your stator and its ok, and you have everything hooked back up. Disconnect single red wire from regulator and turn the key to the "ON" position and on the regulator side of the red wire plug you should have your battery voltage 12+V. If not showing battery voltage you could have a faulty key switch or something else in the circuit "Amp meter, Fuse holder, ect. You can extend the red wire from regulator strait to the positive post of battery and check for charging voltage of 14+ volts wide open throttle.

I'm Sorry.... With the key on you should have battery voltage on the "wire harness side" of red wire.

[Tractor39]

i went ahead and ordered a new stator and got that in. as you know before, the old one was only making 26 ac volts. i put the new one in and...same exact thing, 26 volts. getting ****** because i just threw 50 bucks away. then i thought i had better put the new reg in and try it that way...it works. i mowed for 2 hours and it did perfectly and charged the way it should. only thing i can figure is that the old stator had a short in it and it would only surface when it got hot? and when it did, it would play havoc on the rest of the electrical system. the only thing is, when i replaced the reg the first time (2 years ago), it did the same exact thing. it worked perfectly for a couple of weeks and then went back to not charging. if it craps out on me again, i am going to the jd dealer and getting a new one. the old vanguard still runs like a top though and that is the only reason i have put up with it so long. really a great engine, but that x500 jd is an awesome tractor. all i have to do is sign a paper and they will deliver it. i want it real bad...

[sparklie]

You talked about the way it did a couple of years ago when u replaced the regulator but you need to keep in mind that u didn't replace the stator back then.-----I think u are ok now and the problem was made worse by not replaceing stator and regulator at the same time. Before when it did the same thing i think that it was the stator was breaking down to a point that it shorted out the regulator. I realy think you will be good now. I'm glad u got it going. good luck.