12V charging help

When my generator was not working I could run for weeks without having to recharge the battery, even though I have an automotive type battery ignition. if you have had your battery checked and it is good, I would suspect that you have a power drain when the ignition is turned off. I would turn off the ignition and remove the key. make sure all switches are turned off then disconnect the negative pole on the battery and put a digital amp probe from the negative pole of the battery to the negative cable. If you show any amperage at all you have a power drain somewhere in the tractor. If so you need to check all the wiring and make sure that a bare wire isn't making a soft contact on a wet or dirty surface. A bad ignition switch could also be creating a soft ground slowly leaking power into the wiring or tractor frame.

my twin "L" head has a regulator it will be a small "box about 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" with 2 3 or 4 wires coming out of it

from the looks of the manual most of them do

what color are your wires coming from the stator and what color is the connector, with that info i can tell you what charging system you have and the proper way of testing it

Hi, Thank you for the replies. I have look for shorts, and not finding any. Tomorrow I will have the battery checked out. This is the wiring for the manual. Thank you for the help, Mark
[/IMG]

Ok had the battery tested today with a load meter, checks good. When putting the battery back in, hook up the negative side. Left the positive side off. Put the test light clip on the battery post then the light on the cable and it lights up, with the key off. So I guess it is a short some were. We are going to have a few rainy days around here so I guess I have some in side work to do. Thanks for everyones help. Mark

Here's a few pages from the L - Head manual that may help you identify your charging system. Your diagram shows no regulator and 2 wires coming from the alternator. One wire should be an ac voltage for the lights and the other a dc voltage for the battery charge. If your lights work when the engine is running you should be ok on the alternator output. Both these voltages go through your ignition switch. If you have a multimeter you can check the switch for contact integrity by removing the switch connector, (engine not running), and checking the resistance between switch terminals L and the one to the right in your diagram, (I can't read that letter), with the ignition key in the run position.

I don't quite understand the diagram. It shows two leads from the alternator directly to the switch. Unless the charge coil somehow puts out DC, I don't see how it can charge the battery without a rectifier somewhere. Some Briggs systems have an inline diode in one of the wires. Does yours have a 'lump' in either of the wires? The battery draining when not in use and not charging could well be a bad diode. And that could also cause the test light indications you saw.

When you checked the voltage, was your meter set on AC or DC?

Something is missing in the info I think.

Been too busy to do anything this week. Bought a new ignition (I think it may be bad) and a new solenoid, witch I know is bad. Saturday I will install them, and hope for the best. If not then I will have to find some one who knows how to use the meter better then I do.
In edkedk post, Fig3 looks like what I have. Thanks to everyone