Troy Bilt (MTD) Not charging

[psj12]

I have replaced the battery in my 2005 Troy Bilt (MTD) garden tractor several times in the last 6 mos. At first I thought it was the cheap Wal Mart batteries so I bought a better one.
I can mow about twice and the battery will be so dead it will not engage the blades or crank to start. I must charge it after each use. Because it will start and run and all the accessories work it cannot be the battery connections or fuse.
MTD does not include a wiring digram in their manual. Can anyone help? Tell me what to check and how.

 

[MrJimi]

Find your receipt and you have a 2 year warranty, bring it to an authorized repairing dealer, they can be found online. You should be fine
Jim

 

[mark1]

Locate the voltage regulator.On mine it was fastened to the engine blower housing..It has three wires in a plastic connector, on mine the center wire had mostly pushed out of the connector no longer making good contact with the regulator terminal.(got so hot it melted part of the connector).I cut it free of the plastic,squeezed the terminal and pushed it on. CHARGING AGAIN!

 

[David_Kb7uns]

If it is a Briggs engine sometimes they have a dual circuit alternator with one wire on the connector putting out AC and the other with DC. Depending on the MTD model alot of the key switches have contacts that connect the alternator output to the battery. Have had to replace several switches when the contacts go on them or have taken them apart and cleaned them and re crimped them (not easy to do).
David

 

[psj12]

The problem ended up being one of the voltage regulator wires was broken. It looked OK because it was broken up under the engine cowl where I could not see it.
Thanks for the help in pointing me in the right direction. The knowledge available through these boards is priceless.

 

[Pete Habe]

David, I have a briggs thats not charging. The wiring diagram indicates the key switch is how voltage gets to the battery like you describe. No voltage reg on this? I will confirm one wire from alternator is AC and other is DC. I guess a new switch would be the fix then?