New (to me!) ford 3000, runs great, charging issue?

[CrowbarRanch]

Hey there!

I picked up a new to me 73 ford 3000 diesel that has been well taken care of and in great shape. Up here in Montana it's been cold (32 down to -20) so I'm mostly using it to plow snow. I'm a TOTAL newbie when it comes to tractors, despite admiring them from a distance for years and years. My wife and I have started our own little homestead out here on 10 Acres, and I'm using Henry (his name) primarily for snow removal these days to clear our 1 mile road. I love every minute of it!

But first an issue. My battery wouldn't crank the engine once or twice without a jump from my truck, so I picked up a new battery from Napa (wow! Huge and expensive!). I figure the cold snap did it in, it was 2 years old. The engine would crank, sometimes slowly, but I always plugged it in (block and radiator heaters) a good long time before I went to start it. New battery, everything is fine. Except today, after driving it for probably 5 hours on and off with the lights on, I hop off and my boy wants a ride. So I boot up, climb on, and he baaaaarely turns just once, then is dead.

He's on a charger now, but I wonder what is wrong? Bad generator? Think my first battery wasn't shot after all?

I'd love if some people could help me diagnose the issue, but explain like I'm 5. I'm not, but I'm new to tractors.

Thanks all!

 

[pmsmechanic]

Ok so if you want to do a real simple test just hold a metal object like a screwdriver onto the back of the alternator or generator bearing while the engine is running. If there is some magnetic force holding the screwdriver onto the back of the bearing then there is some charging going on. The more magnetic force the more charging. Now that is real simple but it doesn't give definitive answers other than the charging system is putting something out.

Next step would be to buy a multimeter and measure the voltage at the battery while the engine is running. You want the multimeter to be on DC volts while doing this. While the engine is running you should get about 13.5 to 14.7 volts at the battery posts. If you get negative volts the wires are hooked up backwards. No big deal.

The next step would be to take the generator/alternator and the voltage regulator off and take it to a rebuilding shop and have them tested. If that checks out ok them you either have a wiring problem. This will give you a start and then we can go from there. If I don't know something I have friends that do.

One question? Does the tractor have a charging light and if so is it working? If it isn't working then that could be the reason there is no charging.

 

[CrowbarRanch]

This is great, thanks! I'll go out tomorrow and see what I come up with. I do have a multimeter, so I'll be able to check the voltage at the battery.

Regarding the charging light - maybe. The dash panel is pretty cloudy, especially on the sides. I can see my tach and hour meter (tach works, hour meter stopped earlier this year, which is a separate question). The bottom right corner had a red light that would come on when the key was on but the engine wasn't. Come to think of it, that light doesn't come on anymore, regardless of key state or engine state. Is that related to my charging issue?

 

[pmsmechanic]

If the dash panel is made of plastic a bit of oil rubbed onto it will temporarily let you see everything.

The bulb is sometimes used to turn on the alternator/generator. If it's burnt out or the wires are off then there is nothing to turn on the charging system.

 

[oldmech]

HI! I think Ford England as 3000 and 5000 have Pos to ground battery. When we disconnect the battery we often need polarize the system. How to do. I put a jumper wire at voltage regulator between bat and gen post or lug before start and when engine is running and charge . I cut the jumper with a cutter tool. Good Luck! Oldmech

 

[RickB]

HI! I think Ford England as 3000 and 5000 have Pos to ground battery. When we disconnect the battery we often need polarize the system. How to do. I put a jumper wire at voltage regulator between bat and gen post or lug before start and when engine is running and charge . I cut the jumper with a cutter tool. Good Luck! Oldmech

This guy is wrong on both counts.
1965 and up Ford tractors are negative ground no matter where in the world the tractor was built.
Polarizing this generator style system is accomplished by flashing the field, not the armature.

The information posted by oldmech are the two most certain ways to ruin a perfectly good voltage regulator.

 

[Soundguy]

Agreed.

Test bat with engine at high idle, if not about 14 v, then time to motor test Genny.

To the op, slip your belt off, slip the small and large spade lugs off.

Apply 12v+ from your charged and grounded tractor battery to both armature and field. It should spin vigorously.

If it dont, take it to the doctor.

As a side note, you can yr that test to just armature, and it should try to spin weakly from residual mag in the field.

Forget the regulator burning advice and the divining rod magnetic tests. This is a no guess easy situation. A Genny fsiling a motor test needs help. We can go from there.

 

[CrowbarRanch]

This guy is wrong on both counts.
1965 and up Ford tractors are negative ground no matter where in the world the tractor was built.
Polarizing this generator style system is accomplished by flashing the field, not the armature.

The information posted by oldmech are the two most certain ways to ruin a perfectly good voltage regulator.

Thanks for the help guys! I really appreciate it! And the explanations have been excellent, thank you!

Sorry I haven't posted back sooner. We're in the middle of a streak of cold. Really cold. - 22*F cold. Not seeing above 0 for days on end cold. Needless to say, I'm not eager to spend lots of time outside looking at cold tractor.

But there is one thing I noticed while walking in from my truck today - I see three bundled wires near the generator, but one is just dangling there. Two are connected to the back of the generator, but a third is hanging there. It looks like it might be a yellow wire, but the PO painted everything blue, so it's a little hard to tell.

Does that piece of info help anyone diagnose anything?

Thanks!

 

[RickB]

The oil pressure sender is just aft of the power steering pump, or where it would be located if it had P/S. That wire would be a female spade connector.
The coolant temp sender is in the front center of the cylinder head next to the thermostat housing. That wire would have a female bullet connector molded 90 degrees to the wire.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I have an I&T manual for your tractor I scanned the two wiring diagrams in it. Hope this helps.



It's the same wiring diagram for 2000,3000 ans 4000 series tractors. The first diagram is for tractors with a "C" prefix in the serial number and the second one is for tractors with an "A" or a "B" prefix in the serial number.