Bad voltage regulator?

furnacebrook · Jan 12, 2009

I could use some help pretty bad today. I have a Case 580CK gas tractor that has been giving me lots of trouble with the charging system. I had the generator rebuilt in the fall and got a new regulator at the same time. All was working fine when the other day my battery went dead and froze solid. Thought it was just an old battery and got a new one. This time all was well for two weeks when that one went stone dead and froze also. Got a new one and checked to see, with my battery meter and it's charging over 15amps just into the red on this meter. I have also been getting a humming or buzz type noise from the voltage regulator..........I'm thinking it's stuck and overcharging the battery. Also getting a spark when I put the positve lead back on the battery so something is drawing it down. I'm keeping the leads off of the battery for now until I work this out so I don't blow another one.

Thanks for any help..........Scott

Eagleview · Jan 12, 2009

How about some pretty bad help

? If your batteries are "freezing solid" you would have found the problem . I can only imagine the internal damage to the plates etc. and the internal shorts that would be present . I'd store the battery where it is warm if the tractor is outside .

ScottAR · Jan 12, 2009

13-15 volts is standard. Over 15 volts is too high... Peck on the reg. with a screwdriver
handle or whatever and recheck. Sometimes they unstick long enough to confirm the problem. I'd recomend a new reg. These kinda problems can be infuriating.

I had a battery blow it's lid once on the yan deere. Was charging at 18 volts.

furnacebrook · Jan 13, 2009

Thanks for the help to all of you. I have a new regulator coming and will hopefully have it running the way it's supposed to by the weekend. There doesn't seem to be any doubt in all the people I've conatcted that it is the regulator that's the problem. I'm hoping that I have caught this before it ruined another battery. Just put a load test on it and it's still reading good.........so far so good. We are expecting 24 BELOW zero tomorrow and the next so all of my tractor batteries will be heading into the shop for safe keeping. That temperature is alot to ask of anything..........

Thanks again I'll post back with the results

Keeping the home fires and the shop stove and anything else that heats, burning this week.........Scott

oldmech · Jan 13, 2009

Hi! It is an Alternator or an Generator.
ONLY If Generator! You know! We MUST POLARIZE Generator to Battery When we connect or install new Battery or new regulator. It easy after connect new Battery and regulator. Before starting. You connect A JUMPER WIRE between GEN to BAT connector on regulator . You start engine half throttle when running .You cut Jumper.
If ALTERNATOR. With Multimeter. Check Voltage before start. Must be 12.4 v. Check when running must be 13.5 volt and more. May be ! I think You have short or ground circuit for discharge your battery. With Key OFF . Disconnect your battery. and with Multimeter to 10 amp current setting test for discharge between Battery and ground. Must be null or very low some mili amp. Look for short circuit. If You cannot find the trouble . Try disconnect the battery (Just the ground) after use your tractor.
Good luck ! Oldmech

Soundguy · Jan 13, 2009

Don't even have to start.. the momentary jumper does the trick.

That gen/arm to bat works on all A circuits.. and -will- work on B circuits as well.. but there is a better way to do the B circuits.

To the OP.. is this an A or B circuit generator system?

soundguy

furnacebrook · Jan 13, 2009

Thanks for the extra info. I did take the cover off of the regulator today just to see what was going on in there. What I found was the battery terminal coil points where making full contact, there was no gap. looks like the bottom half of the points was bent upward so I bent it down to what looked like a normal position and checked the voltage reading again. Don't ask me how they got that way, this is the first time I've had the cover off. It was not charging at 16 or so amps anymore so I stopped the overcharging. I did forget to polarize again so it's not putting out anything right now but at least I stopped the overcharge. I had been taking off both battery leads just to make sure and got that spark I mentioned when I put them back on. That has stopped as well, I didn't check it with a meter but it seems that was what was causing the short. I also did not know I had to re polarize after each time I disconnect the battery?? I'll do that tomorrow and see what the charging rate is then. Still have a new regulator coming, doesn't hurt to have a spare.
Thanks again.........Scott

furnacebrook · Jan 13, 2009

Soundguy said:
Don't even have to start.. the momentary jumper does the trick.

That gen/arm to bat works on all A circuits.. and -will- work on B circuits as well.. but there is a better way to do the B circuits.

To the OP.. is this an A or B circuit generator system?

soundguy

Thanks for the help. Your question about it being an A or B circuit generator system...........uhh.......I don't know. It's a two wire generator and the regulator has three wires. One marked battery another field and the last armature..........if this helps any. I've polarized before by jumping the battery and armature leads if I remember right.
Thanks again....Scott

Soundguy · Jan 14, 2009

Nope.. don't help.. a/b circuitry depends on how the field is connected...

if you flip the reg over and there is a bias ressitor between the armature and field, it is B circuit.. and if there is a bias resistor between ground and field, then it is A circuit.

soundguy

furnacebrook · Jan 28, 2009

Soundguy said:
Nope.. don't help.. a/b circuitry depends on how the field is connected...

if you flip the reg over and there is a bias ressitor between the armature and field, it is B circuit.. and if there is a bias resistor between ground and field, then it is A circuit.

soundguy

It's a "B" circuit. I tried to polarize but it still did not charge. Then, I checked for a bad ground which there was but it still did not make any difference. So I found another regulator...........this one was on someones shelf in their parts room for years............it has the adjustable points with screws and lock nuts. I've been told they don't make them like that any more? looks pretty heavy duty and the best part is it WORKS!!! Getting about 14.5 volts right now so I hope it stays that way and doesn't cook anymore batteries on me.

Thanks for all the help out there...........Scott