Kubota L4610 electrical problem (need help please)

[rScotty]

Thank you for the help! I will figure out how to disconnect the glow plugs and eliminate that from the potential problems.

The battery is a wet cell. My charger is pretty old. I've only got two settings for amperage, 2 amp or 15 amps. Will that work? I do have a digital voltmeter with continuity and resistance measurement and AC and DC settings.

Sure, it will work just fine. I'd probably try it for an hour at 15 amps, and feel of the battery every 20 minutes. If it is warm to the touch, drop back to 2 amps and double all the charging times.
And check across the terminals while it is charging to find out what voltage it is charging at and also look to see if the VOM agrees that what it is measuring is DC. Most VOMs will complain if asked to measure DC when/if they are hooked up to something that seems more like AC to them.

And some old chargers as they age begin to put out a pulsating DC that doesn't do much good for the battery. If it is bad enough, some modern VOMs will see that as AC.

I use a BatteryMinder smart charger and find that it will pay for itself in longer battery life. Plus it's a pretty good diagnostic tool. I use it in trickle charge mode so much I was going to get another one, But the darn things cost so much that I couldn't justify it. So ended up buying one for my buddy instead.
rScotty

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

I’ve had corrosion inside the insulation on the battery leads which kept the battery from charging fully. Replaced the cables and everything was fine.

Try checking the resistance from one end to the other of both leads with a multimeter. There should be no resistance. If you have any resistance replace the cables.

 

[rScotty]

I’ve had corrosion inside the insulation on the battery leads which kept the battery from charging fully. Replaced the cables and everything was fine.

Try checking the resistance from one end to the other of both leads with a multimeter. There should be no resistance. If you have any resistance replace the cables.

Was that on the TYM? I had never seen corrosion INSIDE the battery cable at any distance past a half inch or so from the battery terminal until I found it happen on my own Kubota. The internal break in the cable wire was halfway along the length. When I split the insulation open to look, it was corrosion sure enough.

The original Kubota wet cell battery lasted from 2008 to the spring of 2021 - but while doing so it cost me two battery cables and ends. Plus creating a tricky problem to find. On voltage-sensitive modern computer controlled tractors it could have created real problems. Luckily this 2008 Kubota is mostly pre-computer.

I replaced the battery with an AGM. That will 100% prevent any battery fume corrosion problem in the future. So we won't be seeing that particular problem again.
rScotty

 

[skipmarcy]

A much cheaper alternative to stop terminal/cable corrosion is to use the old red & green felt washers around your battery posts and SOAK them good with the corrosion inhibitor that comes in spray cans. The impregnated felts usually don't have much inhibitor on them as they come and will only last a short while. I re-spray mine about once a year and they will last the life of the battery and NO corrosion. Wet cell batteries have always leaked either electrolyte or gas around the posts (unless you were lucky and got one with good seals inside). Currently my spray can is the CRC Marine battery spray - I use it on all of my batteries with posts. Much cheaper than a higher priced battery !!

 

[rScotty]

A much cheaper alternative to stop terminal/cable corrosion is to use the old red & green felt washers around your battery posts and SOAK them good with the corrosion inhibitor that comes in spray cans. The impregnated felts usually don't have much inhibitor on them as they come and will only last a short while. I re-spray mine about once a year and they will last the life of the battery and NO corrosion. Wet cell batteries have always leaked either electrolyte or gas around the posts (unless you were lucky and got one with good seals inside). Currently my spray can is the CRC Marine battery spray - I use it on all of my batteries with posts. Much cheaper than a higher priced battery !!

Yes, that is the age-old debate between which way to fix a problem:
1. Should I go with a inexpensive but higher maintenance solution or....
2. Is it better to go for a more expensive and lower maintenance solution.

I think that there is no best answer. But I have noticed that when we are younger we tend to go with with the first solution and when older the second.
rScotty

 

[Kubotajoe99]

I cleaned the battery terminals and cable clamps today. To check the connection from the negative cable clamp to chassis I measured the resistance at several different places on the chassis and when I first touch it, it reads about 1 ohm but if I hold it for a couple of seconds it goes down to 0.2 ohms. Is that low enough for a good connection? On the positive cable I checked the resistance between the positive cable clamp and the positive on the alternator and it also read 0.2 ohms after a couple of seconds.

I charged the battery at 2 amps and in the beginning with the charger connected it read 12.6 volts but over time it got up to about 13.5v. When the charger was disconnected the battery read 12.95v and an hour after charging stopped it read 12.9v, 2 hours after charging it read 12.88v. I'll check it one more time later tonight.

 

[dirttoys]

Hope I didn't miss this above. Probably not the root cause, but, any chance the mech put an alternator on with the wrong size pulley? Alternator too slow, need too much rpm for good charge.

Best,

ed

 

[LittleBill21]

lots of guesses here but, 1 your mechanic is an idiot if he thinks you need to be over 2000 rpms to charge, alternators charge at idle, diesel changes nothing about this

lets be clear your alternator is not charging, its as simple as that. with the engine running check at the positive post at the alternator itself. if not 13+ you have issue with the alternator it self or wiring for the activation, does this tractor have a battery light? does it come on? does it go out?

changing parts just to change parts is a waste of money and parts

 

[rScotty]

I cleaned the battery terminals and cable clamps today. To check the connection from the negative cable clamp to chassis I measured the resistance at several different places on the chassis and when I first touch it, it reads about 1 ohm but if I hold it for a couple of seconds it goes down to 0.2 ohms. Is that low enough for a good connection? On the positive cable I checked the resistance between the positive cable clamp and the positive on the alternator and it also read 0.2 ohms after a couple of seconds.

I charged the battery at 2 amps and in the beginning with the charger connected it read 12.6 volts but over time it got up to about 13.5v. When the charger was disconnected the battery read 12.95v and an hour after charging stopped it read 12.9v, 2 hours after charging it read 12.88v. I'll check it one more time later tonight.

I don't have any idea why your VOM reads an ohm and then eventually drops to 0.2. My guess is that has to do with the meter, not the battery cable. Does it do the same thing when you just touch the two voltmeter leads together?
How about when you measure something metallic - like from one end of your tool box to the other?

Anyway, I'm tempted to call the cables and connectors good, because after all, they did get to 0.2 ohms in a reasonable amountof time, and that is about the right resistance.

Same verdict on the battery test. If that battery still reads over 12.6 volts this time tomorrow I'll call it good.
Do't forget to disconnect the glow plugs. You can look at them in the parts book on Messick's site and see what they look like and how connected.

I just checked that parts catalogue at Messick's online, and your L4610 uses an alternator that has the diode rectifier plate and the voltage regulator built right onto the alternator case so either can be replaced. Not all alternators are made that way, but yours is. And it means that just as LittleBill21 said, if you measure DC voltazge from the insulated connector post on the back of your alternator to the frame of the tractor then whether the battery is hooked up or not you should see between 13 and 14 point something volts at a fast idle.
If you see less voltage, then either the alternator windings are bad, one of the diodes is bad, the voltage regulator is no good, or the grounding brush is worn out.
If you saw over 13 volts on the back of the alternator at a fast idle, now put the the battery into the circuit if it wasn't already, and measure from one post of the battery to the other post. You should see the identical voltage.
If not, then the problem has to be in the wiring between the alternator and battery - probably in the key switch.

Aside:
There are many ways to repair an alternator. They are built to be easily repaired. But that's assuming that you are starting with a stock Kubota alternator, and it sounds like your mechanic replaced it with something else.

A stock Kubota alternator brand new costs about $320 retail, and comes with all the right brand new parts. It mounts with two bolts and one wire. Depending on what you measure for voltage, that might be where you end up.
Good Luck,
rScotty

 

[Gord Baker]

Both ends of the Negative (Ground) cable are equally important. REMOVE both ends and provide a bright metal to metal contact. Grease them if you wish After tightening.
Visually inspect ALL wiring - lighting included. You may have a severe short circuit to kill the battery that quickly.