New Mechanical Mini Gauges Installed On My ISKI G-174 Ampmeter Problem ?

ampa · Jun 8, 2009

The oil/temp gauges are workin' fine,but the alternator amp meter is not showin' that it is chargin' when I turn on the headlights or use the starter it shows a negitive discharge so that part of it works okay, but when the engine is runnin' the ampmeter pointer is stationary (zero charge) I have this meter connected to the battery side of the selonoid to the negitive side of the ampmeter the possitive is connected to the positive + side of the ampmeter from here it is connected to the ignition switch, I installed a new kubota ignition switch and done away with the original two that were installed, this new keyed ignition switch has 5 terminals one of the 5 is for assesories, the old starter switch only had 4 terminals, the old idiot lites for oil/temp/amps were not all workin' the only one that did work was the amplite and it came on with the key activated and went out after the engine was runnin' so therefore it was chargin' before I changed everything to these mini guages, I'm wonderin' if maybe I shorted or burnt the dioids on the altornator or maybe the voltage regulator, how do I go about checkin' these two items, I have a volt meter I use on my van by connectin' the leads to the battery leads the negitive and the possitive and it reads out in volts which if chargin' reads about 14 volts with the van engine runnin' but on this tractor it reads around 12 volts, even if this readin' shows me the alternator is not chargin' how would I know if the voltage regulator is indeed not functioning, or maybe the alternator is the problem, would like to know how to check both before sendin' for a new alternator or regulator, Thanks in advance for all answers to my problem, take care AMPA........

ampa · Jun 8, 2009

Re: New Mechanical Mini Gauges Installed On My ISEKI G-174 Ampmeter Problem ?

Oh sorry,. I forgot to mention I did not cut off the the old leads from the idiot lites, I put heat shrink tube over them, except for one that is white with a red stripe, from the wiring diagram in my repair book it seems to run from the voltage regulator and to me seems to be only a ground wire as is the next one beside it which connects into the wiring harness under the dash,from the voltage regulator, this white one is just hanging loose till I find out where it was originally connected to, maybe it was a ground wire for the idiot lites for which there were 3 and only these 3 are now wrapped up with heatshrink and tucked up under the dash, I should have took a pic of these wires before I removed them, but if someone can tell me where this wire connects to, it very well may be the reason my system is not chargin' seein it is connected to the voltage regulator, ......AMPA

kmarchin · Jun 8, 2009

take a VOM meter and make sure it is charging.

I think you may have put an amp meter in place of voltage light.

You would need to replace with a voltage guage.

CurlyDave · Jun 8, 2009

Actually, you are far better off with a voltmeter than an ammeter.

1. No high current behind the dash.

2. ~13.6 Volts when engine is running = system working, less = system not working.

3.A voltmeter can use 16 or 18 gauge wire with no problem.

If you really did install an ammeter, how large are the wires you used? They need to be rated for the full charging amperage of the alternator, which is a lot bigger than most people use. Another question is what is the size of the ammeter? If it isn't rated for high enough current, you are buying trouble.

ampa · Jun 27, 2009

Replaced Amp/Oil/Temp with gauges also replaced ignition switch/alt not charging

I replaced key ignition switch which on my ISEKI G-174 had a starter switch which was activated by a key switch for the assessories as well...now I have a red and white wire hanging loose with 3 wires that the idiot lights were connected to that I can't remember where it was connected...on the wiring diagram it shows it to be connected to the #30 terminal of the all in one new Kubota key start switch...but when I connect this white with a red stripe wire...it acts as a ground or should I say it sparks.....this wire is connected to the voltage regulator and shown as IG...on the wiring diagram....I've checked with a volt meter and the alternator is shown as not charging....I think that maybe I burned out the diodes on the alternator or maybe burned out something on the regulator by messing around with this one red and white wire that I have no clue to where and how it was connected originaly....any help to this issue will be gratefully appreciated.....AL

ampa · Jul 3, 2009

I have not had any comments or suggestions on a past question.....

I'm almost ready to give up and just use my small battery charger whenever the battery goes dead from a none chargin' system on this ISEKI G-174 compact tractor....surely these tractors are no different from other makes....this was not a problem till I changed out the idiot lamps oil/temp/amp as the only one that lit up when I turned on the key....at the time this was the only lamp that worked... and it always went out after the engine started.... so I assume it was charging at that time...when I installed these three mini mechanical guages... at the same time I also changed out the ignition switch from where I had two switches to one....I'm more concerned with the voltage regulator bein' the problem right now...I left all the wires from the dumb idiot lamps hangin' free for now....I'm thinkin' of removin' them from the wiring harness to cut down on the extra mess of wires that I now have under the dash and also creat less cofussion ... for now there are four wires not connected to anything down from under the dash.... a black wire from the oil sender switch..... one from the temp and one from the alternator/amp lamp...now this 4th wire from the other three is ....yellow with a reddish orange stripe...now I will read off from the diagram pictured in my ISEKI G-174 repair manuel these wires that are connected to and from the voltage regulator in this order.......W/R which is this fourth wire hangin' with the other three wires that are not connected to anything so therefore starting from the voltage regulator this "W/R" is marked as "IGN"....okay the next wire is "Y/W" and the letter "L" and the next one is "B" (black I assume) and is marked with the letter "E" the next is a "Y" and is marked with the letter "N" the next is a "W" marked with the letter "A" the last one is a "W/B" and is marked with the letter "F" which to me I'm thinkin' refers to the Field of the alternator....so just maybe connecting the first wire the white with the reddish orange stripe to my accesories on the new ignition switch which does not have an ignition terminal like old one I changed out... I'm now thinkin' maybe this reddish striped wire sends DC power to the voltage regulator when the key is on... it controls the set of points in the regulator to keep the battery in a charged up condition....this is just my thinkin. as I've tried everything else to get this tractor back up to par and charge like it did before I messed with it......I really need some expert advice/help.....I'm not able to transport this tractor to a shop that will probley charge me an arm and a leg to fix the problem that I maybe created for myself.... I've mentioned everything I've done since it stopped charging... I'm takin' the full blame for screwin' it up.....thanks in advance.......AMPA

Tread70 · Jul 3, 2009

Re: I have not had any comments or suggestions on a past question.....

Well I am new here but lets see if this will help ya out. I attached the wiring diagram but here is the link to the pdf so you can make sure it is the correct one but if it isn't it should get you close.

http://sonnys_bolens.tripod.com/iseki/TX2140-2160-OM.pdf

SPYDERLK · Jul 3, 2009

Re: I have not had any comments or suggestions on a past question.....

Im not familiar with your system, but 1st put that charge lamp back in. Systems need B+ presented to L terminal thru a "resistor" to trigger the vreg. If that doesnt work look elsewhere, but leave the lamp in until youre sure its not part of it.
larry

Bird · Jul 3, 2009

I have not had any comments or suggestions on a past question.....

Yes, but you should not start a new thread each time you ask. Instead, just "Reply" to yourself to continue a thread. It's much simpler to keep an entire discussion on the same topic together in one place. So I've merged three different threads to make this one.

ampa · Jul 4, 2009

Okay Bird I appoligize...but I did not get a response to my first question for which I needed at least someone to come to my rescue...as I'm new to this forum....I did in fact meet Cowboy which to me seems like a very honest type or should I say a very helpful person like yourself....if I didn't need help on this issue on this Japan made compact tractor then I would have went back to PER forum the guys that play with their toy tractors with Briggs and Stratton single and twin engines....goodbye talk to you guys later when you realize that I'm just another person needin" information to my problem.....AMPA