Regulator Testing

[sjmac]

John Deere LX178 - Battery is losing voltage when the mower is running. I installed a new battery thinking the old one was shot. It was 5 years old. The mower started great for a few weeks then it would not start. I checked the voltage on the battery. It was down to 11.6. I jumped the battery and it started. Then I watched the voltage on the battery. It dropped down to 11.4 within a few minutes. I shut off the mower and checked the wires on the regulator. The black and yellow wire on the top of the connector has been burnt. I scraped the contacts to try to clean them but this did not help.

Should I replace the regulator or should be try replacing the burnt contact first?

Are there additional voltage checks I can make before I replace the regulator?

Thanks

 

[jsb2b]

From what I've read in these Forums over the years, a 12v battery should be getting 14.3 volts when the engine is running at high rpms. If not, and the battery connections are clean, the alternator or regulator is bad. I may be wrong but that's my two cents worth...:thumbsup:

 

[sjmac]

I talked to the guy who sold the LX178 to me last spring. He has a repair shop for JD mowers, etc. He sales older JD mowers after restoring them too. I told him about the burnt wire. He has seen this before. He says it is the regulator. I will let you know if replacing it fixes the problem.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Shimon]

You may want to check out this post:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/.../174862-lx178-electrical-system-charging.html

 

[sjmac]

I replaced the regulator in my LX178. That fixed the problem. The charging voltage is over 13 volts. Starts better than when I bought it.

 

[sjmac]

Another tip for anyone replacing the regulator. It is located under the control panel. You will need to remove the steering wheel and then the panel to access the two bolts and nuts that mount the regulator.