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Battery going dead

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Bill A. Jolley

06-09-2001 18:35:14

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Hi Guys, My 1956 Farmall, with a 6 volt system is acting up. The battery is going dead. How do you know if it is the battery or the generator? When it runs the voltage gage indecates a small amount of charging. With the moter off and the switch on it also indecates a small amount of charging. This can't be right?
Bill Jolley

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sod

06-10-2001 13:03:57

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Re: Battery going dead in reply to Bill A. Jolley Jr., 06-09-2001 18:35:14

Bill, I tried to send an email response to yours, but the address on yours wasn't accepted and I couldn't get through.
please try again
sod

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Matt Sheaffer

06-10-2001 09:57:19

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Re: Battery going dead in reply to Bill A. Jolley Jr., 06-09-2001 18:35:14

I have a 1943 farmall H and I had the same problem and I put new battery cabels and a starter button on it and it pretty much fixed the battery problem

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TomH

06-10-2001 05:17:38

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Re: Battery going dead in reply to Bill A. Jolley Jr., 06-09-2001 18:35:14

If you don't have one, get a multimeter and learn how to measure amperage flowing through the circuit, voltage at any point, and resistance between any two points; nothing to it really, you just need to understand what you are looking at.

The gauge you are looking at is probably showing amps, not volts, and will show a small negative (discharge) when the switch is on but tractor not running; although it could be someone replaced the original amp gauge with a volt gauge, or wired the amp gauge backwards so it looks like it's charging with the motor not running.

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Bill A. Jolley Jr.

06-10-2001 07:09:39

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Re: Re: Battery going dead in reply to TomH, 06-10-2001 05:17:38

Thanks for the help Guys. I get right on it today.
Bill Jolley

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Farmer Bob

06-09-2001 19:05:25

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Re: Battery going dead in reply to Bill A. Jolley Jr., 06-09-2001 18:35:14

Bill, It sounds like you have a short to ground in your system somewhere. A fully charged 6V battery will not show a large charging deflection on the ammeter while running but a low battery should be getting about 8-10 amps back into it and showing thus on the ammeter if the generator is working properly. Check your wiring for frayed insulation from one end to the other especially where it runs close to any metal parts.

You didn't mention having a meter so I'll assume you don't have one. If you don't have one, take the generator and regulator off and have them checked out at a starter/generator shop. That way you'll know for sure that they are good or bad. Go from that point with wiring problems, a bad cell on the battery or what-have-you. If you do have a meter, report back and someone will help you with places to check in trobleshooting your system.

BTW, the ammeter should be showing "0" when the tractor is shut down and switch in off position.//FB

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sod

06-09-2001 21:07:45

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Re: Re: Battery going dead in reply to Farmer Bob, 06-09-2001 19:05:25

when you get all the components checked out and put back together, make sure you polarize the generator.
the instructions for doing that are in the box the new regulator comes in.
good luck
P.S. If you didn't take anything else off yet, try doing that first. You must polarize the generator every time you disconnect the batt.

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The Red. HUH?

06-10-2001 10:21:47

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Re: Re: Re: Battery going dead in reply to sod, 06-09-2001 21:07:45

Sod I have never had to re-polarize a generator just because the battery was disconnected.

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Red Dave - Why?

06-10-2001 10:01:25

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Re: Re: Re: Battery going dead in reply to sod, 06-09-2001 21:07:45

Why would you have to polarize the generator whenever you disconnect the battery?

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sod

06-10-2001 13:23:43

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Battery going dead in reply to Red Dave - Why?, 06-10-2001 10:01:25

I'm no expert. The people that make the tractors and generators and regulators say to polarize every time, so I do. It takes two seconds and insures that everything works right. The owners manual for my tractor (450) and for my old harley, and the instructions for ALL the pieces with generators that I have ever owned, say to do it every time.
I have heard that in some circumstances a person can get away with not doing it. If so, fine.
Like I said, it takes two seconds.
good luck
sodbuster

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Red Dave

06-10-2001 16:58:20

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Battery going dead in reply to sod, 06-10-2001 13:23:43

Well, I don't know anything about old harleys, but, I've changed quite a few batteries and never had to re-polarize an operational generator yet. The only time I have had to re-polarize was after the generator was disassembled or sat idle for an extended time. Unless you hook up the battery backwards, I don't see how it would lose it's residual magnetism. I looked in the owner's manual, service manual, I&T manual and servicman's guide for A, B, BN, & AV's and none of them mention it. Perhaps the idea behind it is to make sure the residual magnetism is strong enough that the generator is at peak performance to properly keep a new battery charged.
I'm not trying to get into a p-ing contest here, but, I had never heard that before and I've done quite a bit of electrical work in my time. I was quite curious to hear the rational behind it though. I can't think of anything it can hurt and like you said, it only takes 2 seconds so, OK, thanks for the explanation.

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sod

06-10-2001 18:25:50

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Battery going dead in reply to Red Dave, 06-10-2001 16:58:20

O.K. I looked in my book and apparently I was wrong. The book doesn't say anything about polarizing after battery disconnect. It does say that "If the generator or the regulator has been removed or the leads disconnected, the generator should be repolarized." At least I haven't been hurting anything with my error, but crow still needs a lot of gravy to make it go down.
Thanks for the input.
more good luck to ya sodbuster

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Red Dave

06-10-2001 18:56:27

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Battery going dead in reply to sod, 06-10-2001 18:25:50

Naah! Make it surf & turf Sodbuster. It made me think a little. I don't mind re-thinking things once in a while. It gives the old brain a chance to shake off some dust. Besides, the more I think about it, the more I think it's not a bad idea.

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sod

06-10-2001 19:03:26

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Battery going dead in reply to Red Dave, 06-10-2001 18:56:27

You're too kind. see you in Rugby
sodbuster

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