c160 not charging, help with ohm meter

[can whlvr]

i have been having charging issues with my 1975 c 160 auto,replaced the battery with a new one,went to the kohler manual and downloaded it,great manual,i dont understand one part in the trouble shooting area,they say to check across the ac terminals no engine running and that i should get .1 or .2,is this the same as saying that when you hold the leads together because when i checked mine i got the same as when the leads are held together,i also got more than 28 volts,and when i checked the b+ wire i get 11,the manual says under 14,i dont understand the part when you check across the ac leads with ohms.

[save_old_iron]

Hey Don ,
glad to help you out with this one.

First and foremost - NEVER MEASURE OHMS ON A DEVICE THAT IS "POWERED UP".

At best it will just blow the fuse inside the meter - at worst it can destroy the ohms function on the meter.

Having said that, take a look at this stator assembly



All this really amounts to is about 20 - 30 feet of enameled copper wire wound around a metal laminated core.

What you are measuring when you check the "ohms" or resistance of the stator is actually the resistance of a 30 foot long piece of # 16 or #14 copper wire. So you should expect a very low but not a 0.00 ohms reading.

This link will take you to a site that shows approximate ohms per foot of several different gauge wires

http://www.cirris.com/testing/resistance/wire.html

Using the calculator in the web site - take 30 feet of 16 gauge wire - the calculator states 0.12 ohms - really close to a dead short.

To accurately measure ohms at this low of a value, a good quality multimeter is needed. You are correct in always checking your meter "zero's out" by placing the leads together - some less expensive digital meters will not display a 0.00 result with the meter leads together. Try to unplug and reseat the meter leads into the meter and recheck zero.

If the best you can get with your leads held together is say ... 0.05 - that's OK - remember that number and subtract it from the reading you get when you measure the stator. If your stator measures .20 then your real value is 0.2 - (0.05) = 0.15 ohms

Meter leads and meter lead sockets will corrode over time and WILL add small values of resistance to your final reading . More expensive digital meters have the ability to set a zero ohms on the display - all analog meters have a zero adjust knob. For the purpose of measuring very low ohms, a good quality analog meter with an expanded low ohms scale is a good choice.

Your statement about measuring 28 volts AC is all you really need to know in this case. Regardless of the actual ohms value of the stator, is it producing 28 volts AC which will be converted to DC volts by the rectifier/regulator. The 28 volts AC will become approximately 14 volts DC.

The 11 volts DC on your B+ line is too low, Check your ground connections on the rectifier / regulator body and ALL electrical connections leading to and from the rectifier/regulator. The regulator may be defective but check all the wiring and grounding of the rectifier to the chassis first.

Reviewing this thread may help too. I 'm sure there are several other great threads on this site concerning your problem.

http://whtractor.15.forumer.com/index.php?...t=0&#entry92850

[can whlvr]

thanks chuck,i did look at the search option but couldnot figure out the continuity check,i did clean all conections and new ground wire from rectifier,im gonna check today the b+ reading after going over it again,if im getting 14 volts at the battery when running does this mean its charging?

[save_old_iron]

Don, your on the right track

Check for corroded connection(s) on the body of the rectifier where it bolts to the chassis - this would be a common issue - clean any area on the rectifier that bolts to the chassis and clean the chassis in that same area - sometimes its just that simple.

You have 28 volts AC from the stator and that's a big part of the battle.

Don't forget a bad battery - you could have a dead cell and the battery will never charge to the proper voltage - which is around 14 v DC with the engine RUNNING. When the engine is turned off, anything between approximately 12 - 13 is "normal". 11 volts with the engine running is LOW.

What type of meter are you using ? digital / analog - if you can post the model and manufacturer , I might be able to help you more with the settings on the meter to read ohms.

I'd rather be doing what you doing instead of getting ready to replace a garage door in 25 degree winds this morning. I'll be back in for a cup of coffee in a few hours !!

[can whlvr]

The battery is brand new so it shoulnt be that,i took the shrouds off the motor and pulled the fly wheel today even though i have a tonne of things to do not horse related,i did this because when i checked the volts on the meter i FORGOT that it should be AC not on the dc scale,i got 0 so i assumed that a wire had come loose due to cleaning and checking i got in th ere and found nothing wrong,i took a few pics,and here is the meters i use,not expensive but effective,so i cleaned every thing,put a new ground wire from rectifier and tomorrow i might get the shrouds back on and check the volts from b+,

[save_old_iron]

Don,

Look at it this way, when you really do need to get the flywheel off, you will know how and it will come off.

File this one under "Learning Experiences"

I know that file cabinet is the biggest one in my life right now

Update us all on Sunday.

[save_old_iron]

Don,

your meters are fine - I'm guessing the Mastercraft will not zero out on ohms to a reading of 0.00 so best to use the Sperry and manually zero it out on the lowest ohms scale you have.

[can whlvr]

thanks for the info,yea i have had lots of learning myself lol,i coulnt get time to get to the stable today,i have to replace the 4 bolta that hold the flywheel screen on,the po,s stripped the daylights out of them,had to grind flat sides on them and use the vicegrips on them,thank god that they didnt break and i would have to drill and tap,the flywheel came off real nice and the stator looked like brand new.i will try to finish tomorow but not sure,i was thinking about painting the engine,its half torn down now.

[save_old_iron]

keep us updated on your next step - when your ready

[can whlvr]

well took the day off today,it was sunny and 64 degrees today not gonna get many like today this year now,anyway worked on the c160,man i have ALOT of time into this machine,and i havnt even thought of paint yet except i had to do the wheels the fronts where jd yellow,i hated it so i did them today,they turned out good,not too much rust,the charging system seems to be good,i have 14.4at b+,29 across the engine leads,14.4 at battery when running,does this sound good to the experts,i think if it doesnt hold a charge i will get the NEW battery checked but i think i may have solved this problem,if i did it didnt cost much other than time,i also got all new parts and bulbs and wire and painted the headlight assembly,im trying chrome paint instead of the white that was hardly left,thanks for the help chuck and every one else.

[save_old_iron]

Don,

great work !!

from those voltage measurements, you look like your good to go.

What do you think solved the charging voltage issue?

If the battery is not holding a charge, you might want to consider measuring if there is a current drain on the battery when the ignition switch is turned off. TURN OFF YOUR TRACTOR - disconnect the + battery lead from the battery - set your meter on the 10 AMP position and connect the meter leads between the battery terminal and the battery lead. Any current flow indication on the meter indicates a parasitic current drain which will need to be investigated.

You may have something wired into the tractor that is draining off the battery charge when the tractor is turned off.

Just a thought.

[can whlvr]

good tip chuck i will try that on the weekend,i think the ground wire from the rectifier solved this but who knows because i had everything aparted and cleaned.I replaced the headlights and all the wires and new ground to frame and they work pretty good,nothing as good as the lights on my 414,there like a car.