Sometime charges, sometimes not.

[Razerface]

Sometimes when i start my 003a, the batt guage does not move, so i shut it back off and restart. That usually fixes it and it shows the batteries charging. Now today, no matter how many times i restart, the guage stays all the way to left,,,dead.

I am off to try toubleshooting with the charging sticky. Any ideas? How would i check the guage?

i am a terrible electrician

 

[Wildchild467]

Check your batteries with an actual meter instead of looking at the gauge. This will determine if the gauge is bad or if you have an actual charging system problem.

 

[Wildchild467]

Check the gauge by unplugging the one connector in the back. Use a jumper wire to ground the gauge and then use another jumper wire to apply the 24 volts to the electrical connection on the gauge itself. Sometimes the gauge might have a bad ground and that could cause an issue like you are describing. There is also a fuse for the charging system near the injection pump. You could check that to make sure that is in good shape as well and not corroded.

 

[Razerface]

Took off the cover and did the charging system troubleshoot. Batteries fresh off maintainer.

batteries not running- 25.7vdc
Red wire- 25.6v
batteries running 25.7v
red wire running- 27.2v
leads from flywheel running- 23.2vac

stator is bad? Why would voltage go to 27.2 on red wire but not batteries? Stator is real low

 

[Triple Jim]

Why would voltage go to 27.2 on red wire but not batteries?

A bad connection or broken wire between the red output wire and the battery could cause this.

 

[Razerface]

Ok, i am on it! Just follow the wire with the red marker and it will go to battery cable somehow?

 

[Razerface]

I traced it into the cabinet. From there i am lost unless i cut all of the wire ties and make a mess. Anyone know where the red wire from the regulator connects in the cabinet?

 

[Guyfang]

If you look at a wire schematic, you will find out where it goes. Do you have a schematic? Do you know how to read it?

 

[Razerface]

No, i am bad at schematics. Is the one on top of the cabinet what i should be looking at?

 

[Triple Jim]

If it's readable, yes. If not, the -34 TM has a similar one. All the wires are labeled well, so you can trace them by reading the labels, although it can be a little tedious.

 

[Guyfang]

Did you TEST the fuse? Sometimes it looks good, but is not good.

 

[Razerface]

Yes, with the end cover off, i was able to test voltage on both connectors on back of fuse holder. Both show 27.3 volt so juice is flowing thru the fuse.

 

[Guyfang]

Sadly, I have only the ETM schematics to work off of, and they are BAD. But one side of the M-1 Meter, (Batt charging meter) should go to ground. The other side is hard to read, but it looks like it should go to TB-5, pin 4. From there it goes to the K-1 relay, terminal A1-4. Normally open contacts. When the start switch, (S-1) is held in the start position and K-1 gets energised. It causes the contacts (A1-3 and A1-4) to close, allowing power to flow from S-1 Pin 14, to the meter M-1 witch shows if the batteries are charging. So mesure what voltage you have in S-1, terminal 14, when the generator set is running. It should be the same as the battery voltage. If not, problem is between the control cabinet and batteries. If its the same,measure from K1-pin A1-4 to ground. Same voltage? Then measure from K1 pin A1-3 to ground. If the voltage is less, then K1 is bad. If the voltage is the same, (battery voltage) then measure from the terminal 1 on the M-1. Whats that voltage?

 

[Razerface]

Whew! I have to work 12 hours today, but will try to understand and do this sunday. I am almost beat right now and still have a couple hours to go. Hopefully it will make sense after i stare at the schematics and the cabinet!

 

[Guyfang]

Its not that hard. Look at the schematics, write things down. Go step for step. Helps if someone is there with you. A second set of hands, and two heads are better then one. You will get it.

 

[Guyfang]

Testing The M1 meter
Start and operate generator set at rated voltage and frequency.
Release control panel by turning two fasteners and lower control panel slowly.
Set multimeter for DC volts and connect across BATTERY CHARGE ammeter terminals. Connect positive lead
to positive terminal and negative lead to negative terminal if you observe or think battery is charging. Multimeter
should indicate up to 50 mv (for example, 25 mv is equal to a +10 amps reading on BATTERY CHARGE ammeter).
Reverse multimeter leads if you obsere or think battery is discharging. Multimeter should indicate up to 25
mv (for example, 25 mv is equal to a –10 amps reading on BATTERY CHARGE ammeter).
If multimeter indicated millivolt reading and BATTERY CHARGE ammeter is not within =10% of equivalent
ampere reading, or is not indicating, replace BATTERY CHARGE ammeter.
Raise and secure control panel.

 

[Razerface]

Looks like it does charge. If you wait a few minutes after it is started, the voltage on batteries comes up very slowly. I have the cover off of the flywheel. I am thinking the stator should be replaced or at least cleaned since its output numbers are very low. True?

 

[Triple Jim]

What's the output current of the charging system? You can measure it at the fuse pretty easily by taking it out and putting the ammeter leads on the two solder tabs on the fuse holder. If the fan shroud is on, you can probably take off the fuse cap, put the fuse back in without the cap, and complete the circuit with one ammeter lead on the end of the fuse and the other on the metal contact around it.

The behavior you described is normal: The battery voltage slowly rises after starting the engine, and it can easily take an hour or two to get the voltage up to 28. The system puts out only around 7 amps or so as I remember, so it's nothing like a car's system that dumps 100 amps into the battery and gets the voltage back up over 14 almost immediately after starting.

 

[Razerface]

27.2 volts at the fuse
leads from flywheel 23.2 vac

 

[Triple Jim]

I was asking about the charging current, not the voltage. That will give the answer about the condition of the charging system.