Battery charging?

[Trustyrusty]

Hi

First time poster and not mechanically minded so apologies in advance.

My B6200 HST has been super reliable since I bought it second hand 10 years ago but the electrics have always been a bit dodgy due I think to deteriorating condition of wiring. Recently all gauges, lights, switches etc have given up the ghost, but the glow plug/pre-heating coil still heats up and the engine starts. For me for now that’s good enough as I cant transport the tractor to a mechanic and can’t find one to visit me onsite.

Question is, with things remaining as they are will the battery be re-charging? Or is the connection to the alternator possibly also affected? And might other important things affected by this wiring problem?

 

[85Hokie]

Easiest way to "test" to see if your battery is being charged is to go buy a fairly cheap multimeter. I am sure you can pick up one at a local automotive supply or other electrical supply store. A cheap one should not be more than about $50A - if you use walmart , here is one that works well :

https://www.amazon.com.au/INNOVA-33...d=1&keywords=multimeter&qid=1631788623&sr=8-3

Might even have a friend that has one?

Anyway - place the meter on "volts" - "DC" and place leads on battery with engine off - reading should be something like 12.5 or higher ..........

Start engine and increase the rpms about 3/4 throttle and then test the battery again - IF it is upwards of 14+ volts you are great shape!!!! IF it stays at 12.5 or drops .... you do have a charging problem.

Have you checked behind the dash and checked the fuses ? They could be part of the problem with gauges and lights not working!

 

[GreensvilleJay]

1st step, get a copy of the wiring diagram ! There may be a free WSM online, others should know...
2nd, dodgy for 10 years ,really should have looked at it earlier....
3rd, since the glow plugs still work, alternator/charging system is probably OK. GPs take a LOT of power and would 'drain' a battery after several starts.You'd hear the starter not spin 'normal'.
4th, don't know the age of the tractor or where kept, but over time water will corrode wiring, critters CHEW wiring,fuse will die of old age......

 

[Trustyrusty]

Easiest way to "test" to see if your battery is being charged is to go buy a fairly cheap multimeter. I am sure you can pick up one at a local automotive supply or other electrical supply store. A cheap one should not be more than about $50A - if you use walmart , here is one that works well :

https://www.amazon.com.au/INNOVA-33...d=1&keywords=multimeter&qid=1631788623&sr=8-3

Might even have a friend that has one?

Anyway - place the meter on "volts" - "DC" and place leads on battery with engine off - reading should be something like 12.5 or higher ..........

Start engine and increase the rpms about 3/4 throttle and then test the battery again - IF it is upwards of 14+ volts you are great shape!!!! IF it stays at 12.5 or drops .... you do have a charging problem.

Have you checked behind the dash and checked the fuses ? They could be part of the problem with gauges and lights not working!

Thanks for the reply.
Yes checked two fuses and both ok

 

[Trustyrusty]

1st step, get a copy of the wiring diagram ! There may be a free WSM online, others should know...
2nd, dodgy for 10 years ,really should have looked at it earlier....
3rd, since the glow plugs still work, alternator/charging system is probably OK. GPs take a LOT of power and would 'drain' a battery after several starts.You'd hear the starter not spin 'normal'.
4th, don't know the age of the tractor or where kept, but over time water will corrode wiring, critters CHEW wiring,fuse will die of old age......

Thank you

 

[aschaumburg]

Thanks for the reply.
Yes checked two fuses and both ok

Trustyrusty, did you end up getting this issue fixed? I purchased a B6200d and it is not charging, fires up fine with a charged battery. I'm getting 8V AC from the dynamo at idle and 22v ac at full throttle. I'm wondering if I need to replace the voltage regulator being that my gauges and lights are not working either...

Thanks,
Austin

 

[ostendna]

Sounds like your dynamo is working. The AC signal is fed into a diode bridge and rectified into DC for charging. You can hang the voltmeter across the battery set to DC and see if the voltage jumps to 13.8V after to start and idle a while. Really the best way to tell is after the engine is idling switch the voltmeter to amps configuration and lift the positive of the battery and place the meter in series. This should tell you the amps flowing into the battery for charging. I recently had to split mine to do a clutch and found melted pins from my dynamo in the 8 conductor connector electrical harness plug just under the left instrument panel. (by the clutch pedal)

I got lucky and found a direct replacement on Amazon and soldered all the spade connections and had to replace the connector housing itself.

Search Glarks 6.3mm 8 Pin Electrical Automotive Wire Connector Male Female Socket Plug in Amazon.

 

[ostendna]

Sounds like your dynamo is working. The AC signal is fed into a diode bridge and rectified into DC for charging. You can hang the voltmeter across the battery set to DC and see if the voltage jumps to 13.8V after to start and idle a while. Really the best way to tell is after the engine is idling switch the voltmeter to amps configuration and lift the positive of the battery and place the meter in series. This should tell you the amps flowing into the battery for charging. I recently had to split mine to do a clutch and found melted pins from my dynamo in the 8 conductor connector electrical harness plug just under the left instrument panel. (by the clutch pedal)

I got lucky and found a direct replacement on Amazon and soldered all the spade connections and had to replace the connector housing itself.

Search Glarks 6.3mm 8 Pin Electrical Automotive Wire Connector Male Female Socket Plug in Amazon.

Forgot to mention also that is sounds like your dynamo is not even loaded to the circuit hence the wide voltage swing when throttling the engine.

 

[DustyRusty]

Have you tried cleaning up all the connections to make sure that they are functioning as designed? Ten-year-old tractors need some maintenance, and if you put them back in the condition when new, they will give you the same reliability as when they were new. Electrical connections do deteriorate when they are exposed to moisture, and corrosion does occur when there is an electrical current flowing from point A to point B. It is your job to make sure that the current is flowing properly. Just like the arteries in your body, with age, they start to get clogged, and at some point, if they aren't treated, the heart stops working. Don't let this happen to your tractor or your body. Take good care of both and both will reward you with additional useful years to look forward to.

 

[fried1765]

Have you tried cleaning up all the connections to make sure that they are functioning as designed? Ten-year-old tractors need some maintenance, and if you put them back in the condition when new, they will give you the same reliability as when they were new. Electrical connections do deteriorate when they are exposed to moisture, and corrosion does occur when there is an electrical current flowing from point A to point B. It is your job to make sure that the current is flowing properly. Just like the arteries in your body, with age, they start to get clogged, and at some point, if they aren't treated, the heart stops working. Don't let this happen to your tractor or your body. Take good care of both and both will reward you with additional useful years to look forward to.

Yup......
If I had only known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself !

 

[DustyRusty]

Yup......
If I had only known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself !

It wouldn't have mattered! You are just a grumpy old guy looking for something to complain about!

 

[fried1765]

It wouldn't have mattered! You are just a grumpy old guy looking for something to complain about!

So.......how am I doing ???

 

[DustyRusty]

As a grumpy old guy, you have it set in stone!

 

[fried1765]

As a grumpy old guy, you have it set in stone!

Thanks!
A diamond is a stone!