My father-in-law's Gravely recently had its voltage regulator replaced without being tested (shade tree mechanic friend who was "sure" that was why the battery isn't charging.)
Today I downloaded from kohler.com a service manual (Kohler Courage 23 engine) and the parts manual for this machine from Ariens. I could not find a service manual.
The Kohler service manual does describe how to check both the regulator and the stator, running or not running. Seems that info came about $75 too late because that's what the local shop charged for the new regulator. The friend turning the wrenches didn't ask the man behind the counter to test the regulator and now the old one's gone.
Model 992143
early serial (000168)
So today we realized this mower has a second fuse. I pull the fuse and yep it's blown. Father-in-law says he'd never touched the fuse. It was a 20A so that's what I put back in. Tonight I confirmed from the Gravely wiring diagram that 20A is the correct size fuse. It's a purple wire coming off the regulator's B+ terminal.
Popped in the new fuse and now the battery shows another volt (about 13.4) when running. Yay, fixed. Ran it a little while, pulled fuse, fuse still good, hand the mower off to the wife and she runs it all over the yard and let me tell you that grass didn't stand a chance. Looking good. She stopped it once or twice during her session and it restarted.
Finished after about 40 minutes to park it and it would not start. Barely enough to bump the starter but not crank over. Check fuse ... its bad.
******************
Still with me? So I'm thinking:
1) Follow the purple wire everywhere possible and verify there's no exposed wire shorting to ground. But other than that, what would cause so much current to be in that wire?
2) The Kohler manual says there should be no more than 14.7v coming from the B+ terminal of the regulator. Again, we haven't actually tested that but instead did test at the battery, 13.4v when engine running (and fuse not blown).
3) Would a bad stator send a crapload of amperage out? I didn't read anything anywhere about testing for amperage from the stator nor regulator, just voltage (at least 28 VAC from stator according to Kohler.)
Today I downloaded from kohler.com a service manual (Kohler Courage 23 engine) and the parts manual for this machine from Ariens. I could not find a service manual.
The Kohler service manual does describe how to check both the regulator and the stator, running or not running. Seems that info came about $75 too late because that's what the local shop charged for the new regulator. The friend turning the wrenches didn't ask the man behind the counter to test the regulator and now the old one's gone.
Model 992143
early serial (000168)
So today we realized this mower has a second fuse. I pull the fuse and yep it's blown. Father-in-law says he'd never touched the fuse. It was a 20A so that's what I put back in. Tonight I confirmed from the Gravely wiring diagram that 20A is the correct size fuse. It's a purple wire coming off the regulator's B+ terminal.
Popped in the new fuse and now the battery shows another volt (about 13.4) when running. Yay, fixed. Ran it a little while, pulled fuse, fuse still good, hand the mower off to the wife and she runs it all over the yard and let me tell you that grass didn't stand a chance. Looking good. She stopped it once or twice during her session and it restarted.
Finished after about 40 minutes to park it and it would not start. Barely enough to bump the starter but not crank over. Check fuse ... its bad.
******************
Still with me? So I'm thinking:
1) Follow the purple wire everywhere possible and verify there's no exposed wire shorting to ground. But other than that, what would cause so much current to be in that wire?
2) The Kohler manual says there should be no more than 14.7v coming from the B+ terminal of the regulator. Again, we haven't actually tested that but instead did test at the battery, 13.4v when engine running (and fuse not blown).
3) Would a bad stator send a crapload of amperage out? I didn't read anything anywhere about testing for amperage from the stator nor regulator, just voltage (at least 28 VAC from stator according to Kohler.)