LX277 electrical question

arch252

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2014
Threads
78
Messages
406
Electrical issues are my weakness. I picked up an LX277, owner said battery was a year old but was bad. It was a 230 cca battery on a 17hp Kawi that requires 500 cca so I assumed that was the issue. I put a new battery in it. Just to be safe, I put the meter on it, 12.47 vdc on the battery terminals when running, when I turned it off the battery was at 12.49 vdc. I checked the two white wires coming from the alternator, I checked them at the connection terminals, one wire showed 12.46 vdc and the other showed 12.61 vdc. Can anyone tell me what this means or what else I need to test?

I'm assuming the current on the battery should be higher when running than when the mower is off because it should be putting some charge back into the battery.
 

arch252

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2014
Threads
78
Messages
406
Follow up, I unplugged the two wires from the stator to the regulator. When running the stator is hovering around 30 vac. The red wire on the regulator is hot even when the key if off, I didn't think it was supposed to be hot when the key is off.
 

bertsmobile1

Lawn Royalty
Joined
Nov 29, 2014
Threads
64
Messages
24,647
Regulator is dead .
The diodes are allowing power to go from the battery to the stator.
The stator then thinks it is an electric motor and runs the battery down .
 

arch252

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2014
Threads
78
Messages
406
Replaced the regulator, all seems well. The red wire is still hot at the terminal even when the key is off but does not appear to be causing any battery drain and now the battery is up just over 14 vdc when running, so it's getting a charge.
 

raisin1

Member
Joined
May 22, 2019
Threads
1
Messages
16
Make sure connector is tight at that hot point. You may need to pinch terminal gently. Terminal should offer some resistence when pushed on.
 

bertsmobile1

Lawn Royalty
Joined
Nov 29, 2014
Threads
64
Messages
24,647
The terminal should be stone cold when the mower is off & has not been used for a while.
So there is a short somewhere that will only get worse over time.
 

StarTech

Lawn Royalty
Top Poster Of Month
Joined
Feb 19, 2020
Threads
75
Messages
10,108
Thought I smelt smoke....Stop and think about it while putting brain in gear. I know most lawn mower repair tech are not very knowledgeable when it comes to electrical things but I still hate see them leading others off the deep end.

Electrically hot and temperature hot are two different things. Must ask if temperature or electrical hot. It does makes a difference.

Going back to lurking...
 
Last edited:
Top