Battery/Alt Problem?

[james4912]

G'morning,
Got a Shibarua SD2803 T and the battery indicator is on during operation. I checked the "original" battery and it was said to be bad. I replaced it and it is still on. When the original battery was in, I checked the voltage at the battery when the tractor was running and the voltage was somewhere around 18 volts (I might be off on the voltage). I want to do some trouble shooting but thought I'd ask you folks first. Is it normal for the battery light to be on during operation? Is the problem battery, alternator, or something else? What should I check? Thanks for your help.

Jesse

 

[DarinRay]

Well Jesse,

I am not sure on your model or manufacturer specs but I don't think that the light should be on. Are you sure its the charging light thats on? I know I've read threads on different gray market machines and they found out that certain lights were different than what they originally thought. THat's the only reason why I'm asking and am not questioning you personally. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

If it was me I would double check your voltage reading again at the battery when it's running. I suspect that if it's reading 18 then there is something wrong with your charging system like the voltage regulator. If it's reading low voltage try to adjust teh tension on your alternator this worked for me on one of my Kubota excavators awhile back- may be in need of new belt but it is still working so check that too. I am sure someone here will be of better help but wanted to jump in with my pea brain. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Darin

 

[gbirky]

Jesse,
Many of the grey market tractors have a battery electrolyte (liquid) low level indicator. Maybe that is what the indicator is. The original battery that came in the tractor when it was new would have had a sensor on it which plugged into the wiring harness. Your "original" battery probably didn't have it, and I'm certain the one you have in it now doesn't have the sensor. Check to see if there is a free two conductor pulg on the wiring harness near the battery. Connecting the two conductors on this plug should turn the light off.

 

[Bird]

Jesse, I think you've gotten two good answers already. And if you really are getting 18 volts at the battery with the engine running, I would think you'll soon burn up a battery. There's much I don't know about electricity, so someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you should be in 13.6 to 14.4 volt range to charge the battery.

 

[DavidD]

I have an Iseki ts1610 that has a 3rd light on the dash. It comes on whenever the key is on and glows brighter the longer it runs.Could this also be a battery liquid level indicator?

 

[kayssupply]

Does the battery stay charged? Leave the lights on and run it down some and see if it will charge back. I had a later model Shib. It had a battery water level sensor,BUT it only had one wire and you had to power it to shut off the light.

 

[DavesTractor]

The TU180 Battery fluid level indicator is a one wire affair as well, and must have power to turn off the light. I pulled the bulb out of the dash.

 

[TWINKLE_TOES]

<font color=blue>so someone correct me if I'm wrong</font color=blue>

I have been waiting for that opportunity, and I'll have to wait some more./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Assuming good battery, good alternator, good regulator, you may have a high resistance connection somewhere in the charge path. Check (remove clean and tighten) all the wire terminations including the mounting surfaces for the alternator.

 

[james4912]

Thanks for the replys. I checked and I too only have one wire. Since I'm having so much fun figuring out the machine, I think I'll keep looking for a way to turn out the light without taking the bulb out like Dave did. If I can't, I'll do what Dave did. Thanks--Jesse.

 

[Soundguy]

One problem I have found is bad ground reference to the voltage regulator. On my yanmar, I ran a seperate wire as a ground for the regulator, even though it was bolted to the 'firewall'.

Clean bright and tight connections are always the best.

Soundguy