Fuse box location on MF 231 (not231S)

[haycutter52]

Hi all,

Can someone tell me where the fuse box for my 231 MF (1995) tractor is located?:confused2:
For some reason it will not charge the battery, I just recently replaced the alternator which was bad.

Tractor cranked for three days and today was drained down. I am now thinking a fuse or something is blown.
Any thoughts on this will be appreciated very much.

Haycutter.

 

[Travis_R]

If sitting in the seat. It will be on the left side under the hood. You DO NOT have to remove the hood to see or get to the fuse box. Has a black rectangular shaped plastic cover. Mine has the "bullet type" fuses. I replaced some fuses a couple years ago but don't remember any configuration.

But I don't think a fuse is your problem. Im almost positive there was no fuse for "charging the battery". They were for the lights and the "main" fuse for power to the key switch.

I have a MF 231 parts manual and owner's manual.

...forgot to mention there is 1 or 2 more fuses up top behind the dash panel. Have to take the metal cover off on top of the dash panel. Its red and looks like it's part of the hood. Got a black rubber strip that separates this piece that goes from one side of the hood to the other. I think it may be like 4 bolts to remove... It is the cover that has the battery box lid... Don't remove the black metal cover that holds all the instrument panel gauges. It's not necessary.

I hope I've at least helped you a little, and not confused you. I tend to have a difficult time wording things.

 

[Masseywrench]

Have you taken a volt meter and check the voltage at the back of the alternator on the big lug?
You may have charging voltage there but not have it at the gauge nor the battery.
Some tractors have in-line fusible links normally down close to the starter. Some have resister wires down stream from the alternator before it gets to the voltmeter and the starter.

Also is it a one wire alternator or does it have a small 2nd lug on the back near the hot lug or does it have the 2 wire plug into the side of the outer diameter of the alternator. Some of these you can jump 12v across it to little wire to put power to the exciter wire to "turn it on" so to speak. This could be a wiring problem coming off the ignition switch or it could be a bad replacement alternator.

 

[haycutter52]

I got alternator from the MF dealer
my tractor has 3 wires: red,black,greyish with green stripe.

On back of alternator at the 12 o'clock position is a large screw post, put RED wire there tightend down.

On back of alternator at the 9 o'clock position is a screw post with the letter D+ put GREYISH wire with green stripe there.

On back of alternator at the 6 o'clock position is a screw post with a nut and the letter W ( forgot if a + or- was there)

The BLACK wire I lo0sened a bolt on the engine and placed it behind it and retightened,
I'm thinking the BLACK wire is a ground.
i'M thinking something is not connected correctly with these wires.
thanks

sig.

 

[haycutter52]

Hey MasseyWrench
I added the alternators setup maybe that will give you a idea of what I did.

Sig

 

[Tabasco Jack]

Having a similar problem on my Dad's 240. Turns out one of the fuseholders behind the dash was broken and causing a drain.

 

[Masseywrench]

Red wire goes to the big lug for the battery/starter, so that one is correct.

The D+ lug does 2 different things on alternators. It excites the internal regulator and essentially turns it on. It applies voltage to the regulator when you turn the key on and it also connects to the dummy light on the dash, if your tractor has that function.

The W lug is for an AC tap to run a tachometer off of the electrical pulses from the alternator so unless your tach gets its info from the alternator, nothing goes on the W lug.

As for the ground, unless there is a ground lug, that is clearly marked ground or has the symbol for a ground, you do not attach it anywhere on the back of an alternator. You can attach it to one of the ears with a bolt and nut or put an eyelet on it and jam it/bolt it under the nut that tightens the tension adjustment bracket.

Did you put the ground wire on the W lug and run it?

 

[Travis_R]

... Not sure if it's your problem or not but I would SURELY be checking the fuses behind the dash panel.


I'm not having any battery/starting issues with my 231, but the charging indicator light on the dash panel keeps blinking at engine idle. It's been doing this a long time now but has never gave me any starting issue. This is AFTER I start it up and give it a little throttle to make the light go completely out. After the light goes out and I bring the engine right back to idle, the red charging light tends to blink a lot.
...But I notice when I have the lights on or 'using' something with the electrical system, the light doesn't seem to blink. I wonder if a loose alternator belt could be the problem? I know it's a little loose.

 

[Masseywrench]

Travis, Im going to throw a lot of questions at you but if you can answer all of them we can isolate this pretty quick.


Did this light flicker like this when you had the other alternator on?

When you replaced it, did you put on a new one or a remanufactured one?

Did you hook that ground wire to the W lug at anytime and run it?

Yes a loose belt can cause issues like this but most of the time its real loose. If the belt is not tight the pulley is not being driven like it should.

Just by chance have you welded anything on this tractor since this alternator was installed?

This is where you will need a digital multimeter

Turn the key in the run position, take a voltmeter and test for voltage at the D+ lug. Get a good ground from the battery if you can.
If you get no voltage, continue holding your test lead on the D+ and have someone start the tractor.
Keep your eye on the meter and see if you get a short blast of voltage once it starts cranking

Now that its running,
you need to take 2 readings with a multimeter.
One on the battery lug (red wire)
2nd one on the D+ again.
I need to know the voltage off of both of those.

now rev it up real good for a few second and then bring it back to idle and retest both lugs again. Write down all your readings and reply back with them when you can.

Lastly you can take a piece of wire and strip off a little bit on each end. While the tractor is idle you can jump the B lug to the D+ lug. Just a brief touch and then turn to look and see if the light goes out and stays out.


And to give you a little glimpse of hope, this could all be as cheap and easy as bad connection on the dash light somehow but you need to eliminate the alternator first before you tear the dash out.

Sorry to throw so much at you in one post.

 

[haycutter52]

Hey Massey Wrench,

No I did not put "any wire" on that lug.
I did put the black wire behind a nut on the engine block, but I will remove the black wire and put it behind one of the bolts used to hold the alternator tight. Today I will follow the yellow wire that goes from starter to switch to see if I find any broke or cut places.Would the fuse in the line look like a regular kind of fuse or something different.
Also MasseWrench all your thought are appreciated very much.
All suggestion you offer I will follow.

Sig