TC18 Alternator Light is ON

[hondorner]

The alternator light on my TC18 has been coming on for some time; first at very low RPMs and turning off at mowing RPM, but lately at any RPM. Of course, the battery has also not been getting a charge. Eventually, it stopped in the middle of a field and wouldn't start again. I've been having some health problems and my son has been running the tractor, so I wasn't as aware of it as I might have been.

It wouldn't take a jump, and the battery wouldn't take a charge, so I put a new battery in it and got it out of the field and over to the garage. They tested the battery at the store and found a dead cell, but that is gone, and the light is still on.

I pulled the alternator off, thinking to take it to the auto electric shop in town to get it tested, but found that it is nothing but a stator assembly, works something like a magneto. The auto electric shop said they could not test it. They also suggested that it could be the voltage regulator.

There is not an internal voltage regulator; this thing has only one moving part and one bearing, which is fine. In fact, the shop said it was unlikely that the alternator was bad.

Also, the opinions are that the voltage regulator would be a lot less expensive than the alternator, and the better choice for a trial and error replacement.

The problem is, I don't have a service manual, I have no idea where the voltage regulator is, and I have no clue what it looks like in order to find it.

Is there anyone out there with a TC18 Service Manual who could look it up and give me some clues?

 

[jinman]

The regulator is on the side of the steering column area and a new one is about $142. That's all the info I have. I have no access to schematics. Did you buy this tractor new? If so, the Owner's Manual contains wiring schematics in the back.

Oh yes, welcome to TBN, and I hope your health improves soon.

 

[Eagleview]

Have you checked the belt tension/condition ?

 

[hondorner]

The regulator is on the side of the steering column area and a new one is about $142. That's all the info I have. I have no access to schematics. Did you buy this tractor new? If so, the Owner's Manual contains wiring schematics in the back.

Oh yes, welcome to TBN, and I hope your health improves soon.

Yes. bought it new, and I have an Owner's Manual somewhere -- I just have to find it. I saw a reference to a regulator near the steering column in the on-line parts manuals, but there was no image, and no reference to what kind of regulator it is. That was my next task -- tearing into the plastic covers around the steering column and hunting for it.

The health thing is getting better --- I had heart surgery 4 weeks ago and I can't do everything I want, yet. But, I'm getting there.

Have you checked the belt tension/condition ?

Yes-- that was the first thing I checked. The tension was fine and the alternator was turning at the appropriate speed. Good thought, though...

 

[hondorner]

By the way, I was a member here several years ago, when the tractor was fairly new, and I seem to recall that I was able to download a .pdf of a service manual from somewhere. I can't find it now; I think that was a couple of computer crashes ago and I lost it. Does anyone know of such a link?

 

[JC-jetro]

I'd check the voltage output to see where you are first. there are testers that can also tell if you have a bad diode that does not rectify (ac to dc) current. I went to NH website and wiring harness all they got and it is far cry of wiring diagram.it shows it where Jim indicated. You might open up the file below to see if it helps you. Welcome to TBN blue and wish you to feel better soon.

JC,

 

[hondorner]

I'd check the voltage output to see where you are first. there are testers that can also tell if you have a bad diode that does not rectify (ac to dc) current. I went to NH website and wiring harness all they got and it is far cry of wiring diagram.it shows it where Jim indicated. You might open up the file below to see if it helps you. Welcome to TBN blue and wish you to feel better soon.

JC,

That does help a little -- it's a larger scale than the one I saw at Messick. Thanks. By the way, I use Foxit for .pdfs, too.

 

[jinman]

Here is a link to New Hollands Manuals. You can purchase them and download in PDF form or get the paper copy. Just enter your tractor model number and the type of manual you want into the blanks on the left side of this page before hitting the Search button.

New Holland Manuals

 

[guyw]

Wow. When I bought my TC18 manual on CD a few years ago, I paid around $80. I see it is now over $200 for the same CD. BTW, if you are interested in the CD version, there are two listed. Part number 86590938-CD is for serial numbers less than UD33666 and part number 87012847-CD is for serial number UD33666 and above.

Guy.

 

[hondorner]

The tractor is now over 7 years old and in all that time, I've never needed a service manual. I'm now over 70 years old, and I'm not going to be tackling any big jobs. In fact, I wouldn't even be tackling this problem except my dealer went out of business (Sunrise Tractor in Fort Pierce, Wauchula and West Palm Beach,all in Florida), the next nearest dealers are around 100 miles away, and I haven't been driving after the surgery, and especially not hooking up and lading the trailer.

So, I bit the bullet and ordered Section 3, the electrical section, of the manual for $66 delivered (counting postage, tax and a handling fee, for a lousy book, if you can believe that). I hope it's enough to show a picture of the voltage regulator, otherwise I'm going to have a useless tractor and be in the market for a zero turn mower.

I was hoping that someone with a manual might have scanned the appropriate page, but this will work.