Will not stay running

[Free Range 0]

I’m no mechanic, but can follow directions, and these engine look fairly simple, so if my question sounds like it’s coming from a novice that’s because I am, please forgive me.

 

Ok, here is the problem, I can hook the jumper cables up get it started, shortly after taking them off it dies, like within 20 seconds. I did it again and this time just took the pos jumper off waited for it to start dying, put it back on and the engine caught again and continued to run. So to me that means there is no spark being generated by the engine. Ok here is the novice part of me, there is no alternator on these things, so what generates electricity to provide the spark? And how can I fix this problem? Or is it just that my battery is so dead it is causing the problem?

 

I have a C-160 with a Kohler K341 AS engine. 

[WH nut 553]

You arent charging, there are several threads on here on how to check it. I dont know how to link it. You can do a seach. I bet there are no less than 2 dozen threads on charging sysytem

[Jeff-C175 7,195]

You could be not charging AND have a completely shot battery!

[Free Range 0]

New information, I charged the battery with a battery charger, engine started and ran for at least 20 mins, which was all I needed to finish mowing the yard. So sounds like battery is ok, now I need to fix the charging problem. Still looking back through past post to find what I need.

[wheeledhorseman 573]

Kohler engines equiped with a battery charging system have an alternator incorporated into the flywheel consisting of magenets embeded in the flywheel and a set of stator coils mounted to the engine plate. This produces alternating current (AC) which is transferred via a pair of leads which exit the engine from behind the flywheel cover and go to a rectifier regulator where the AC is converted to DC to charge the battery and also regulated so that the battery doesn't get overcharged.

 

The rectifier regulator (RR) is the silver / grey thingie with fins that is mounted above the ammeter on a C-160 and the most likely culpret asuming that a wire hasn't broken  or come off somewhere. Corrosion on any of the three terminals can prevent a charge. The corrosion can sometimes be so bad that a terminal has come away completely from the unit. The RR must have a good earth to the chassis and again corrosion can prevent this. I would check the RR out first.

 

It is possible for an RR to fail internally or for the stator coils to become faulty at which point a test meter is needed if the above fails to resolve the no charging issue. SOI has produced some excellent diagrams to help which I'll track down the threads and add another post here.

 

Hope this helps a bit

 

Andy

[wheeledhorseman 573]

Haven't tracted them down yet so I'll continue. To complete the testing you need a digital multimeter.

 

With the meter set to measure DC volts you should get 12 volts or there abouts between the B+ terminal of the RR and a decent ground when the ignition switch is on. It should disappear when the ignition switch is turned off. If that is the case then the tractor wiring is ready to go.

 

Remove the two wires from the RR that go to the alternator and connect the meter to these. With the meter set to read AC volts and the engine running at full throttle the reading should be about 32 volts AC. Kohler say 'above 28 volts but in practice I'd expect about 32 volts) If this is the case the the alternator is ready to go so if there isn't any charging (having reconnected the wires to the RR) then it looks like the RR has failed and will need replacing.

 

Before condeming it though it's worth connecting the multimeter (set to DC volts) to the battery and watch what happens when the engine is run at full throttle. If the voltage rises above 13 volts heading towards 14 volts then the RR is working and trying to charge the battery. If this is the case then I suspect the battery has got old and is failing to accept charge from a regulated source. From experience it is possible to get some charge into batteries like this using an older traditional type mains charger (usually these have an ammeter rather than LED indicators to show charging and charge finished / maintenace charge). A modern charger can think that an old battery is charged long before it has taken much charge at all - the same is true for an RR.

[Save Old Iron 1,563]

click to enlarge

 

[tbbahner 27]

Hang in there, you'll get her figured out. We've all been where you are, at some point. You'll learn a lot off this forum as there are a few electrical guru's to give you advice.

Or, bring it up here to Rossville and we'll go through it.

Tom B

[Free Range 0]

Thanks so much for the information, this will come in handy for sure.