K-241S won't hold charge

[B-100 10]

I have a B-100 with a Kohler K-241 motor, and it won't hold a charge on the battery anymore. I thought it was just cheap walmart batteries so I checked the voltage and it's only putting out 8.04 volts while running. What should I check next?

[Ed Kennell 35,616]

Check and clean all the connections on the ignition switch, the reg/ rectifier, fuse blocks, battery cables,  and grounds.  Make sure the R/R has a good ground where bolted to the tractor.

 

Oh,  to the

Edited May 31, 2017 by Ed Kennell

[pfrederi 17,129]

Does your B-100 have an ammeter...some do.  If so what does it show while running?

 

If no meter then follow Ed's advice on clean connections and making sure the regulator is grounded.

 

Still no go... follow the wiring harness from the rectifier towards the engine.  There will be a connector, open it find the two white wires from the engine.  Use your multimeter on AC and check voltage on those wires while engine is running should have at least 30 volts.  If not come back for more tests

[rmaynard 14,864]

The B-100 is probably the most simple wiring of all the battery ignition tractors out there. First, as has already been said, check your wires connected to the battery, the regulator/rectifier, ammeter, and ignition switch. Start with the ground wire and make sure that it's clean and tight to the (-) lug of the battery, and to the connection at the engine bolt/frame. Then check the positive cable. Clean and tight at the battery, then check where it hooks to the starter solenoid. At this junction, you will also find a smaller red wire going to one side of the ammeter. From the other side of the ammeter, a green wire goes to the B (battery) terminal of the ignition switch.

 

Now, find the regulator/rectifier. That's the ribbed aluminum device sticking partially out of the hood stand as you are sitting on the seat. On the back of that is a connector with three wires, one orange (if original) and two white, which are coming from under the flywheel of the engine. The orange wire is where the 13.5 to 14.5 VDC comes from to charge the battery. The two white wires (marked AC on the R/R) are from the stator (alternator) under the flywheel. They should read approximately 38 to 48 VAC when the engine is running a half to full throttle. But you only need to check that if you don't have the correct DC voltage needed to charge the battery coming from the orange wire.

 

AFTERTHOUGHT... needless to say, if the battery has a bad cell, you can charge it until next week and it still won't hold a charge.

 

 

 

Edited May 31, 2017 by rmaynard

[SylvanLakeWH 24,093]

 

Another Michigander!!!!

[B-100 10]

Thanks all for the replies. I've found a few issues with this. First of all, I think it had the wrong ignition switch as it wasn't marked I, R, B, S, A, but instead S, S, B, G, and a blank one. I got the correct one installed now. Also the wiring was not hooked up correctly, which is probably because the ammeter does not work and is dropping the current from the solenoid (pos side) from 12 vdc down to 4 by the time the green wire gets to the ignition switch. Once I jumped the red and green wires, the tractor would start again, so when I can afford it, I will be replacing the ammeter. Once it was running, I checked the leads going to the pos terminals on rectifier, and it's only reading at the most 20 vac, and only 10 vdc from the orange wire at the switch. So it looks like my alternator/ stator is bad. I have one on order for 75$, hopefully that fixed it.