Dim Head Light

[1973Auto 80]

Noticed while I was plowing that my headlight was Dim. It is a retrofit single utility light from Auto Zone, Tractor Supply, Etc. Besides the obvious that the light might be bad, is there any other reasons why the light my be dim. Checked the wiring and it seemed tight, nothing loose. Didn't check a whole lot considering it was 8 deg last night in western NY. No I did not get the 5 feet in the Buffalo area, I am south of that. Thanks All.

[AJ_Thanatos 516]

Has it always been dim or did it just start?

[1973Auto 80]

was a lot brighter before.

[Geno 1,929]

Do you have a tractor with a 3 amp charging system?  It may not be able to handle the extra wattage.  Does the light have a good ground? 

[AJ_Thanatos 516]

Geno is right, The specs on the light would help. 

[Digger 66 3,488]

 Does the light have a good ground?  

 

X - 2  ^

[1973Auto 80]

I have had this same type of light for about 9-10 years. Earlier this year it was much brighter. I have not done a thorough inspection of the wiring. I did have an issue with not getting spark on the plug. I did run a new wire from the amp meter to the starter,

[1973Auto 80]

Correction not to the starter but to the cylinoid.

[Digger 66 3,488]

Try a jumper direct to the battery ? 

[ericj 1,579]

check your out put to the battery you may not be charging  or putting enough voltage out to run your lights.

 

 

 

 

eric j

[1973Auto 80]

Hello All: Revisiting this topic. The headlight is DIM if I just turn the key w/out the engine running. Also it gets dimmer as I plow. THEN the battery is dead after I park it. So, I am guessing that 1) the battery is not charging.  or 2) the battery is shot, time for a new one. If the battery is not charging, what is the action to check and/or fix.  I suck at the electrical parts so you guys need to explain in elementary terms.

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,465]

Do you have a voltmeter for testing purposes? With the engine not running you should have about 12 across the battery posts. Start the engine and the voltage should increase to about 14.4 volts depending on the state of battery charge. Any increase in voltage indicates it is charging but is it enough?

 

A lamp at 12 volts is noticeably dimmer that one powered by 14 volts.

 

What is the model number of your tractor? Failing that post all the numbers off the engine data decal. Sounds like you have self-powered magneto ignition or that would die also with a low battery.

 

Garry

[1973Auto 80]

Thanks Garry. No I do not have a volt meter. I need to buy one. I don't have the model # but it is a 1973 auto w/ a 12hp kohler. If that helps at all. Could the battery possibly be shot and not able to charge? Just thinking out loud.

[546cowboy 302]

First you better buy or borrow a good digital volt meter because you are going to need one from time to time, They are not that expensive and will keep you from pulling your hair out. Check Harbor Freight.

 

Charge the battery, crank the engine a couple times with the leads attached and watch the voltage, if it drops to 9 or 10 volts it's most likely the battery. if it is OK then test the voltage across the battery with the engine running.

 

If the battery is bad with a shorted plate it may not show 14 v, from the charge circuit. If you have one of those Walmart cheap batteries and it is two years old, you should change it.

 

Other than that be sure you have a good ground on the battery and that light.

Edited January 8, 2015 by 546cowboy

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,465]

Here are your manuals

 

The engine should be a K301S-47421d with 15 amp stator and battery ignition. I am surprised it runs OK with a very low battery.

 

Basics

Make sure the top of the battery is clean and dry. Dust and dirt will hold moisture which creates a short between the cells and battery posts. It could contain sulfuric acid so watch your clothes and what you touch. Water and baking soda will neutralize the acid.

Always remove the negative battery cable first and hook it up last. Best to remove the cable and isolate it doing the following so you don't accidently cause a short.

See if you can remove the voltage regulator before removing the 3-wire connector. This will give you a chance to examine the connector and terminals which could be badly corroded. The trick is to get the connector off without breaking the terminals. Handle with care. Polishing the terminals of rust and applying dielectric grease will often restore the connections. The body of the regulator requires a ground connection to the battery. Often easier to add a ground wire from one of the regulator mounting bolts to the negative battery cable.

 

Reconnect the negative battery cable. Do the following with the key in the RUN position but the engine NOT running.

When you get it all hooked back up take your new voltmeter red lead to the (+) battery post and black to the (-) post and record the voltage. Now move the red lead to the B+ terminal on the regulator. Should have the same reading and if you don't you need to fix that.

 

Let us know what you find.

 

Garry 

[Hodge71 665]

If I remember correctly SOI says that if your battery is at 12 volts, its lost part of its charge already. Its should be closer to 13 when its not running. Garry is right about the 14.4 volts DC or so to charge. You may have a bad voltage regulator or the stator ring is bad on the engine. If you have 14.4 VDC when the tractor is running at 2/3 throttle then your charging circuit is ok and that would point me towards the battery. If you don't, then check your input wires to the voltage regulator with your meter. You should have about 28 VAC at full throttle there in the stator is ok. Any less than that you have to replace the ring. If you do have the 28 VAC then you need a new regulator

Edited January 8, 2015 by Hodge71

[Geno 1,929]

I fixed no charging issues on 2 of them in the shop today, both of them were bad connections at the regulator.  It would be a good thing to check. 

[1973Auto 80]

Thanks guys. Will try all the above this weekend. First stop is Home Depot to buy a volt meter. Supposed to get up to 2 feet of snow in WNY by Saturday morning so I need to get this taken care of.

[Don1977 605]

All the power to charge the battery goes through the Amp gauge clean and check those connections too.

[Save Old Iron 1,571]

Try a jumper direct to the battery ? 

 

 

or hookup the battery charger while the engine is running.

 

If the light gets brighter, wiring is probably OK and the charging system

is then suspect.

 

Please get a multimeter ($20) so further testing can be accomplished.

[Save Old Iron 1,571]

as far as dim lights at night, I remember my grand pappy used to say

 

"yellow teeth? wear a brown tie"

 

tractor translation = dim lights? use the tractor during the daytime

 

until you find the problem.

[1973Auto 80]

Old Iron....Got that right, I plowed the other night with a head lamp!

[1973Auto 80]

Well here is the update. First, I bought a volt meter, yah me!. Second, cleaned all the connections and made sure everything was tight.

Third, did all the testing, engine off, running etc. all the correct voltage. So, came to the conclusion that the connections were bad or dirty. At the least, or best whichever way you want to look at it, I need a new battery in the near future. I knew I would get all the help and answers here. Thanks all.!!!!!!!

[Geno 1,929]

Connections fix a lot of problems in these old tractors, glad you got her back to normal!  

[tunahead72 2,543]

Now that you have a meter, I would check your battery voltage again at rest after your tractor's been sitting for a day or so, will give you an idea how quickly it's discharging in between uses. You might also consider buying a charger to keep it strong, especially if it's stored in a cold area over the winter.