WheelHorse79 271 #1 Posted February 19, 2015 Tuesday I was plowing snow on my neighbor's driveway when I got a call from work. I stopped and shut off my C-101 during the conversation. After I hung up, I tried to start the tractor and the battery would barely turn over the engine. There wasn't enough current to start the engine, so I walked home, got my truck and jumper cables and jumped the tractor (these things never happen at home). With the jumper cables on the battery, the tractor turned over and started right away. So, I drove the truck home, went back and finished my neighbor's drive and drove the tractor home. As a test, I shut the tractor off and tried to restart it. I had the same symptoms as before, not enough current to turn over the engine. I also noticed that the ammeter was showing a slight battery discharge while the tractor was running. So, my question is, is this a battery, voltage regulator, or magneto problem? How do you suggest I test the electrical system to find the problem? Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WH nut 553 #2 Posted February 19, 2015 If you do a seach there must be 50 threads about charging trouble and they will walk you through the whole test and repair. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 14,951 #3 Posted February 19, 2015 With the engine running at operating speed, put your multimeter on the battery leads and see what the voltage is. The charging system should be putting out between 13.5 to 14.5 volts DC. If it is, then you can assume the charging system is okay. After running for a short time, stop the engine and check the voltage of the battery again. It should be slightly over 12 volts. If not, I'd say you have a bad battery. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 14,951 #4 Posted February 19, 2015 By the way, one of the biggest problems with C-101's is the grounding. Your engine sits in a cradle which is isolated from the frame to reduce vibration. This means that the cradle needs a large wire to ground it to the frame. From the battery, the grounding path goes from the battery to the frame, frame to cradle, cradle to engine block, engine block to starter. If any of those connections is poor, you will have electrical problems. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WheelHorse79 271 #5 Posted February 20, 2015 Thanks for your replies everyone. I'll try to get the tractor checked out this weekend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WheelHorse79 271 #6 Posted February 23, 2015 Well, I found the issue. The electrical connector to the Voltage Regulator was loose and almost slipped off the prongs of the connector. I pushed the connector back on and suddenly the battery started charging. I need to find a way now to keep the connector from vibrating off the Voltage Regulator. Any suggestions? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldredrider 2,548 #7 Posted February 23, 2015 With a small screwdriver, pry the connector closed a little. After cleaning all the spades, a light coating of dialectic grease keeps moisture and rust out. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WH nut 553 #8 Posted February 24, 2015 With a small screwdriver, pry the connector closed a little. After cleaning all the spades, a light coating of dialectic grease keeps moisture and rust out. You can also take needle nose pliers and put a slight twist in the spade on the regulator to tighten up the connection a little Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
