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Walhonding520

Eating Batteries

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Walhonding520

My 520h is on its 3rd battery in 2 years.  I keep charging the battery and I get a few starts out of it but then not enough amps to start again.  Meter only reads around 10-11 while running.  There has also been a lot of corrosion (white calcium like build up) on the positive terminal and into the positive cable.  I am just assuming their is either a voltage leak or it is not charging while running.  Ideas?

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pfrederi

With engine running you should have 14 volts...or a bit more.  You need to clean up the battery terminals make sure your all you r other connection are clear  If that doesn't fix it it may be a regulator issue

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WHX??

Replace the regulator for sure. They are less than 20 bucks and WILL  fail. Most often will overcharge and cook a battery. Check the voltage to the regulator with the motor running at the two outside terminals. Should read 30-40 volts WOT and you will be reading AC voltage. Center term to ground you should read 13-14.5 volts DC at WOT. 

Corrosion on the terminals usually means a acid leak at the battery post. Very common with cheaper batteries.

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Achto

:text-yeahthat: Over charge on the battery will also cause leakage by the terminals. With the engine running wide open you do not want to see more than14.5 to 15 volts DC, any thing over that will damage the battery.

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squonk

I'm willing to bet the terminals in the 9 pin connector are either burn't up or corroded.

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WVHillbilly520H
48 minutes ago, squonk said:

I'm willing to bet the terminals in the 9 pin connector are either burn't up or corroded.

Will look like my picture...usually I just cut it out and reterminal with "bullet" style terminals with bit of dielectric grease when snapping together, Jeff.

IMAG2081.jpg

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WHX??

That pic is gettin kinda old Billy.... any chance we can get can one of your beard in flames cause of an errant spark? :ROTF:

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WVHillbilly520H
6 hours ago, WHX16 said:

That pic is gettin kinda old Billy.... any chance we can get can one of your beard in flames cause of an errant spark? :ROTF:

Ok here we go :text-offtopic: IDK, but I may possibly fit in with the locals at the Big Show :think: if by chance I make it...now back to regularly scheduled programming...sorry that was only pic I took while dismantling the '95 to fix the 9 pin, so now it's on you Jim to add pics of a severely corroded molex connection to help identify the root of most TORO/Onan electrical gremlins.

IMAG1832.jpg

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Walhonding520

Ok. 1-  I am going to clean the 9 pin connector and hope it is in good shape still.  2- replace the regulator (going to look online or check with NAPA.  They carry a few onan parts). 3- already cleaned battery cables/ connections and replaced battery.

 

My meter is reading in the 10-11v range with just the key on and while running.  What should this be a result of?  Electrical is by far my biggest weakness with engines.

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WVHillbilly520H
31 minutes ago, Walhonding520 said:

 

My meter is reading in the 10-11v range with just the key on and while running.  What should this be a result of?  Electrical is by far my biggest weakness with engines.

Areal you talking about your in dash voltmeter? If so it could be bad as well you really need a cheap hand held multi-meter, if it's really not charging past 10-11 volts the regulator is the cheapest route to change out(espesically online) but without a multi-meter to check stator out put an well as regulator out put it's just a parts replacement guessing game, and not to be killjoy but most of the time those molex connectors are toast and the plastic gets brittle from the engine heat cycles and moisture and/or battery acid causing the corrosion, Jeff.

IMAG2694.jpg

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Walhonding520

I think I can get my hands on one.  I will test both.  From what I have seen, different people have different ways of fixing that molex connector.  Any problem with just individually connecting them?  For the price and simplicity, Ill probably replace the regulator anyway.  

I gave all the electrical a good once over last spring when I had a starting issue (seat switch) but I guess i should probably just do it again and clean it all. 

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Sarge

Another thing - make sure the engine is grounded really well back to the battery. Without a solid ground to the regulator, it cannot "read" the voltage in the system to be able to charge the battery. Engine and frame grounds are really important to make the system work.

 

Sarge

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Walhonding520

So I ran it for a while off and on last night and it ran/ started just fine.  The meter on the dash moved a lot, staying mostly at 12v but spiked every now and then at 16v, then went back.  I cleaned a few things well, including the 9 pin.  All seemed fine but it is averaging higher than it was.  Maybe just a bad meter or just needs a good electrical cleaning.

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cleat

I have wired all of mine to be like the early (88 & 89) 520H  nad 520HC.

 

They run the charge wire straight from the regulator down the the starter solenoid battery cable with the 30A inline fuse located just before the solenoid.

 

Takes that load off of the 9 pin (actually 2 pins in the 9 pin).

 

Here is a pic of one of mine with the sealed fuse holder shown tied to the dipstick.

5acfb050e40af_Frontaxle1.jpg.928fa1b64dbd3e33d2ecb98f775ea877.jpg

 

This is the wire diagram for an early 520. Mine are all wired this way totally to get rid of a lot of extra relays and wiring that the later ones have.

 

Wheel horse 520H wire diagram.pdf

 

Cleat

 

 

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