Our saw mill runs fine and we shut it down, not enough juice to start the motor but plenty of power for the up\down and feed. Our battery box has 1 green wire to the positive and 2 wires to the negative. Also 2 Black wires just wire nutted together with no connection to the battery. Cant find wiring diagram to check. Is it possible the engine isnt charging the battery but there is still enough juice to operate other functions. Saw starts and operates with jump
Any Ideas?
Thanx, Rich
Can you check the alternator to see if it's putting out a charge to the battery?
Second....how old is the battery?
You could check the voltage at the battery with the engine off, then check again with the engine running and you should see at least a couple of volts increase.
interesting problem, a newer mill might need high voltage to start the motor. I have an outboard motor that will crank over but not start, it needs 13.4 volts to fire the power pack.
More info would be needed, Mill type, batteyr age,
Poston and millwright have the first step correct. If you determine that the charging device (not sure about the LT 30) is working start looking for bad connections, Probably the biggest problem on a mill and starting with the battery posts.
Hope you have a good voltmeter. They're indespensible when troubleshooting mill electrical problems. Make some meter leads with clamps instead of probes. Easier to watch what happens when you're doing something else (with your hands).
And somebody please scan and e-mail him a schematic. I don't have one.
Also, member Sparks is a good source of information on electrical troubleshooting. He'll probably post this thread soon.
Battery is new, we will try tomorrow to see if it is getting a charge. Mill is old so I will check all the wire first if there is a charge problem.
Thanx, Rich
A trick daddy taught me years ago, To see if alt,or gen( yes I remember those} is charging, take a screw driver with the motor running at the back of said alt in the center, take the screwdriver and see if it is drawn tward the barring. I guess if it is charging it will be magnetic.
When I had an electrical problem, I called WM tech support and the electrical guy told me how to figure out what was wrong.
He said to test the alternator at the post on the back and make sure it was putting out 14.2 or more volts. If it's not then there could be a problem.
My last problem was that the red light on my control box dash was burnt out. This light has to be ok for the charging system to charge. I didn't have a spare "red light" but I had a spare green light and put that in and all was well, again.
But if that isn't your problem then you need to make sure that your 14.2 or more volts are getting to the battery.
To start you check at the alternator and again if it's putting out 14.2 or more then check at the battery to see if it is getting the 14.2 or more there.
Sometimes it isn't.
So what you need to do is figure out where the problem is. And the problem is corrosion between the connectors or connection in the power system from the alternator and the battery.
You start at the alternator and check the voltage at the next connection down the wire. You check the input side and the out put side. If the voltage drops more the point two from one side to the other then there is corrosion at that joint/connection. Take it apart and either wire brush off the terminals or if bad replace them.
Continue this checking of input side out output side of every connection from the alternator to the battery and when you find where the voltage drops more the point two volts that's where the problem is. You may have more than one. So you may need to check them all.
Once you have it so that you're getting the same voltage at the alternator and the battery you should be good to go. If you have a good battery. And you said it was new so you should be ok.
Now if this is all ok and you're already getting the same voltage at the battery and the alternator then you may have another problem. And to solve that you may have to call WM.
Jim Rogers
Good morning Moandrich, There is a small circut breaker or a thermal breaker that is on the positive line right at the battery post. This opens and closes and when it closes it may not close all the way---happens to me once in a while. I have to push down on the top of the switch to make it connect---sometimes--lol I have a 1985 model and do have all the schematics for my mill. I can make copies and send them to you if you thought that this would help. Otherwise I just call WM as they generally can solve the problem. You have to talk to an old guy tho----lol lol :D :D :D Don
Not sure about this one, but if you have power for up/down & fwd/rev, but it won't start (turn over), sounds to me like maybe a broken wire to the starter or the start position in your switch is burnt out!
What motor do you have? I have an lt40 with a Briggs 18hp and have had lots of battery issues through the years. If you can run the mill all day without the battery going flat, its not a charging problem.
So we still have not fixed the mill, just keep charging the battery. Runs when battery is disconnected.
Pull red wire off regulator and no juice coming from it. Has 2 black wires going to it and 1 red wire going to mill. Could the regulator be shot? Looked on jackssmallengine warehouse and could not find the right one. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanx, Rich
Did you check the regulator with the mill running? Did you touch the chassis with your negative lead?
I had a similar problem in my truck. Regulator went bad causing the battery to be overcharged, which lead to the failure of the battery over time, to the point where it would not turn over if I shut it off and tried to restart it. But it would run if I jumped it.
Keep in mind this will put a heavy load on your alternator, it actually made mine go bad before I realized what was going on.
Yes the mill was running and i used the negative hook up on engine
Sometimes ground connections go bad, you might try cleaning those connections with a wire brush and/or contact cleaner
Hello,
What engine and hp? Stators produce AC current then it is changed to DC current in the regulator. When checking the stator use the AC setting on your volt meter. Some stators have just two wires and can be checked easily with the volt meter engine running or ohms engine not running. Would need more information to get the spec. and give better advise.
Marty
It is a Briggs 18hp. going to check Sunday.
Checked voltage this morning. 14volts ac before regulator at idle. .75volts dc after.
Had to replace the regulator on my 16hp briggs. Bought aftermarket online . Has been working for a year now.