Electrical woes

Forest#2 said:
The battery is not charging:

What others have said and
Looking at the wiring diagram:
Does yours have the AC ammeter on the dash?

Have you checked the stator output as 28v AC? (this is wire to wire, not to ground)
The case on the regulator MUST BE GROUNDED GOOD to get a charge

If these check ok jumper the red wire from the regulator to the pos post on the battery through a 15 amp in-line fuse. start the engine and measure the battery voltage at high throttle.

Intermittent backfiring might be caused from contaminated fuel.
Does it backfire out the exhaust or carb?????
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It does not have the ammeter on the dash. In order to check the stator output, would I just unplug the wire from the stator and place the multimeter leads inline to measure the amps while it is running? I have double yellow wires coming from the stator, does it matter which wire I choose, or measure both. I know they line up specifically going to the vr so I will make sure to keep them paired correctly. I just checked the inline fuse that is on the mower for resistance and it is an open loop when I put the leads in each side of the fuse holder. The mower was not running at the time and key was turned off. Does it need power with the key on to check that?

And it only really backfires when I turn it off. When it's running it will occasionally sputter or surge. I suppose I was misleading when I said that, it doesn't backfire all the time and technically hasn't while I have been mowing so my apologies for stating that.
 
sgkent said:
What other have said^^^

People here have on occasion posted that some alternator systems need a near fully charged battery to work correctly. Charge the battery again, and then check the voltage on it before starting the mower. Check it again with it running to see if it is higher or lower.

DISCONNECT the battery when you are charging it just to make sure you don't toast the new VR
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ok. I will throw it on the charger again. Appreciate it.
 
slomo said:
That tells me the ignition timing is off.

Again, check the flywheel key. Make sure flywheel bolt is torqued to proper spec.

Or possible excess fuel or lack of in the muffler lighting off running super lean or rich.
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I checked both and torque is still at 60lbs and key is good. I think I was misleading on the backfiring. It only backfires when I turn it off sometimes. When it's running it will occasionally sputter or surge. It hasn't done that since I changed the coils and plugs. It did however backfire pretty loud after I was trying to start it after replacing the stator. I am assuming that was excessive fuel? It hasn't done it since, but I still double checked the flywheel. Appreciate your response and leads to narrow this down. About to go throw the battery on the charger again and see if that helps.
 
TxTodd said:
It does not have the ammeter on the dash. In order to check the stator output, would I just unplug the wire from the stator and place the multimeter leads inline to measure the amps while it is running? I have double yellow wires coming from the stator, does it matter which wire I choose, or measure both. I know they line up specifically going to the vr so I will make sure to keep them paired correctly. I just checked the inline fuse that is on the mower for resistance and it is an open loop when I put the leads in each side of the fuse holder. The mower was not running at the time and key was turned off. Does it need power with the key on to check that?

And it only really backfires when I turn it off. When it's running it will occasionally sputter or surge. I suppose I was misleading when I said that, it doesn't backfire all the time and technically hasn't while I have been mowing so my apologies for stating that.
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Although I’m not clear on what fuse you are referring to and how you are checking it, “OL” means the fuse is spent. Replace it.
 
Are you getting ac voltage on the battery while running? That will cause the pto to not work and kill even a new battery. I see this on Kohlers sometimes. Usually caused by the voltage regulator, or on some models the diodes in the wire harness. Make sure the voltage regulator is actually grounded too. Sometimes requires a jumper wire from the case of the regulator to the block.
 
TxTodd said:
It does not have the ammeter on the dash. In order to check the stator output, would I just unplug the wire from the stator and place the multimeter leads inline to measure the amps while it is running? I have double yellow wires coming from the stator, does it matter which wire I choose, or measure both. I know they line up specifically going to the vr so I will make sure to keep them paired correctly. I just checked the inline fuse that is on the mower for resistance and it is an open loop when I put the leads in each side of the fuse holder. The mower was not running at the time and key was turned off. Does it need power with the key on to check that?

And it only really backfires when I turn it off. When it's running it will occasionally sputter or surge. I suppose I was misleading when I said that, it doesn't backfire all the time and technically hasn't while I have been mowing so my apologies for stating that.
Click to expand...
OL on a fuse mean that it’s blown but here’s a tip check your meter first touch the lead together. See if it is working if it reads resistance with the leads touching then check the fuse again and if it’s still OL then pull the fuse out and look at it. should be able to see if it’s blown on the inside visually

Do not check resistance with the mower running or with the battery connected if there’s power in the wire, it will mess with the reading so make sure you disconnect the battery first. Resistance should be close to zero.
 

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TxTodd said:
Good evening. I am at a loss. I would like to begin by saying that automotive electrical is not my best subject. I try, but I end up with a mess usually, or I feel like everything works against me to create unique and unheard of issues. All that to say I need major help. I will try to cover everything I have done up until this point, because I may have messed something up along the way. Here we go:

2013 Ariens A22H46 lawn mower.

Lots of backfiring and battery kept draining. I replaced the coils and plugs, battery, major cleaning of the carb, changed oil. Battery was on the charger. Seemed to help, but then she started backfiring again and then wouldn't start. Bought a new battery and she ran great, then mower blades wouldn't engage and she wouldn't start anymore.

Replaced electric PTO switch and ignition switch and solenoid. Charged battery. Worked for a while until the PTO just quit. Read that it might be alternator so sure enough, not charging battery when checked with multimeter. Replaced stator and voltage regulator, checked inline 20 amp fuse (still good), still not charging battery. Don't know what else to do and don't know how to use a multimeter to its full potential.

To recap, these are the items that have been replaced with new parts: (and I bought them all from Amazon, but they seemed to be small businesses working with Amazon)

Ignition switch
PTO switch
solenoid
coils and plugs
stator
voltage regulator
checked fuse and it is good

still no charge at battery when engine is running. And battery is now showing 10.75 volts and will continuously drop voltage when it is running, no blades engaged or lights on.

I have bypassed the safety switch in the seat because it had finally given up the ghost. I bypassed it by removing the metal sleeve type thing in the harness under the seat. I saw a video on it but can't remember any more details about it.

Oh, and the ignition switch seems backwards. I used to have to turn it back one position to keep the blades engaged while backing up, that position has changed now. I no longer have to turn it back, and if I do, the blades will disengage when backing up. It's like the poles have reversed or something.

I think that is it. Again, I am not the best at automotive electrical and could really use some help. I want to learn because I know this hinders me and I won't let it beat me. Thanks for any advice.
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I had most of those problems an the battery (also new) had reversed polarity. Check it for orientation (volts will show as minus)
 
Have voltages been tested coming from the stator and regulator with a multimeter? AC voltage from the stator (going into the regulator) should be around 30 volts, and DC voltage coming out of the regulator should be around 14.4 volts, which is plenty adequate to charge a good battery with sound connections. I would also check for a wire shorting out somewhere causing a current draw, especially under the blower housing where a mouse could chew insulation, or vibration would cause wire insulation to fail. New coils would do no good if a ground wire had a bare spot in it, which could also cause backfiring and poor engine running.
 
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