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I have a 2006 Z Force 50 with a CV55 Kohler engine. I has stopped charging the battery. I took a multimeter to the voltage regulator and first tested for AC voltage on the two outside terminals. That was fine, fluctuating with the engine RPM ranging about 20 - 30 volts. I then tested the middle terminal for DC voltage and the voltage was only the same as the battery (about 12.3v) and did not fluctuate with RPMs. So I thought I had a bad voltage regulator and replaced it. But the same problem and same readings occur with the new one. Any ideas on what it could be? I would think it is just a matter of AC in and DC out, both fluctuating with RPMs.

DC voltage should be around 14 I think, Don't think it normally fluctuates but needs nearly full throttle to be up there. There are some good videos on Utube for testing the voltage.

Has anyone had the blower housing off lately and left the ground strap off the regulator? When you replaced the regulator did you put the ground strap back on that grounds the regulator to the engine block? It has to be grounded to the block. No such animal as a CV55. Kohler regulators have a surge protector in them to reset unplug the regulator or disconnect the ground battery cable.

I did not notice a strap. There is a plate that is under the right mounting hole on the regulator and the other side has a hole that one of the blower housing bolts goes through. I assumed that is the ground.

yes

With 30 volts AC you should have 14.5 volts DC at the battery. So may need to confirm you are not getting less than 28 volts at the two stator wires while at full throttle. Then take a temporary wire and run it from the center pin on the regulator to the + post of the battery and check the charge voltage. If it jumps to close to 14-14.5 then you have a bad wire between the regulator and the battery. If that doesn't work then run a temporary ground wire from the housing of the regulator to a good engine ground or even to the negative post of the battery and check the charge voltage. With a good stator and a good regulator those are about the only thing that could be causing you no charge issue.

Don't know what I was seeing but I just tested it with a ground wire direct to the negative battery terminal and no change. I rechecked the AC side and now saw it was reading 2 - 3 volts, not 20 - 30. What would drive low voltage there?

Also engine is CV23.

UClawnboy said:

Don't know what I was seeing but I just tested it with a ground wire direct to the negative battery terminal and no change. I rechecked the AC side and now saw it was reading 2 - 3 volts, not 20 - 30. What would drive low voltage there?

Also engine is CV23.

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Two things come to mind. Failed stator, or the flywheel magnets have come loose and are not spinning with the flywheel because they are stuck to the stator.

Stator is either bad or dirty, clean up really well try again and make sure your meter is on the right scale when testing

Sorry attached the wrong manual. Deleted that post. Should have attached this one. https://www.mymowerparts.com/pdf/Ko...d-CV17-CV18-CV20-CV22-CV25-CV22-CV23-CV26.pdf