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Any Ford farm tractor mechanics on board?

jjmitchell60jjmitchell60 Member Posts: 3,887
edited August 2003 in General Discussion
I have a Ford 4600 SU diesel farm tractor that is acting screwy with the chargeing system. What voltage should I be getting from the alternater and if I take the positive battery cable loose while the tractor is running should I still get a charge through it if I hook one end of the muliti meter to the neg terminal and the positive end to the loose positive cable? I get a good reading if the cable is on the battery but when I disconnect the cable, I get no reading. I get a good reading from the selanoid terminal as well when running. The problem here lately is that the tractor will not start after shutting it down without a jump. I brought the battery, all 50 pounds of it, home last night to charge but it had a full charge! I cleaned the negitive terminal today hoping that was it. If not any suggestions and does any one knoww what reading I should get from the back of the alternator, how many volts should it be putting out?

Any advice would be appreciated.
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Comments

  • TOOLS1TOOLS1 Member Posts: 6,133
    edited November -1
    I would look for a short. Do this by taking the neg terminal loose. Turn everything off an the tractor. Conect a test light to the loose neg wire then touch it to the neg post. If it lights up there is a short. Start disconecting things untill you find it. Sometimes the altinator will short inside and drain the battery or the volt reg will do it.
    TOOLS
    P.S. you should be charging at 13 volts

    General TOOLS RRG

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  • bigdaddyjuniorbigdaddyjunior Member Posts: 11,233
    edited November -1
    With everything off except the engine ie, no lights etc.. you should get 13.5 volt from the big red wire off of the alternator if your other probe is grounded. Under load it can charge up to 16.5 volts. Over 16.5 you have a defective regulator and your battery will soon melt down or explode.

    Big Daddy my heros have always been cowboys,they still are it seems
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  • jjmitchell60jjmitchell60 Member Posts: 3,887
    edited November -1
    I think you gentlemen have found my problem![:)] I am only getting 12.4 volts from the alternater. I reckon I will be taking it off next week to take to be rebuilt. Thanks. I was not for sure what the charge from the alternator should be.[8D]
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  • bigdaddyjuniorbigdaddyjunior Member Posts: 11,233
    edited November -1
    Jim,see what happens on your meter with the probes on the battery terminals and the electrical system under a load.Start it up and turn on the lights,radio,whatever. Also check the belt tension.[it happens]If the belt is slipping the voltage will be low.

    Big Daddy my heros have always been cowboys,they still are it seems
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