108 quit charging
 

I know the ammeter is working because I turn on the headlights on and the DRAIN really shows on it.

This Summer when mowing the needle started sobbing back and forth between charge and drain-thought it might be bad needle but now I think the regulator have have been going. I am electrically challenged and all my tractors now seems to have developed an electric issue like an epidemic.
I need this 108 to work with the snow thrower like right now.
Should I just put on a new regulator?

Do not just start throwing parts and money at it, put a volt meter on the battery when its off and see what the voltage is, then start it and if its charging you will see and increase in voltage by 1 or 2 volts. If you don't have a volt meter then you can simply unhook the battery ( positive terminal )while its running, if it stays running its charging and if it dies then its not. Do this test and report back so we can go from there. Do not trust that the guage in the dash is working properly simply because it moves.

For the record, if the gauge fails, it won't charge.

I just had the 108 running and I removed the positive cable from battery. it shut off.

where should i go from this point in diagnosis?
thanks

The next step for me would be to test the starter/ generator. That procedure can be found on page 4 in the technical library on this site.

I grounded the F terminal on the s/g, and the ammeter showed FULL charge.
Also polarized the generator, and it still won't charge on it's own.

Next step?
Jonathon, could a bad ammeter be also causing it not to charge?

Next step, run a jumper wire from the "Bat" terminal on the V/R to the Pos. battery terminal.

Do not assume that the "Bat" terminal in the wiring diagram is in the same location on the actual V/R. Take it off the machine and check it to see.

Yes. But not if the meter works when you full field it the gen.


Or just use a meter and see what the output on the "B" terminal of the VR is.

Also, check to see if the VR is grounded. A faulty ground will keep it from working.

Sounds like the V/R but as stated above, troubleshoot more to make sure. You can adjust the V/R internal points as there is a procedure for that, also sand and clean normally open and normally closed points inside it. Getting a new one if it's bad will assure that it will work properly but there is a chance there are just duty contacts. The 108 reg is a little hard to adjust in the tractor as it sits down beside the battery but some simple checks will get you going. Good luck

Is there a procedure for cleaning the points and adjusting them? I searched in the tech section but did not find one

also Yosimite Sam "Next step, run a jumper wire from the "Bat" terminal on the V/R to the Pos. battery terminal.
Do not assume that the "Bat" terminal in the wiring diagram is in the same location on the actual V/R. Take it off the machine and check it to see."
i did this and nothing happened with the key on and off, what was supposed to happen when I jumped the VR bat terminal and positive post??

I also removed to VR and it is clean inside, except the points look real worn down. so much so it appears the bottoms of the rivets holding down the points are exposed on each point. a clean sharp knife will not flake off the little "stalagmite" on each point

what next?

thanks

Ok, you have to run the jumper that Y-Sam was talking about WITH IT RUNNING. You can't work on a charging system with the engine off. Only works when it's running, so no testing when off. Unless your ohm'ing wires. You can do that with the engine off.

If the points in the VR look that bad, just replace it.

NOTE: The new one will look different. They had a design change. When you get the new one make sure you know how to wire it up. You going to have to make one of the wires a little longer IIRC. Been a year or so since I changed one on that series so my brain is a little rusty......

i just jumper wired the vr battery terminal with the positive battery post with tractor running and not a thing happened. what does that indicate?
thanks

That the wiring is good and the charging system still is not working.

At this point it has to be the VR. THANKS FOR THE HELP!

I should have been more clear (my mistake). While doing this with the engine running check the voltage at the battery. This bypasses everything in the battery wiring circuit that could be causing the problem.

It sounds like you are on to something with the corroded points in the regulator. I've never seen them worn away as badly as you describe, but I guess it's possible.

When cleaning points of any kind I always use a point file rather than any kind of abrasive paper or cloth. I feel there is too great of a chance for mineral from the paper/cloth or other contaminates to get between the points, preventing contact.

If you clean the contacts you should at least be able to make your situation better. Adjusting the regulator can be quite tedious and I don't recommend trying it if you aren't a very, very patient person. Only making the situation worse, is there are several different styles of V/R depending on vintage and manufacturer. This makes explaining the adjustment process extremely difficult.

When I polarize the Genny, the tractor starts up for a few seconds showing charge, then it drops to drain, turn on the lights and really drains.
I can try filing off the exposed rivet on the point contacts-nothing to loose.
Also on the back of the vr, the fine wire wound around the cable to the "F" post is unwound and broke. that also might be causing problems.

1118981 is this the replacement for Delco 12 volt 4 post 108 cadet VR?
thanks

Time to replace it. It seems roached for more than one reason. As stated above, be sure to wire new one correctly as wiring it incorrectly will sometimes let out the magic smoke that makes it work

NAPA sell them for a good price.
Part #7-016008

new VR arrived today. has 4 terminals just like mine and says "12 volts positive or negative ground"

terminals are not all labeled the same as my other and I am worried about hooking it up
The "bat" and "f" terminal are the same as my old VR-Bat used to be in middle of 3 terminals. the "f" terminal also has the fine wire winding on the back of the new VR to a terminal under the VR on the opposite back side from the 3 terminal posts (looks to be ground maybe like my old VR)

there is also an "l" terminal next to the battery terminal but no "gen" terminal -by deduction is guess "L" is replacing "gen" but i don't want to guess wrong and release magic smoke
help!

"L" is for load. No it DOES NOT replace the "G" terminal. On most of the new ones the "G" terminal is the one on the rear. Post a pic of it. If you hook up the gen to the "L" terminal you will get a surprise. It will start cranking as soon as you hook up the battery.

thanks for stopping me from connecting it that way Jonathan-that would have been something to see!!

I will try to post a pic, the terminal on the backside is not labeled at all tho.
the 3 on the one side of the NEW vr are "F" "BAT" and "L"

MY old VR had 4 wires. one for "ground" (on the back)
one "gen" "bat" and "f"

The one on the back is the new "G" terminal. Seen this many times. Do not use the "L" terminal. Base is supposed to be grounded already. I believe it has a strap, either braided or it looks like a small wire. You are the second person today I've helped with the same problem. Other guy was on FB. :beerchug:

thank-you you are very kind.
I will report back when I hook it all up!

You have Facebook? And here it thought you were cool.:biggrin2:

it charges perfectly! BIG THANKS!
:beerchug:

Yeah...... and mainly all I do is watch news feeds about politics (I watch that stuff pretty close) and cub cadets. Don't worry, I push OCC on there as much as I can. :biggrin2:


:IH Trusted Hand:

Glad that you got it figured out.Did you get the NAPA one?

I had already ordered one before your post on Amazon for $29 with free shipping. said is was tested before shipped from RareElectrical.

NEW 12 VOLT DELCO AGRICULTURAL GENERATOR VOLTAGE REGULATOR 1118981 1118988 the napa one was around $70. I gambled on cheaper and perhaps won this time will see in long run.

Wow i did not know they were that much!

rebooting 108 quit charging with generator question
 

this thread has a pretty good sequential chain of diagnosis tips. and its got the right title.

so i had a bad voltage regulator and replaced. it charged for maybe 6 months and then stopped. of course i hadn't committed the charging circuit to memory and I had put a cigarette lighter tap at the battery to run a sprayer i towed behind, so i put a cigarette plug on a harbor freight charger and just been running it that way for a couple years, like a plug in hybrid so to speak.

just had to tear it down to fix leaking head gasket and got into the while you're there department. so the field wire is showing continuity to ground but i pulled it and made a ground jumper from the field terminal and still no charge. a tiny bit of voltage pops up when i ground the field terminal, 1/4 or 1/3 volt.

generic generator testing procedure says check the brushes and polarity although the thing runs perfectly fine as the starter when i engage the solenoid so i'm thinking that can't be the problem. just about to pull the generator and take it to the armature shop but thought i'd crowdsource my logic.

thanks,

brian

My 102 was wasn't charging, I took the Gen and the VR to a mom and pops repair shop.

The charging side of the Gen was burnt out and the VR was shot, they ordered a new VR and rebuilt the Gen for $200 bucks for both.
I had them order a good VR and not a cheap china made one.

I re-checked the wiring for found some wires was incorrectly wired do to the pervious owner.

After all wiring corrections and reinstalling the VR and Gen, I never had a problem and she's charging as it should.

They told me at the Gen. shop that installing a volt meter was much easier than installing a Amp meter. I still havent put one in.