Electrical problem on my 106

[New_England]

Hello,

I have been chasing down an electrical problem in my CC 106. I've been having wires melting and smoking. I checked and cleaned up starter solenoid and key switch. Replaced the wiring harness. Today it was running great for about ten minutes. The amp guage was all the way to the right(+) and then eventually was at zero. The ground wire to the battery melted. I thought I was going to blow the battery up which is new. I am not convinced it is not damaged.

At this point I am thinking there is a problem with the starter/generator or the voltage regulator. Any suggestions or thoughts on this would be great.

Thanks!

[R Bedell]

Is the tractor wired correctly, as per the Diagram in our Technical Library Section, as seen on page #5 ??

[sawdustdad]

If the ground wire from the battery to the frame melted, and it's a 6 ga or larger wire, you have a dead short somewhere. In a large conductor, the only one being the positive cable. Assuming your starter is working, it's not going to be in the starter, or it wouldn't work.

I'd follow the positive lead from the battery, to the solenoid. and from the other side of the solenoid to the starter, looking for a cut or wear point. Finding none, pull the battery leads off the solenoid and check for a short to ground from either of two large terminals. Or, the two large cables touching each other at the solenoid.

Reasoning is that the ground wire is a large wire, can carry a lot of amps--probably, if melted, pulled 100 amps or more. The only other wire capable of carrying that much current is the positive cable. Any other wire shorting would melt before the heavier ground wire.

Make sure the hood or battery hold down isn't somehow touching the positive battery terminal, that could also do it.

[Billy-O]

Originally Posted by sawdustdad

If the ground wire from the battery to the frame melted, and it's a 6 ga or larger wire, you have a dead short somewhere. In a large conductor, the only one being the positive cable. Assuming your starter is working, it's not going to be in the starter, or it wouldn't work.

I'd follow the positive lead from the battery, to the solenoid. and from the other side of the solenoid to the starter, looking for a cut or wear point. Finding none, pull the battery leads off the solenoid and check for a short to ground from either of two large terminals. Or, the two large cables touching each other at the solenoid.

Reasoning is that the ground wire is a large wire, can carry a lot of amps--probably, if melted, pulled 100 amps or more. The only other wire capable of carrying that much current is the positive cable. Any other wire shorting would melt before the heavier ground wire.

Make sure the hood or battery hold down isn't somehow touching the positive battery terminal, that could also do it.

This is a well thought out response! I agree with this: look for a short.... However, does this short happens with tractor running? Or does the magic smoke happens even when the tractor sits as if shut off?

[Red Dave]

Originally Posted by Billy-O

This is a well thought out response! I agree with this: look for a short.... However, does this short happens with tractor running? Or does the magic smoke happens even when the tractor sits as if shut off?

I agree, that response and troubleshooting advice from sawdustdad is spot on.

As for whether it is running, or not running, the battery has potential (voltage) whether the tractor is running or not. To get enough current to melt a large conductor like the battery ground cable requires quite a lot of current (amps). Only the battery can supply that many amps, whether running or not. The S/G can't do it. I expect that it would let the smoke out of the S/G if it tried.

[darkminion_17]

Having the battery installed with the post facing the gas tank may be an issue also. The hood brace may be coming in contact with the post...

[New_England]

Thank you everyone! The melting continued and even accelerated after the engine was shut off.