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Truck - Generator Not Charging Battery

N

nrowles

Member
1953 IH R112. 6v positive ground. Generator has been rebuilt. New battery. New Voltage regulator. Just rewired the entire truck. Polarized the generator. Generator is not charging battery. The ammeter is original and it sits neutral. Turning the lights on puts the ammeter negative and turning them back off it goes neutral. Revving the engine does not change anything on the ammeter. I've also put a multimeter on the battery and get no change with the truck on and revving.

In electrical for dummy terms, how should I go about tracing the problem? How do I test each component? Can I assume the ammeter has nothing to do with it since it moves when turning the headlights on/off? Hopefully I didn't screw something up when polarizing.
 
If you want a basic straight forward simple as possible systematic troubleshooting procedure for determining the cause of non charging CHECK THE LINK BELOW. It can help find if the problem is the Generator or the Voltage Regulator or something in between. In Para 5 it shows how to essentially by pass the Voltage Regulator to see if it or the Generator is the problem. That's a simple test where you dead ground the gennys FLD post which calls for max charge to see if its a genny or a VR or other problem.

NOTE the Voltage Regulator and the Generator NEED GOOD GROUNDS TO WORK so check easy simple things first including good grounds on VR and Genny.

NOTE If the charging system is working the 6 volt battery (which is 6.3 volts if full charged at rest and stabilized) at fast RPM its voltage should eventually rise to at least 6.5 up to 7 or so.

NOTE my test is for CLASS A CHARGING SYSTEMS if you have a Class B its different

NOTE the charging system must be intact and correct to work, hope yours is correct ????

NOTE if wired correct charging amps must get to and pass through the ammeter so if it were bad and and an open circuit the
battery cant get charged

http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=jd&th=458743

John T
John Ts Charging Troubleshooting
 
That truck would have a Delco "A circuit" generator, and you would polarize it but momentarily jumoering the "BATT" and "A" (Armature) or "GEN" terminals at the regulator.

Next step would be to "full-field" by grounding the "F" terminal at the generator and noting if it now charges.

If Ammeter still doesn't show charge, check the voltage at the generator's "A" terminal and report back.

Don't run it with the generator "full-fielded" for more than a couple of minutes at a time.

Go to the link below to look at a good IH manual explaining vehicle electrical starting, ignition, and charging systems.

http://farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www.cleancomputes.com/Cub/Blue%20Ribbon%20Service%20Manuals/GSS-1310%20Electrical/index.html

You will have to copy the link and paste it into your browser, as it does not work as a direct link here.
 
(quoted from post at 10:40:50 05/15/19) If you want a basic straight forward simple as possible systematic troubleshooting procedure for determining the cause of non charging CHECK THE LINK BELOW. It can help find if the problem is the Generator or the Voltage Regulator or something in between. In Para 5 it shows how to essentially by pass the Voltage Regulator to see if it or the Generator is the problem. That's a simple test where you dead ground the gennys FLD post which calls for max charge to see if its a genny or a VR or other problem.

NOTE the Voltage Regulator and the Generator NEED GOOD GROUNDS TO WORK so check easy simple things first including good grounds on VR and Genny.

NOTE If the charging system is working the 6 volt battery (which is 6.3 volts if full charged at rest and stabilized) at fast RPM its voltage should eventually rise to at least 6.5 up to 7 or so.

NOTE my test is for CLASS A CHARGING SYSTEMS if you have a Class B its different

NOTE the charging system must be intact and correct to work, hope yours is correct ????

NOTE if wired correct charging amps must get to and pass through the ammeter so if it were bad and and an open circuit the
battery cant get charged

http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=jd&th=458743

John T
John Ts Charging Troubleshooting
Click to expand...

I will check grounds. I don't have a specific ground wire for either my generator or the VR though. Either I'm missing something or it is grounded another way.

I tried googling class A and B charging systems and couldn't find what the difference is. Back to electrical for dummys. Is this something you can elaborate on?

Will check on these first and then try your troubleshooting techniques. Thanks.
 
(quoted from post at 10:50:09 05/15/19) That truck would have a Delco "A circuit" generator, and you would polarize it but momentarily jumoering the "BATT" and "A" (Armature) or "GEN" terminals at the regulator.

Next step would be to "full-field" by grounding the "F" terminal at the generator and noting if it now charges.

If Ammeter still doesn't show charge, check the voltage at the generator's "A" terminal and report back.

Don't run it with the generator "full-fielded" for more than a couple of minutes at a time.

Go to the link below to look at a good IH manual explaining vehicle electrical starting, ignition, and charging systems.

http://farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www.cleancomputes.com/Cub/Blue%20Ribbon%20Service%20Manuals/GSS-1310%20Electrical/index.html

You will have to copy the link and paste it into your browser, as it does not work as a direct link here.
Click to expand...

Got it.
 
YOUR NEW QUESTIONS:

A) "I tried googling class A and B charging systems and couldn't find what the difference is. Back to electrical for dummys. Is this something you can elaborate on?

YES On Class A the field receives its ground externally (via Voltage Regulator or Low High manual controller) via the gennnys FLD post and the resistance and quality of the ground regulates field current and output. On Class B fields are internally grounded and its the voltage on the FLD post that's regulated to control output.

B) "Will check on these first and then try your troubleshooting techniques"

Good plan, click below

John T
John Ts Troubleshooting
 
Is the voltage regulator supposed to get its ground through the truck? The new VR I put on has rubber washers between the VR and truck. Should I remove these rubber washers?
 
(quoted from post at 07:44:35 05/17/19) Is the voltage regulator supposed to get its ground through the truck? The new VR I put on has rubber washers between the VR and truck. Should I remove these rubber washers?
Click to expand...
ome VRs have a strap at one of mounting bolts that provides ground via that bolt even with rubber mounts. If not just add a wire.
 
(quoted from post at 10:40:50 05/15/19) If you want a basic straight forward simple as possible systematic troubleshooting procedure for determining the cause of non charging CHECK THE LINK BELOW. It can help find if the problem is the Generator or the Voltage Regulator or something in between. In Para 5 it shows how to essentially by pass the Voltage Regulator to see if it or the Generator is the problem. That's a simple test where you dead ground the gennys FLD post which calls for max charge to see if its a genny or a VR or other problem.

NOTE the Voltage Regulator and the Generator NEED GOOD GROUNDS TO WORK so check easy simple things first including good grounds on VR and Genny.

NOTE If the charging system is working the 6 volt battery (which is 6.3 volts if full charged at rest and stabilized) at fast RPM its voltage should eventually rise to at least 6.5 up to 7 or so.

NOTE my test is for CLASS A CHARGING SYSTEMS if you have a Class B its different

NOTE the charging system must be intact and correct to work, hope yours is correct ????

NOTE if wired correct charging amps must get to and pass through the ammeter so if it were bad and and an open circuit the
battery cant get charged

http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=jd&th=458743

John T
John Ts Charging Troubleshooting
Click to expand...

#6 in your test showed charge. From what that says the VR relay is bad. Thanks.
 
(quoted from post at 12:43:13 05/17/19)
(quoted from post at 10:40:50 05/15/19) If you want a basic straight forward simple as possible systematic troubleshooting procedure for determining the cause of non charging CHECK THE LINK BELOW. It can help find if the problem is the Generator or the Voltage Regulator or something in between. In Para 5 it shows how to essentially by pass the Voltage Regulator to see if it or the Generator is the problem. That's a simple test where you dead ground the gennys FLD post which calls for max charge to see if its a genny or a VR or other problem.

NOTE the Voltage Regulator and the Generator NEED GOOD GROUNDS TO WORK so check easy simple things first including good grounds on VR and Genny.

NOTE If the charging system is working the 6 volt battery (which is 6.3 volts if full charged at rest and stabilized) at fast RPM its voltage should eventually rise to at least 6.5 up to 7 or so.

NOTE my test is for CLASS A CHARGING SYSTEMS if you have a Class B its different

NOTE the charging system must be intact and correct to work, hope yours is correct ????

NOTE if wired correct charging amps must get to and pass through the ammeter so if it were bad and and an open circuit the
battery cant get charged

http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=jd&th=458743

John T
John Ts Charging Troubleshooting
Click to expand...

#6 in your test showed charge. From what that says the VR relay is bad. Thanks.
Click to expand...
ow about his #4? It will appear bad if not grounded.
 
(quoted from post at 11:27:55 05/17/19) i Ran a ground wire to the vr and confirmed the vr case was grounded. Did this before #6
Click to expand...

Can someone confirm if this is correct? I've told a few people my new VR is bad and they all say it might not be grounded. I ran a wire from the truck body to one of the screws that hold the cap on the VR. I then clipped a jumper to the other cap screw hole/threads and to one of the leads on my multimeter. Then the other lead on the multimeter to the battery and it was showing voltage. Does this confirm my VR is properly grounded? I would think so but a few have questioned me on it.
 
(quoted from post at 16:27:11 05/20/19) Or is there a different way I should be grounding the VR?
Click to expand...
ounds grounded to me. I would take the cover off of the vr and use finger to push contacts together while running to see if it would then charge. If not drag paper thru contacts & try running again. Caution: if vr cover is metal, disconnect battery cable before removing or re-installing cover, so as to avoid shorting vr internals with metal cap.
 
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