Mate this is by far one of the best intuitive RU-vid videos I’ve ever seen in my whole life!! Perfect explanations!!! And don’t worry about people that don’t know a stator and alternator do the exact same thing so I knew what you were saying, new subscriber here now cheers mate 👍🏼
Having the same issue! Replaced the first batter (like a year old) thinking it was a battery issue. Now new battery is zero volts so it's absolutely not charging. The TB30 seems to be cursed with electrical issues according to reports from owners and yes even known it's less than 2 years old the alternator is probably dead. Great build quality!
Another great vid! MTD had a ton of problems with those 420cc mower engines. They discontinued them on this line altogether in favor of the 344cc B&S and 382cc Powermore's .
WOW that's awesome video on the electric issue. I have the exact same rider mower. I keep mine on a constant trickle charge all the time when not in use. Thanks for the video... very well done 👍
This was helpful. The one I am working on would not start and upon disassembly I noticed a rodent nest under the engine cover/debris cover. It seems that the rodent found the Fuel Solenoid wire that runs along the top of the motor was in the way, so it chewed through it. It also chewed through another black wire that took the same path. I ordered the alternator winding and ignition coil since I can't really tell what goes where anymore. Is there a way to find those wiring diagrams that you were sharing or is that privilege information? Thanks for the video I think it will help when the parts come with the wires un-chewed.
Hi, guys. I was checking how the alternator was charging on a lawn tractor this morning so I ran the engine full speed and watched the multimeter numbers go up gradually. After maybe 5 minutes it was still going up but slowing down quite a bit to get to around 13.30 volts. I stopped at that point because I didn’t want to waste any more fuel. How long should it take to get to where it maxes out at 14+ volts? Can I trust that it will do that? I used my Topdon load tester and it got 100% for the 300 CCA rating and was at 58% of charge when I tested it yesterday. The battery does seem fine - I just want to make sure it’s doing what it’s supposed to. Thx for your time!
Anything over 12.65/12.75 should be good, but ideally you want to see 13v (surface charge they say) once you crank over the engine it drops a bit (your topdon tester should mention that it detects a surface charge). In any case, it all depends on what the voltage regulator is set to allow.
@@EliminatorPerformance Thanks, Jake. I was going by the automotive standard as I understand it when I was looking for 14+ volts. Always have more to learn about small engines!👍🔧
The rectifier changes current from AC to DC via diodes, the regulator brings the DC voltage down to a usable level. Generally nowadays both rectifier and regulator are housed in one unit.
Does it look like the top of the engine has clearance to add a recoil pull start? They are only like $15 and would be good backup if battery is dead. The engine model should support one, they probably just remove it for cost savings.
AC produces higher voltage more efficiently, so they output AC from the alternator (which can flow both ways) and run it through a rectifier (sets of diodes that act as 1 way valves) directing the current flow. That changes the current from alternating, to direct, which is what the battery circuit runs on
@@EliminatorPerformance Right, I get that, but is there another AC output that doesn't get rectified to make it DC? If all the AC output is rectified to DC, I wouldn't say that is a dual mode alternator, but maybe if there was also a second AC output that was not intended to pass through a rectifier, but to stay as AC for some purpose other that charging the battery, then to me that would be a second mode.
The downside to not having a working alternator is a decrease in the life of the battery. If the battery had a recent charge and it dropped down to 12.3 volts after resting for a few hours, then that is a good indication that the battery has lost about 30% of its capacity. Lead-acid battery life decreases as the state of charge decreases. From the looks of things, the owner installed a larger capacity battery which will reduce the percentage of discharge. The owner has to decide whether to fix the alternator or replace the battery more often. In this case it is cheaper to replace the battery more often. The owner did install the charging plug which makes connecting the charger a ton easier.
Yea this guy didn't want to spend the money, he'd rather just charge it when he parks it. He says sometimes he forgets, which means he isn't charging it every week. Which will eventually reduce the life of the battery, as you said.
My TR30R won’t start, and I got a new battery. It’s started and I mowed the lawn twice. Now it won’t start. I purchased the kit for a tune up, air filter, and oil for a change. I even bought a carburetor kit. However there are no mobile services, in my area to come and install all. The local Riding Lawnmower repairman, uses another person to pickup the mower $40 then after a tuneup (when I supply the kit) charges $200. I wish someone would start a mobile service.
Does the tractor deplete the battery while it is running if the rectifier / regulator is not working? I had this issue on my Cub Cadet GT2544. The battery was not charging, but as I was cutting the grass, the voltage at the battery would slowly drain down. When it got to around 9-10 volts, the tractor would quit. There is a gauge on the dash to show voltage. My problem was a bad ground on the rectifier.
So some riders have engines with fuel shut off solenoids, and they run off the battery, not the magneto. So on the engines without it, you can hook up a battery to start and disconnect it and cut the grass. They only use the battery power to engage the starter. But on an engine with a fuel shut off solenoid, as soon as you disconnect the battery, the solenoid will close the main jet, which shuts down the engine. I should also note that it takes 9v or more to open a fuel shut off solenoid, as shown in this video where I test them with a 9v battery. Anything less won't engage them. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aRPmRBlqRqM.html
@@thebeardedstork432 yes that as well, it needs 12v. So the battery powers the pto clutch and the fuel solenoid, and the rectifier trickle charges the battery. So if the rectifier doesn't work, after you start the engine the battery drains a bit, then the pto clutch and the fuel shut off solenoid would drain the rest over time.
Yep not worth the money to repair the battery tender works perfectly and like Doug R says below you dont have to remove to keep from freezing. Well explained video.
I Have an Alternnator on my snowblower which i use to give ac current to a analog light, but if i want to Have dc light i Have to put a rectifier which smoothen tha ac current to dc current or is that correct
Jake, could you please tell me the source of the graphics you used in this video. I suspect it’s an MTD manual of some kind. Thanks, and great video and tutorial!
No, if you pause on the part where I put up the infographic, you'll see this is the way the manufacturer says the test must be done. I took that directly from the service manual. Thanks for watching!
MY TB30R will not turn over. Battery fully charged. Ignition fuse is good. Micr switches intact, seat and side discharge. Turn ignition switch, completely dead. any suggestions? Oh yes, clutch compressed, parking brake set, shifter in neutral, blade disengaged. Working fine when I stored it for winter.
Possible blown fuse? I know the side discharge cover switch can look depressed but are actually popped out. Watch this: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VCKMhMQL8Fo.html
Good video...just you should not force multimeter leads into a connecter it can spread the terminals they have probes you can buy that are much thinner and I back probe with them
I charge $70/hour plus 13% tax on top to keep the government happy. I'm the most affordable rate around for quality work, other places are $85, $95 or even $115/hour.
@@EliminatorPerformance lol dang most places in my area charge 60 to 70. Im not licensed but i have knowledge to repair stuff. Im the GO-TO man on my block. Friends and relatives bring their stuff to me. I keep everything running around here. Shops arent open Sundays but my 10x14 barn is always open. I usually tell ppl if they pay over $60 or $80 for trimmer repair they better off buying a new from walmart
@@jerrycannon6940 exactly, one of the reasons why I quit working on chainsaws and trimmers. I only service them if there running, stock air/fuel filters, and spark plugs.
Owner should invest in an automatic battery maintainer rather than just a trickle charger. I've seen trickle chargers overcharge and damage the battery.
Yes I know, under the flywheel vs outside and self contained. Permanent vs electro magnets. At the end of the day, it sends current to the battery. Some even call them magneto's and people complain about me calling an ignition module a coil. This one doesn't work, I really just wanted to show the process. It's like every engine is a motor, but not all motors are engines? Lol thanks for watching though Jones!
