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Lawn tractor charging ?s

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Lawn tractor charging ?s

Postby snow4570 » Tue May 14, 2019 4:45 pm

I'm new. How do I check rthe charging system on a 26hp B&S Intec on a lawn tractor. I had a 230 cca battery that wouldn't turn it completely. It was never totally dead. It seemed to stop at a high compression point. I've replaced the + cables with 2 gauge marine grade wire. I haven't cleaned the starter out yet. I replaced the 230 cca battery with a 340 today and haven't tried it yet but I'm thinking it will degrade eventually if it's not being charged. If I take the pos. cable off while it's running, it stalls.
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Re: Lawn tractor charging ?s

Postby bgsengine » Tue May 14, 2019 5:01 pm

Might start with a compression test and/or valve adjustment - high compression can cause slow cranking.. Check battery ground cable where it mounts to frame as well as engine mounting bolts to be sure of good ground path. Engine dies because unhooking + cable removes power from afterfire solenoid, depending on how charging system is wired... Also disconnecting battery while engine is running can stress charging system anyway (unlikely for these systems but possible if a voltage surge hits the system.) 240 CCA should be plenty for a fully charged (12.8 volts) battery to crank those engines over easily.. if it isn't compression or bad ground, could just have a failing starter.
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Re: Lawn tractor charging ?s

Postby 38racing » Tue May 14, 2019 9:19 pm

If you get it started with the stronger battery then you can check charging with a voltmeter across the battery terminals. Check battery before starting. When it's running voltage should be higher.
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Re: Lawn tractor charging ?s

Postby KE4AVB » Wed May 15, 2019 6:09 am

Do need the Engine model and type numbers for proper troubleshooting. Also the equipment make and model is needed.

But with the engine is running the alternator and voltage regulator present takes over for the battery so removing the battery cable indicates no charging if the after fire solenoid shuts the engine down. Note: Some equipment uses relays as part of the their safety system that must be powered too. If not then they shut down the engine if their is no voltage from the charging system. This assumes you not adding additional electrical during this testing.

With this size engine I am assuming you would have a voltage regulator involved and the battery does provide a capacitive load for the system. Some voltage regulators do require this load but the Briggs currently is not one of them but this might change in the future. Now the new EFI will be a different story and as said don't be disconnecting the battery with the engine running as voltage surges can damage the electronics.

For those reading there are Kawasaki voltage regulators will not work without a battery present. Now the Kohler style regulator used by Kawasaki does work without the battery.

With a voltage system you are looking for 13.8 - 14.8 volts DC with the battery connected and the engine running. If the battery is severely discharged then this voltage will lower but will be climbing to the normal regulated voltage.

Also you have an electric clutch involved they can overload the system when partially shorted. I have seen them to draw nearly 20 amps and still work. Normally they draw under 7 amps with many drawing only around 3-4 amps. This will discharge the battery as the charging can't keep up with this excessive load and the battery must fill in the additional current when the electric is engaged. This assumes you have a 15 amp max alternator. Some Briggs engines do have 20 - 25 charging systems but they are being pushed to their limits by an shorted electric clutch.

As for the cranking problem since most Briggs uses an ACR [automatic compression release] check the valves clearance. On OHV engine these clearances open up and causes the ACR to become ineffective. Normally cranking compression on engines with ACR is under 100 psi [quite common to be around 70 psi]. If you compression reading with the range then it is possible you have a starter problem, starter solenoid, or a voltage drop problem caused by bad connections. Don't forget make the engine is firmly bolted to the frame as that part of the starter grounding return path.

Also a drained battery will cause starting problems especially if the charging system as failed or you have an overload of the system such as a partially shorted electric clutch.

I would recommend having someone with knowledge of your mower electrical system check it out. A novice can check the basics but it can get more involved at times.

BTW 6 gauge copper battery cable are plenty large enough for short runs that are on lawn mowers and ZTRs. 2 gauge cable are not necessary and would be just a waste of materials and money. I am only using 4 gauge for my shop that runs 140 feet both ways [280 ft total] for a 70 amps service line and this only to prevent the voltage loss on such a long run because the cable is aluminum.
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Re: Lawn tractor charging ?s

Postby bobodu » Wed May 15, 2019 6:18 am

Adjust the valves !!!! Classic symptom.
https://www.briggsandstratton.com/eu/en_gb/support/faqs/browse/valve-repair-maintenance.html
It stalls because the anti afterfire solenoid is cutting off the gas.....
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Re: Lawn tractor charging ?s

Postby bgsengine » Wed May 15, 2019 6:25 am

KE4AVB wrote:
But with the engine is running the alternator and voltage regulator present takes over for the battery so removing the battery cable indicates no charging if the after fire solenoid shuts the engine down..
Not necessarily. it depends on where the charging system output is wired to, as well as where the afterfire solenoid is wired to .. if they happen to be wired in such a way that battery is what connects the two circuits, then disconnecting battery WILL shut engine down :) - but like you said, model / serial number info needed for both engine and equipment..
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Re: Lawn tractor charging ?s

Postby KE4AVB » Wed May 15, 2019 9:09 am

Personally I haven't seen one in 10 yrs; unless, they are using two plus [+] cables at the battery but most times these bonded as one connection. Even with two separate switched B+ at the switch there is usually a bonded wire connection somewhere that binds these B+ terminals. Now I have DIYer to run a separate after fire solenoid wire straight to the battery. I got one those jobs in the shop now that I finish installing a JD switch so there would be voltage to the after fire solenoid due the way the Murray wiring was setup.
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Re: Lawn tractor charging ?s

Postby bgsengine » Wed May 15, 2019 1:17 pm

There's those where charging is wired B+ at the solenoid (with diode) and the B+ power feed to switch comes from a wire hooked with B+ to battery, so disconnecting cable at battery also disconnects power feed to the switch circuits, with charging feeding through B+ wire , that breaks the connection. Still see them wired that way on the low-end box store riders sometimes,although not in the more recent models (which switch power is wired from B+ at solenoid.. all depending on what will use the shortest wires)
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