Kohler/ John Deere amp draw

[lefty]

JD: L110A - GXL110A022512
Kohler: CV491S - 3226603493 Spec:27509

I was told that the battery was older and needed to be charged before every mow. It was here for something else and was showing 8+ volts the morning after arriving. I charged it and started it and let it run for 15-20 minutes. The battery is about 4.5 years old. The owner said he didn't want me to deal with the battery and that he'd get his own once he got sick of charging it but I thought it best to do some due diligence on it just to try to confirm it.

I had 12.5v after charging. While running, I read 13.99v. I checked for a draw while off with the key out and it showed 110mA. One at a time, I unplugged the lights, key switch, hour meter, fuel solenoid, etc, trying to pin it down. Ultimately, unplugging the voltage regulator killed the draw.

I found a procedure for testing the resistance of the regulator unplugged but it was for one off of a Kawasaki. I'm not sure if the reading should be the same for all of them or not.
I also found a kohler engines channel on youtube and tested the stator for short / resistance. That test was good based on what the gentleman said.

I guess my question would be, is it normal for the regulator to draw that much current key off? I did some digging and read that it can be normal for it to draw current but could not find anything on how much. I also read that a defective regulator can result in a parasitic draw.

Even though this may have been a waste of time, I'll present the results of my regulator ohm test in the event they're all the same...or that it means anything at all. When I say it "should be", I'm basing that statement on the instructions for a similar looking regulator from a kawasaki machine. This is a 3 prong one mounted on plastic shroud with jupper wire to ground. According to the instructions, A is ground and the 3 plug terminals are labled B, C, D respectively from the right. B,C, and D, should all read infinite resistance when compared to ground. I'm getting about 43k.

Thank you.

[bgsengine]

Typically, key off, should be no power at all TO the regulator from battery (Most would be wired to run circuit, not b+ circuit, ideally, though some OEM's just wired it direct to battery+) It may simply need to be wired to run circuit (check wiring , does wiring to regulator B+ trace back to solenoid or switch, and does it look OEM or does it look as if someone's been fudging around with it?) As customer declines to have it serviced, at least you can inform him of the issue you found. If you have a spare known good regulator laying around you can try and bolt that in and see if it also pulls any draw, just as a test if you wanna go that far.

[KE4AVB]

Yes all regulators do have a slight current went connected directly to the battery which is why some OEM are now switch them off when you turn the ignition off.

Okay went out to the Hustler Super Z here with Kohler engine on it. The regulator is a 20a version. The measured current draw was 0.25 milli-amp. Base on that I would say your regulator is leaky and needs changing. Not even enough current for my meter to register it on the 10 amp scale which goes down to 1 milli-amp.

IPL say the regulator is PN 25 403 37-S but you can sub the 25 403 35-S. same 12/15 amp rating. Just don't have the embosed "K" on it. I don't see any reason to pay over $70 for one when the under $20 work just as well.

[lefty]

It looks OEM and I have continuity between battery + and B on the regulator plug in the key off position.

B regulator has a black wire running directly to 6 pin connector, fuse, and single connector then to the hot side of the solenoid. I've been digging through wiring diagrams to try to find the exact one but have been struggling. I think I have a regulated 15amp system. The closest I've found in the service manual says it's for the CV16. But the connector is an 8 pin where mine is a 6 pin.

https://resources.kohler.com/power/kohler/enginesUS/pdf/tp_2339_d.pdf

The motor I have is a CV491S. I was only able to raise a manual for CV491. I'm not sure of what the significance of the "s" is and whether or not a different manual applies. The closest match on wiring I found was Figure 8.13, page 8.14.

If there's no inline diode on this circuit, shouldn't the regulator be blocking current from the battery? The wiring diagram calls it a rectifier regulator. Are there diodes in there that maybe failed and are allowing current back through? I ask because of that ohm reading I got. 46k between regulator B and ground. According to the procedure I found, this should be infinite resistance.

To answer your 2nd question definitively, I can't say no one has been in here, but the way it was packaged, if they were in there, they tightened her up good. A lot of what looks like factory connections, zip ties and routing. I know it would be beyond the owner.

Thanks.

[lefty]

Yes all regulators do have a slight current went connected directly to the battery which is why some OEM are now switch them off when you turn the ignition off.

Okay went out to the Hustler Super Z here with Kohler engine on it. The regulator is a 20a version. The measured current draw was 0.25 milli-amp. Base on that I would say your regulator is leaky and needs changing. Not even enough current for my meter to register it on the 10 amp scale which goes down to 1 milli-amp.

IPL say the regulator is PN 25 403 37-S but you can sub the 25 403 35-S. same 12/15 amp rating. Just don't have the embosed "K" on it. I don't see any reason to pay over $70 for one when the under $20 work just as well.

Thanks. I saw your post after my latest. For that price, it's worth a shot.

Thanks to all.

[KE4AVB]

The "S" just Kohler way of indicating electric start. You always drop it when pull ipls.

It is the same way with Kawasaki engine where drop the ending "S" or "R". S = Single Engine R = Rack of engines (bulk ordered).

[KE4AVB]

And I just checked a Kohler SV715-3002 for current draw with switch off and it was 0.65ma further indicating yours is drawing too much current.

And forgot to mention you need check battery case voltage leakage. I know it sounds strange but I have seen battery cases where they become conductive and the batteries self drain. Otherwords place one meter on one of the battery posts and touch the other lead to various places on the battery case. You should get no reading if the case is good.

[lefty]

I had actually read that during my research and performed that test as well. Thank you. The new regulator should be here today so we'll have our verdict shortly. Thanks again.

[lefty]

Looks like that's the case. The new one seems to bounce around between 0 and 10mA. A definite improvement. Thanks again.