Got a new battery and.....

[Brutalfly]

my cub started right up.
It ran really good.

BUT

I shut it down for the night and went back the next day to do more greasing and checking on things.
I started it up to move it and then I told my wife to give Brummer a whirl while I was working on it.
She got about 2 acres and tried switching it to third gear when she did she pushed the hydro lever instead of the throttle and killed it.
We could not get it started without jumping it.
The battery meter was reading in the negative.
When I hooked up the charger the battery was good.
So I am wondering what you guys think might be going on with it now?
I will let it sit a day or so and it will act like it wants to start when you first push the starter button. Then nothing and makes a zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz sound. The alternator will turn the belt.
Could this be a regulator problem or an alternator problem?

[Stanton]

I don't know much about mowers with Cubs, but enough said on this forum that I think you don't want to mow in 3rd gear.

Whenever the hydro is engaged, it momentarily takes a bit of power away from the engine. So, if you were trying to throttle up after switching into 3rd and hit the hydro lever instead, it's understandable that it died.

Perhaps some guys on here have had the same experience with mowers and can help give some advice.

[Eugene]

Mowing with a standard Cub. Engine at full rpms. Adjust the ground speed by using either 1st or 2nd gear. Depending on type and height of grass, lowering the mower deck will kill the engine.

Battery, charging problem. Fully charge up the battery - let battery set for a couple hours to deplete the surface charge. Take voltage reading at battery terminals. Start and run the tractor a bit at half throttle, 10 minutes. Take voltage reading at battery terminals again with engine running at 1/2 throttle.

2nd voltage reading should be a bit higher than the initial reading if the alternator or generator is working properly.

[Matt Kirsch]

You've got a bad battery connection somewhere, possibly more than one. Every connection needs to be clean, bright, and tight.

Now when was the meter reading in the negative? It should read negative with the ignition on, before you start the tractor.

When the tractor is running, it should read positive. This is assuming it is hooked up correctly.

[Mike in Louisiana]

You've got a bad battery connection somewhere, possibly more than one. Every connection needs to be clean, bright, and tight.

Now when was the meter reading in the negative? It should read negative with the ignition on, before you start the tractor.

When the tractor is running, it should read positive. This is assuming it is hooked up correctly.

Check all battery connections.

[bythepond88]

When checking the battery connections, be sure to pull the cables from the battery posts and clean the posts and inside of the connectors. I was having a similar problem, and even though the cable clamps on the battery posts looked good from the outside, when I pulled off the positive cable it was black inside. Cleaned that up and problem solved.

[Eugene]

Think we need the answer to a couple of questions.

We could not get it started without jumping it. The battery meter was reading in the negative.

The battery/amp meter was reading negative after jump starting the tractor? Or before jump starting the tractor? And how many negative amps?

The alternator will turn the belt.

Explain. When does the alternator turn it's drive belt? If this tractor has a generator, then I can see the generator being motorized.

[SONNY]

IF it has an alt. there is NO way it will turn as motor!---gen yes, and sounds like reg. is fried!---stuck burnt up!
standard cub tall weeds ---dont even think about cutting that stuff---no power to pull mower! thanks; sonny

[Brutalfly]

Think we need the answer to a couple of questions.

We could not get it started without jumping it. The battery meter was reading in the negative.

The battery/amp meter was reading negative after jump starting the tractor? Or before jump starting the tractor? And how many negative amps?

The amp meter sat right in the middle and really didn't go anywhere after jumping it. This is where it has been most of the time. Other times I see it negative.

The alternator will turn the belt.

Explain. When does the alternator turn it's drive belt? If this tractor has a generator, then I can see the generator being motorized.[/quote]

I am pretty sure it has a generator but with work and working opposite schedules of my wife I haven't had a ton of time to really dig into it. I just said alternator because I was thinking about my car.

IF it has an alt. there is NO way it will turn as motor!---gen yes, and sounds like reg. is fried!---stuck burnt up!
standard cub tall weeds ---dont even think about cutting that stuff---no power to pull mower! thanks; sonny

A buddy of mine at work said it sounded like a regulator as well.

I got home today after work and stuck the battery charger on it. The battery was dead but that was my fault because I must have turned the light switch at some point some how I must have bumped it.
I should have more time to mess with it on Friday being how I don't work Fridays during the summer.
I cleaned the battery connectors til they were shinny.

[Eugene]

Disconnect one battery cable. Put battery on trickle charger over night to fully charge battery. Be sure to check the battery charger after 6 to 8 hours, so as not to boil the battery fluids.

A short in the regulator will drain the battery in very short order. Regulator short will also motorize the generator.

[Brutalfly]

I plan on charging the battery tomorrow and finishing up a couple things with it.

Now I have a questions about 6 volt and 12 volt systems.
What happens if you put a 12 volt battery in a 6 volt system and vise versa?

Just 2 more questions about it.
How do you know when it is a bad generator?
How do you know when it is a bad regulator?

I am sorry for all the questions. I just want to learn and I am eager to.

[Eugene]

This site contains a flow chart for diagnosing the generator and regulator.

Top of page. Use the search function and or some of the sub sites in the Classifieds section, again at top of page.

On switching batteries of different voltages in electrical systems designed for a specific voltage range. Don't do it. - - - - The why don't do it would take pages of explanation.

[Scrivet]

........
What happens if you put a 12 volt battery in a 6 volt system and vise versa?
...........

What happens when you use a phillips screwdriver on a flat (slot) screw or vise versa?
They're both screwdrivers but designed different; just like 6V and 12V are both electrical systems but designed different.

As Eugene said searching on "flow chart" will get you to a very good step by step process for testing your charging system. Start at the top and do every step.

[Don McCombs]

This is the chart.

[SONNY]

changing voltage would be like re-building most of the tractor.----for WHAT purpose!---if it has a junk charging system,---=- FIX whats there. thanks; sonny