IH444 Charging system question

[old]

Ok so got a call this morning from a guy who has a IH 444. He says the charge light is flashing on and off as it is running. Any ideas as to what I will find when I go check it out a bit later today?? Also is this a generator system or an alternator??
Thanks

 

[Bob]

Likely has a Delco 10DN alternator and parts catalog calls for a "flasher bulb" for the oil and charging lights, so that explains the flashing.

 

[old]

Well the guy say when it was working before I did some work to it the light would come one when the key was turned on then go out when running. Found that the battery reads 14 plus a little volts when not running and around 18 volts when running which seems a bit high to me

 

[Bob M]

If the idiot light is flashing slowly (like once a second or two), problem could be as simple as a slipping alternator drive belt. So check the belt tension before proceeding!

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ALSO.....it sounds like your voltmeter calibration is way off:

A fully charged battery at rest (no charge or load current) will show 12.6 volts MAXIMUM. Your reading of 14+ volts is way out of whack.

Similarly a reading of 18 volts while charging is too high - 14.5 to 15.0 is the maximum you should see.

 

[old]

The belt is the first thing I checked and then tighten up.
As for the meter I have used it in the past to test charging systems and this is the first time I have had readings like these so I think it is this tractor not the meter. As in the charging system is in fact charging at to high a voltage.
The other day I had to do some wiring on it because the ignition system was not working so rewired the ignition system with a ballast resister and since the fuel pump worked when the key was turned on just tapped into that to make the ignition work

 

[Owen Aaland]

This is how it is wired:

The junction block is actually the starter solenoid.

 

[Janicholson]

Old, I also have never found a battery reading that High, Test the meter on a new alkaline flash light battery they read 1.6 volts. Test it on another good car battery. My regular pretty good meter started to gain volts a year ago and just became unusable. Jim

 

[old]

Just tested a brand new AA diehard battery and it read at 1.58 volts so my meter is reading as it should go goes back to that tractors charging system is over charging

 

[Bob M]

You might check your meter on your car with it at rest and with it running.

A reading 14 volts from a standard automotive battery at rest is simply not possible - fundamental lead/acid electrochemistry precludes it.

However a voltage reading of 18 volts while charging IS possible. I ran into it once on a CIH 9280 with a bad (shorted) voltage regulator. It seriously overloaded the alternator which overheated and quit working after about 30 minutes. It also raised h*ll with the battery - it boiled acid out until the alternator quit.

 

[old]

I plan on trying it on my car battery tomorrow but for right now being it is around 10 degrees out and dark I'll wait till tomorrow.

 

[Bob M]

I can appreciate THAT! (Here it's 15 deg and the wind's rattling the windows....)

 

[old]

Guess I should also fill in a blank. I checked that tractor battery less then a minute after shutting it off so the battery could well have read 14 volts due to the fact it was having 18 volts pumped into it less then a minute before I checked it

 

[old]

Just checked the car battery in the car I drove today. Battery in it reads 12.84 volts which is about normal so the battery in this IH444 is getting over charged and that is why I get the 14 volts on it. But as I said I took the reading not 5 minutes after it had been running so yep battery may go back down after a while but not right away