Many thanks for time vid. Advice from my local mower shop -assumed- my stator was bad, and they were ready to sell me a $195 part. Per your instructions, I tested the stator. It was fine. The issue was the voltage regulator, which was $35 and WAAY easier to replace. Thanks for saving me a LOT of money, time and head-scratching!! Take care, man.
And the thing is you would never know if they even changed that part. Because they would have pld ones laying around to show you your "old part". I've seen it happen by marking wires with a sharp in a hidden spot. Crooked mofos. And they mark up parts 100%.
I am but i used my battery charger and the mower charged it up good in a short bit of mowing time when i hooked it to the mower it was almost dead so it showed me my stuffs working fine
@gregatkinson7276 Not to sound conceited or anything But send us a link to a better Kawasaki Charging System Video. I'd like to see it. When I say better I'm talking about informational Not quality of Video as this was my very first Video I ever made with over 400k Views
Thanks very much. I have been recharging my battery with a battery charger after I mow each time or sometimes the mower goes dead before I finish and I have to charge the battery. after watching your video I went out to test it and found the wire from the voltage regulator to the battery was not plugged in. I had already charged the battery so I tested everything as you said before plugging in the wire and everything is working great now. Saved me a bunch of money and did not have to take it in for service. Thanks again.
I have now watched 3 videos on these charging systems - this is DEFINITELY the clearest and best. THANK YOU! As soon as it stops raining, I'll go give it a try.
Watch Battery Test Video and Watch Ground Test Video Then test for this video Check Battery load and ground before checking charging system as charging system may not give accurate readings on meter if one of those are bad.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video, you are a tremendous asset to the UA-cam community. Hopefully I will be able to use this to troubleshoot why my Scag is wanting to die after a short time mowing. First thing to do is watch your video on checking your battery as I know my is bad.
Practical. Experienced. Knowledgeable. Slow and clear explanations with illustrations. And then he tells you what's likely to fail. This guy is an excellent electrical mower technician. Absolutely great video, Thank you very much.
Excellent job explaining every step. You deserve an award for best instructive video! Really helped me understand one of the most mysterious areas of my lawn mower electrical system.
I agree with you about his instruction. I know nothing in this area and have no confidence because I know nothing. Excellent instruction that a complete novice can understand. Thanks a bunch.
Thanks so much for doing this video. You went slow enough that I could write things down and draw pictures. lol This helped to diagnose the issue and saving a two hour drive to the mower shop and being without a mower for a month or more. Very helpful and absolutely incredible! Thank you!!!
Thank you so much for breaking everything down clearly. The easy test towards the end, testing the battery voltage through the 12vDC charging output wire from the regulator caught my break in the wire! You Rock man! Owe you a cold one!
This is my go to video for electrical diagnosis. I have used this several times now and always gets me to a solution. Thanks for making this video. Just subscribed.
Thank you for a very complete guide to diagnosing these problems. My battery was bad and you saved me a lot of time and money. I was originally thinking my stator or regulator was bad, but your video pointed me to the battery. I finished mowing, rather than replacing parts that were working.
What an awesome informative video!!...I also “thought” it was long winded BUT that’s because people want the quick fix... this was perfect and thank you!!
I was trying to find a video good enough to explain everything to a friend since I couldn't go and do it for him. Good for anyone who doesn't have the experience to know what to check and how.
Thank you sir, I just got a job maintaining equipment from a landscaping company and this problem is extremely common thank you again, God bless you. Cheers 🍻 from Calgary Alberta.
You can also check the stator by unplugging the double wire connector on the voltage regulator and setting your multimeter to Ohms. Then testing between the two pins in the connector. You should get a reading of OFL (or 0.00). Easy way to check the insulation breakdown of the stator. (and the most common problem with them.
@efraingarciaescalante2824 It's very rare that a stator on Kawasaki goes bad. When they do it's usually just old and worn out. When engines stop charging , usually it's Voltage Regulator, Bad Ground to Regulator, Bad Key Switch, or Short in wiring.
@sartingarage8045 thank you for your answer. My mower scag cheetah 61" with FX921V kawasaki engine is like 03 years old. I disconnect the cable from the stator as described on the video and it reads just 14 volts at full throttle. Engine off and just key switch open and it reads more than 12 volts. Than l run the engine at full throttle and using the multimeter to check the battery and it reads less than 12 volts. So l'm not sure if is the regulator or the stator. Thank you. 🙋♂️
@efraingarciaescalante2824 With the Stator Disconnected from Voltage Regulator and engine Off There should be No Voltage out of 2 wires from Stator. The Flywheel has to be turning in order for Stator to produce AC current. If there is power to the 2 Stator wires. I would do a Ohm test on each one of the two Stator wires to Ground. So one lead in one wire Other lead to ground Check both Wires this way Everything turned off. It sounds if you have battery voltage going straight to ground and Stator is shorted out to ground which will show battery Voltage on 2 Stator wires.
@sartingarage8045 hi, good afternoon. Thank you for your response. This morning I was working on it and yes what? I removed the control panel and on the back of the key switch one cable at the end close to the connector was fried and the connector of the key switch is loose because became melted inside l guess. I called to scag dealer and l asked what's the probably cause and they said, probably a losses cable but not sign of loose cable. Not sure but once done with the replacement of the key switch we will see how it works. Thank you!!!🙋♂️🙋♂️🙋♂️🙋♂️
Great presentation sir! Would like to add that with the stator designed to produce about 30vdc at rpm, no regulator is needed. The diodes will cut the output in half turning it into DC and that is enough voltage for a good battery charge while cutting grass! That's why you get14-15 volts back to the battery. With the resistance losses thru that thin wire the battery will see about 14vdc, which is close to ideal. Old mechanic here. Helping a neighbor with this later this morning. This is bringing back all the engineering training I had as a young man. Thank you!
@@sartingarage8045 YES! And with max output designed to be 15vdc, no regulator is needed. Just the diodes. I bet once you engage the electric PTO for the blades, the voltage drop brings it close to 14 to keep the battery up. I once had an old Royal Enfield motorcycle with a very primitive charging system. It produced three phase AC from the stator. But only two were connected to the system. That output ran thru a diode board to keep the battery up. Part of that output, before the diode board, ran to the headlamp. So the headlamp would get really bright as you revved up and would decrease at idle. Kept the battery well charged too. If a stator coil burned out, you could switch it over to the unused coil to get the bike home, then order a new stator. With the battery only powering the ignition and running lamps, it mostly took care of itself. (Bike was kick start only) An ingenious and basic charging system. That was why the old bikes all came with an amp meter on the dash. So you knew if the output was OK.
My Ariens Edge deck stopped cutting. I watched this video and went out to check the stator and voltage regulator. Found that the wire that runs to the battery had slipped off. I appreciate this tutorial. You made it easy to find the problem and saved me a headache lol
Best video I've seen on checking the charging system. I have a 2002 John Deere GX335 lawn tractor and information on it and parts for it are very scarce and come very dear. This video made it easy to fix both this one and my other lawn mower and this is the very first time I've run into a charging issue. You're absolutely correct about charging the battery but I believe this happened because my husband was boosting it with the car, which I didn't know. On an aside not all of us out here, are guys. Some of us are gals because if I left it to up my better half, John Deere would be a lot richer. He's just not all that mechanically inclined and would rather make dinner and I just happened to grow up with 5 brothers. Thanks again.
Very good video , but would like to add one more very important electrical tip on the voltage regulator on that Kawasaki engine, is that the 2 screws that hold the voltage regulator to the plastic engine shroud must have a grounding wire going from the engine starter bolt to one of the 2 screws that hold the voltage regulator to the plastic engine shroud in order for the voltage regulator to work properly. The voltage regulator must be grounded, I have seen people not have this wire installed and wonder why their battery isn't charging . Thank you for this great video.
Thanks so much for your very helpful and informative video. Traced my charging problem right back to a blown fuse and was able to rule out a bad stator or regulator.
My tractor D110 kept blowing headlights. I tried diffferent Light socket, Different circuit. When I Reved the engine tractor blew bulbs while reading 14.1 volts. I even called a dealer. Your comment stating that battery voltage must be present for proper charging operation saved the day. I was using a battery pack to start tractor. I put a new battery in. End of problem. Thank you so much. I used a jumper pack to start tractor to make it harder to steal.
Thanks for this video. I'm living in Poland and own a John Deere. It's a pain to service this USA made mower in Europe so I have to do it on my own. You helped me a lot.
Lightweight is good and what did I use it for it’s a lawnmower ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxTPN04aT-Qdjr_KS3ql7ng8wnU3wwsCqk also recommend Yes it is lightweight so hence not as robust as our old one. But if you take care it does the job really well.
I just read your conversation with Roy Cash and found it more interesting than the Bears v. Detroit game yesterday . And we , Chicago , won ! Back to business ; after watching your video , my first exposure to your site , I appreciated your taking the time to go slowly through the process of checking things out . When we don't know what you know , it gives us time to "collect" our thinking so we understand where your going . TREMENDOUS VIDEO ! Hope Roy Cash found the answer for his neighbor . Sounds like someone was Tinkering with things before Roy started working on the unit .
Great Video - very good explanation of how the charging system works and how to debug a potential failure. I wish I would have found this prior to starting to replacing parts!
Yep your video helped! Rather than unnecessarily purchasing this part, that part, another part, the problem persists while frustration continues to grow🤬. Finding the problem in a linear elimination method is a much better idea thank you👍
Great video explaining everything accurately everything tested great on my zero turn gravel except the exciter wire going to the voltage regulator I traced it down and found an inline fuse which was blown . I replaced the fuse. Then I tested with out turning the switch on it already had the 12 volts I turned the switch it stayed the same 12 volts. I tested the battery to see if it was charging properly it was over 13 . My concern is that with the voltage regulator being excited with out turning the key at all . Do you think I’m having a problem with the key switch?
It's possible Those key Switches are bad for shorting out internally especially if someone has used wrong key or object to turn the switch with. Damages the contacts inside Switch. But here is a Video for testing key switch ua-cam.com/video/rOqwb0KaHQI/v-deo.html
I put a stator and regulator on my opposed twin Briggs and Stratton about 5 years ago. It will charge 14.5 volts reved up, but only 12.6 at idle. The PTO will not enguage at idle , but it usually will if I rev it up. I have used the charging system on the mower to charge the battery a number of times. I don't think my charging system is puuting out as much as it used too. I'm going to check my stator and my regulator like you explained. It has a good battery on it. I checked the ohms on my pto and had 3.2 ohms with my meter set on 200 ohms. It will click on and off with the switch on ,engine off, but if I run it a while it has to be reved up to enguage. I have jumped my mower off a number of times by hooking it to my truck battery, without cranking my truck. I wonder if I may have damaged my regulator on my mower. Thanks for the video.
It definitely not good to boost / Jumpstart your mower, Its can be hard on battery and charging System Components. ua-cam.com/video/y9Hsb8yPeYE/v-deo.html It's probably not good to engage blades at idle either, Even my Husqvarna Zero Turn engaging blades at idle almost stalls the engine. But I'm thinking your meaning your PTO won't engage at all at idle. If your charging 14.5 volts at wot, Then I'm thinking you have a bad connection or wiring somewhere. Not enough voltage getting to PTO Clutch at idle. Disconnect the connector to PTO Clutch Check Voltage at this connector with key in ON position and PTO engaged, Should be real Close to battery Voltage.
@@sartingarage8045 Thanks for the help. It seemed to work fine for the first 2-4 years but now even with a good battery it has started doing it. I'll check the voltage on the PTO plug today . Like I stated , It does charge 14.5 wot, but at idle it's only around battery voltage. Thanks again for your helpfull information.
I’ve never been so excited to get home from work and test my mower…. I just replaced my battery thinking it was the issue ( as dumb as it sounds I never new a mower had a charging system) yes dumb Well the new battery is already not starting the mower this video is going to help so much Thank you
Great job!! This helps immensely. So if all those things have suitable measurements, then in all likelihood the battery is the issue for not holding the charge?
Best and easiest info video I’ve seen yet. I’ve been working with my Cub Cadet Super LT 1554 w/ Koehler Command 27 for well over a month trying to track down why the battery goes dead and stops my whole mower before I can finish mowing. I put a new $85 voltage regulator on it cause that’s what I narrowed it down to with your video, but it still done it so I check the DC volts coming out of the VR and got a reading of only 12.77volts which if I’ve followed your instructions correctly, that is not enough to charge my system. So I bought a new VR that was bad I guess?
OK a I watched all your videos. They are easy to understand and very good. I have JD ZTRak 375 with a Briggs 25hp. The factory issue battery just died 2 weeks ago. So I bought a new Die Hard from auto parts store and placed it into service. I tested it with my Klein MM600 and noticed it reads 12.25 volts after 1.5 hours in service which seems very low to me. This mower’s stator has a 1-wire yellow coming down out of shroud to the voltage regulator and single red going from VR to the battery. I checked stator Voltage output at full throttle and it tested 47 AC VOLTS. I also checked DC Voltage BACK to the battery. THIS TEST SHOWED 12.2V. Then turned motor ON at FULL throttle. THIS TEST SHOWED 12.13V. Then I checked Voltage Regulator ground. THIS TEST SHOWED “OL” on the Klein plus an intermittent beeping and a range of numbers that fluctuated between 2.6 and 10.0. This test never fell below 1.6 with a constant tone sounding. Any ideas on what I should do next? Someone said “check the ground strap” but don’t know where to look for that. Any advice.
If you have 47 ac to regulator and only 12.2DC out of regulator and base of regulator has good ground. Replace regulator Test the DC at regulator The 12.2 you are getting is just battery voltage, It is not charging battery Should go to about 14 + volts engine running wide open throttle
@@sartingarage8045 I should re-state something about the 12.2V test results. That was the red test lead plugged into the red wire battery on the “mower side” and grounded to the chassis. That was not 12.2V coming out of VR going back to battery.
Need to check it out of voltage regulator and at battery Voltage may be 14 + right out of regulator But still only 12.2 at battery Which would mean there is a wiring or key switch problem. Another words the voltage regulator maybe putting out correctly, but that voltage is not making it to battery. That DC wire out of voltage regulator usually goes to key Switch then from key Switch to battery positive side of starter solenoid
@@sartingarage8045 today I got back to testing the DCV coming out of the voltage regulator red wire that charges the battery… it was all over the place. I couldn’t get a constant reading.
Thanks for this knowledge. This can help with all sorts of things. I'm wondering if this can cause a key switch to go bad or a melted fuse. I don't see any chaffed wires. But I have melted fuse and a bad key switch for sure.
For sure... Those key Switches are known for shorting out especially if wrong key or Screwdriver is used to turn the switch, It will eventually wear the contacts in switch and cause a short
Thanks so much for making this informative video. I have searched for weeks before finding this great tutorial on how to troubleshoot charging systems. THANKS!!!
Sartin Garage With your help I was able to pinpoint the problem. It was the voltage regulator. So many other you tubers jump to a conclusion without explanation. Because of them I replaced the starter solenoid and it was not the problem! Thanks again!
Thanks for the video. I have the same Kawasaki FR730V in my Garden Tractor and your video helped me to confirm the voltage regulator was likely faulty. So glad it wasn't the stator or the wiring. Those items would have been major headaches. My voltage regulator puts out about 8V at idle an just shy of 12V at full throttle. So, I'm guessing one of the legs of the circuit is shot -- dead diode.
Hello, JD 325 , Kohler, charging problem.Battery does not charge while mowing. has electric PTO for deck. battery measures 12.64 volts, stater output 29.3 volts, regulator output 12.39 volts. Key OFF 12.62 volts, key ON 12.54. is key switch bad and the problem? your video is helpful and got me this far.
Check voltage regulator base for ground If the base is grounded Replace voltage regulator Here is my video on testing ground ua-cam.com/video/ogV7e8x0tZY/v-deo.html
Thanks for this video. I actually understood everything. I think. I’m an old lady but I’m still trying to learn wiring systems and electrical stuff. You get an A plus for instruction. I have 2 John Deere riding mowers and 1 utility tractor and have done a few minor repairs on them. I always wear my safety glasses and disconnect the negative terminal on the battery. 😊
Great video. Only thing is If your not getting the voltage you stated Then you should state what the exact problem is. Stator is bad. Voltage regulator is bad, battery is bad. Switch is bad.. this will greatly help the greenhorns
If your testing the stator for Voltage and it doesn't show the correct Voltage you replace the muffler....joke No really Basically what I'm meaning is you can't just test the output on the voltage regulator and if there is NO Voltage or not enough voltage you can't just assume Bad Voltage Regulator The Base of Regulator has to be grounded And there has to be Voltage coming to the Regulator from key Switch before Voltage Regulator will work Correctly. Those 2 things need to be checked before Replacing Voltage Regulator.
![HOW TO TEST A STATOR / WHAT IS A STATOR [step by step] GY6](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VoXYzQ61tRM/mqdefault.jpg)
![HOW TO TEST A STATOR / WHAT IS A STATOR [step by step] GY6](/img/tr.png)
The best video I've seen for checking out the charging system.
I completly agree. I wish everyone would be as explanation as him
Many thanks for time vid. Advice from my local mower shop -assumed- my stator was bad, and they were ready to sell me a $195 part. Per your instructions, I tested the stator. It was fine. The issue was the voltage regulator, which was $35 and WAAY easier to replace. Thanks for saving me a LOT of money, time and head-scratching!! Take care, man.
And the thing is you would never know if they even changed that part. Because they would have pld ones laying around to show you your "old part". I've seen it happen by marking wires with a sharp in a hidden spot. Crooked mofos. And they mark up parts 100%.
Great write up bud. Thanks for taking the time to provide this information to the common folks. Need more people like you around
You're the only one i could find that would actually show how to test the voltage regulator. Everyone else seems like they are part swappers.
I am but i used my battery charger and the mower charged it up good in a short bit of mowing time when i hooked it to the mower it was almost dead so it showed me my stuffs working fine
You have not seen many videos then......
@gregatkinson7276
Not to sound conceited or anything
But send us a link to a better Kawasaki Charging System Video.
I'd like to see it.
When I say better I'm talking about informational Not quality of Video as this was my very first Video I ever made with over 400k Views
Thanks very much. I have been recharging my battery with a battery charger after I mow each time or sometimes the mower goes dead before I finish and I have to charge the battery. after watching your video I went out to test it and found the wire from the voltage regulator to the battery was not plugged in. I had already charged the battery so I tested everything as you said before plugging in the wire and everything is working great now. Saved me a bunch of money and did not have to take it in for service. Thanks again.
I like how you went into details on how to check the stator and troubleshoot the wiring. Thanks for the info !
I have now watched 3 videos on these charging systems - this is DEFINITELY the clearest and best. THANK YOU! As soon as it stops raining, I'll go give it a try.
Watch Battery Test Video and Watch Ground Test Video
Then test for this video
Check Battery load and ground before checking charging system as charging system may not give accurate readings on meter if one of those are bad.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video, you are a tremendous asset to the UA-cam community.
Hopefully I will be able to use this to troubleshoot why my Scag is wanting to die after a short time mowing.
First thing to do is watch your video on checking your battery as I know my is bad.
Thank you
Awesome video, easy to follow. If your battery is not charging, this is the only video you need to watch!! Thanks so much.
Practical. Experienced. Knowledgeable. Slow and clear explanations with illustrations. And then he tells you what's likely to fail. This guy is an excellent electrical mower technician. Absolutely great video, Thank you very much.
Excellent job explaining every step. You deserve an award for best instructive video! Really helped me understand one of the most mysterious areas of my lawn mower electrical system.
I agree with you about his instruction. I know nothing in this area and have no confidence because I know nothing. Excellent instruction that a complete novice can understand. Thanks a bunch.
Thanks so much for doing this video. You went slow enough that I could write things down and draw pictures. lol This helped to diagnose the issue and saving a two hour drive to the mower shop and being without a mower for a month or more. Very helpful and absolutely incredible! Thank you!!!
I checked at the local mower shop and they did not know the procedure. you are a great help THANKYOU. GOD BLESS
Thank you so much for breaking everything down clearly. The easy test towards the end, testing the battery voltage through the 12vDC charging output wire from the regulator caught my break in the wire!
You Rock man! Owe you a cold one!
This is my go to video for electrical diagnosis. I have used this several times now and always gets me to a solution. Thanks for making this video. Just subscribed.
For the first time I understand the stator and voltage regulator testing. Thank you SO much.
Thank you for a very complete guide to diagnosing these problems. My battery was bad and you saved me a lot of time and money. I was originally thinking my stator or regulator was bad, but your video pointed me to the battery. I finished mowing, rather than replacing parts that were working.
What an awesome informative video!!...I also “thought” it was long winded BUT that’s because people want the quick fix... this was perfect and thank you!!
I was trying to find a video good enough to explain everything to a friend since I couldn't go and do it for him. Good for anyone who doesn't have the experience to know what to check and how.
Thank you sir, I just got a job maintaining equipment from a landscaping company and this problem is extremely common thank you again, God bless you. Cheers 🍻 from Calgary Alberta.
You can also check the stator by unplugging the double wire connector on the voltage regulator and setting your multimeter to Ohms. Then testing between the two pins in the connector. You should get a reading of OFL (or 0.00). Easy way to check the insulation breakdown of the stator. (and the most common problem with them.
Thank you. So on either way to check the stator, what's the cause of bad stator?😢😢
@efraingarciaescalante2824
It's very rare that a stator on Kawasaki goes bad. When they do it's usually just old and worn out. When engines stop charging , usually it's Voltage Regulator, Bad Ground to Regulator, Bad Key Switch, or Short in wiring.
@sartingarage8045 thank you for your answer. My mower scag cheetah 61" with FX921V kawasaki engine is like 03 years old. I disconnect the cable from the stator as described on the video and it reads just 14 volts at full throttle.
Engine off and just key switch open and it reads more than 12 volts.
Than l run the engine at full throttle and using the multimeter to check the battery and it reads less than 12 volts. So l'm not sure if is the regulator or the stator. Thank you. 🙋♂️
@efraingarciaescalante2824
With the Stator Disconnected from Voltage Regulator and engine Off
There should be No Voltage out of 2 wires from Stator.
The Flywheel has to be turning in order for Stator to produce AC current.
If there is power to the 2 Stator wires.
I would do a Ohm test on each one of the two Stator wires to Ground.
So one lead in one wire
Other lead to ground
Check both Wires this way
Everything turned off.
It sounds if you have battery voltage going straight to ground and Stator is shorted out to ground which will show battery Voltage on 2 Stator wires.
@sartingarage8045 hi, good afternoon. Thank you for your response. This morning I was working on it and yes what?
I removed the control panel and on the back of the key switch one cable at the end close to the connector was fried and the connector of the key switch is loose because became melted inside l guess.
I called to scag dealer and l asked what's the probably cause and they said, probably a losses cable but not sign of loose cable. Not sure but once done with the replacement of the key switch we will see how it works. Thank you!!!🙋♂️🙋♂️🙋♂️🙋♂️
Great presentation sir! Would like to add that with the stator designed to produce about 30vdc at rpm, no regulator is needed. The diodes will cut the output in half turning it into DC and that is enough voltage for a good battery charge while cutting grass! That's why you get14-15 volts back to the battery. With the resistance losses thru that thin wire the battery will see about 14vdc, which is close to ideal. Old mechanic here. Helping a neighbor with this later this morning. This is bringing back all the engineering training I had as a young man. Thank you!
Stator produces 30 Volt AC
The diodes are inside the voltage regulator
Changing it to DC
@@sartingarage8045 YES! And with max output designed to be 15vdc, no regulator is needed. Just the diodes. I bet once you engage the electric PTO for the blades, the voltage drop brings it close to 14 to keep the battery up. I once had an old Royal Enfield motorcycle with a very primitive charging system. It produced three phase AC from the stator. But only two were connected to the system. That output ran thru a diode board to keep the battery up. Part of that output, before the diode board, ran to the headlamp. So the headlamp would get really bright as you revved up and would decrease at idle. Kept the battery well charged too. If a stator coil burned out, you could switch it over to the unused coil to get the bike home, then order a new stator. With the battery only powering the ignition and running lamps, it mostly took care of itself. (Bike was kick start only) An ingenious and basic charging system. That was why the old bikes all came with an amp meter on the dash. So you knew if the output was OK.
Just wanted to thank you for your help. Running good no problems today with mower.
My Ariens Edge deck stopped cutting. I watched this video and went out to check the stator and voltage regulator. Found that the wire that runs to the battery had slipped off. I appreciate this tutorial. You made it easy to find the problem and saved me a headache lol
Thanks for uploading and for not shoving your face in front of the camera throughout the whole demostration.
Best video I've seen on checking the charging system. I have a 2002 John Deere GX335 lawn tractor and information on it and parts for it are very scarce and come very dear. This video made it easy to fix both this one and my other lawn mower and this is the very first time I've run into a charging issue. You're absolutely correct about charging the battery but I believe this happened because my husband was boosting it with the car, which I didn't know. On an aside not all of us out here, are guys. Some of us are gals because if I left it to up my better half, John Deere would be a lot richer. He's just not all that mechanically inclined and would rather make dinner and I just happened to grow up with 5 brothers. Thanks again.
Thank you for your time and a first rate video...thanks for taking your time for those like me are not electrically inclined!
Very good video , but would like to add one more very important electrical tip on the voltage regulator on that Kawasaki engine, is that the 2 screws that hold the voltage regulator to the plastic engine shroud must have a grounding wire going from the engine starter bolt to one of the 2 screws that hold the voltage regulator to the plastic engine shroud in order for the voltage regulator to work properly. The voltage regulator must be grounded, I have seen people not have this wire installed and wonder why their battery isn't charging . Thank you for this great video.
exactly what i need to check ,,, very good description ,,ill try it tomorrow .if i can get it ill have to send for you ;)
Cheers from Australia mate... We have reg problem on our Ferris Z 1500. Good clear thorough vid mate. Thanks for your time.
Thanks so much for your very helpful and informative video. Traced my charging problem right back to a blown fuse and was able to rule out a bad stator or regulator.
He covered all the bases to where I could understand it. Good video. Thanks.
Thanks for a in-depth troubleshooting video on solving this type of common problem . Great job again from Sartin Garage!
Nice step by step video! Great closeups and easy to follow. Keep up the nice work. Thanks a bunch
Thanks for this very thorough video! You did a great job explaining it so everyone can understand. Now off to check my mower!
My tractor D110 kept blowing headlights. I tried diffferent Light socket, Different circuit. When I Reved the engine tractor blew bulbs while reading 14.1 volts. I even called a dealer. Your comment stating that battery voltage must be present for proper charging operation saved the day. I was using a battery pack to start tractor. I put a new battery in. End of problem. Thank you so much. I used a jumper pack to start tractor to make it harder to steal.
Thanks for this video. I'm living in Poland and own a John Deere. It's a pain to service this USA made mower in Europe so I have to do it on my own. You helped me a lot.
One the BEST videos I have ever seen on You Tube. Very informative, Thanks
Lightweight is good and what did I use it for it’s a lawnmower ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxTPN04aT-Qdjr_KS3ql7ng8wnU3wwsCqk also recommend Yes it is lightweight so hence not as robust as our old one. But if you take care it does the job really well.
@rebeccapugh1466
Do you have a question about a Electric Rake or Dethatcher
Great video! I watched at 1.5x because we talk a little slow in the South.
I just read your conversation with Roy Cash and found it more interesting than the Bears v. Detroit game yesterday . And we , Chicago , won ! Back to business ; after watching your video , my first exposure to your site , I appreciated your taking the time to go slowly through the process of checking things out . When we don't know what you know , it gives us time to "collect" our thinking so we understand where your going . TREMENDOUS VIDEO ! Hope Roy Cash found the answer for his neighbor . Sounds like someone was Tinkering with things before Roy started working on the unit .
Thanks so much for posting your video you go through everything slowly so us dummies can understand I can't thank you enough
Thank you very much. You did a great job of explaining everything! Much appreciated!!
Appreciate your video. You did a hell of a job making it easy to understand. Will definitely subscribe.
very comprehensive and easy to understand
Great Video - very good explanation of how the charging system works and how to debug a potential failure. I wish I would have found this prior to starting to replacing parts!
really helpful...from Argentina
Yep your video helped! Rather than unnecessarily purchasing this part, that part, another part, the problem persists while frustration continues to grow🤬. Finding the problem in a linear elimination method is a much better idea thank you👍
Thank you. You're pretty good teacher.
Thank you sir for taking time out of your day to educate people on this issue. God bless.
Great video explaining everything accurately everything tested great on my zero turn gravel except the exciter wire going to the voltage regulator I traced it down and found an inline fuse which was blown . I replaced the fuse. Then I tested with out turning the switch on it already had the 12 volts I turned the switch it stayed the same 12 volts. I tested the battery to see if it was charging properly it was over 13 . My concern is that with the voltage regulator being excited with out turning the key at all . Do you think I’m having a problem with the key switch?
It's possible
Those key Switches are bad for shorting out internally especially if someone has used wrong key or object to turn the switch with.
Damages the contacts inside Switch.
But here is a Video for testing key switch
ua-cam.com/video/rOqwb0KaHQI/v-deo.html
Thank u so much man this was driving me crazy every 2 weeks I was recharging my battery was getting 15.2 ac volts at full throttle 👍
This was great . Slow and detailed with lot of instructions and data . Very good teaching ! Thanks .
Wow! Thanks! GX clone on my log splitter was not charging - it's fix now!!
I put a stator and regulator on my opposed twin Briggs and Stratton about 5 years ago. It will charge 14.5 volts reved up, but only 12.6 at idle. The PTO will not enguage at idle , but it usually will if I rev it up. I have used the charging system on the mower to charge the battery a number of times. I don't think my charging system is puuting out as much as it used too. I'm going to check my stator and my regulator like you explained. It has a good battery on it. I checked the ohms on my pto and had 3.2 ohms with my meter set on 200 ohms. It will click on and off with the switch on ,engine off, but if I run it a while it has to be reved up to enguage. I have jumped my mower off a number of times by hooking it to my truck battery, without cranking my truck. I wonder if I may have damaged my regulator on my mower. Thanks for the video.
It definitely not good to boost / Jumpstart your mower, Its can be hard on battery and charging System Components.
ua-cam.com/video/y9Hsb8yPeYE/v-deo.html
It's probably not good to engage blades at idle either, Even my Husqvarna Zero Turn engaging blades at idle almost stalls the engine. But I'm thinking your meaning your PTO won't engage at all at idle.
If your charging 14.5 volts at wot, Then I'm thinking you have a bad connection or wiring somewhere. Not enough voltage getting to PTO Clutch at idle.
Disconnect the connector to PTO Clutch
Check Voltage at this connector with key in ON position and PTO engaged, Should be real Close to battery Voltage.
@@sartingarage8045 Thanks for the help. It seemed to work fine for the first 2-4 years but now even with a good battery it has started doing it. I'll check the voltage on the PTO plug today . Like I stated , It does charge 14.5 wot, but at idle it's only around battery voltage. Thanks again for your helpfull information.
Thanks for this instructional video! Very helpful
Fantastic explanation of charging system positives and faults. Great Job!
Great video with detailed steps for the charging system. Thanks!
thanks for all the details and making it easy to understand
One the best explanations on you tube!! Bravo sir 👏👏
I just found your channel. Great information. I have never seen a feller talk so fast.
It's a southern thing...SLOoooow talk
Thank you so much, I have been buying a battery every 2 yrs.
Extremely helpful! Thanks so much for the clear explanations.
I’ve never been so excited to get home from work and test my mower…. I just replaced my battery thinking it was the issue ( as dumb as it sounds I never new a mower had a charging system) yes dumb
Well the new battery is already not starting the mower this video is going to help so much Thank you
Not Dumb , Just didn't know
Maybe it was being grounded out
Extreme Thank You your video showed me exactly how to fix my charging system that I messed up while rewiring my kohler engine
Great job!! This helps immensely. So if all those things have suitable measurements, then in all likelihood the battery is the issue for not holding the charge?
This video was so helpful and easy to understand and very informative on it . Thanks again sir
Seriously good video...one of the best I've ever seen. Thank you.
Worked for me! Methodical step by step instructions. Much appreciated…
Thank You, very informative. I am curios why regulator do not show voltage when not to attach to battery?
Best and easiest info video I’ve seen yet. I’ve been working with my Cub Cadet Super LT 1554 w/ Koehler Command 27 for well over a month trying to track down why the battery goes dead and stops my whole mower before I can finish mowing. I put a new $85 voltage regulator on it cause that’s what I narrowed it down to with your video, but it still done it so I check the DC volts coming out of the VR and got a reading of only 12.77volts which if I’ve followed your instructions correctly, that is not enough to charge my system. So I bought a new VR that was bad I guess?
Charging on kohler works the exact same way just wired a bit different. Check ground to regulator base. Also what is your stator output
best explanation of how to check your charging system ever,THANK YOU!
Excellent breakdown with great detail. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Thanks for the detail in everything. I really appreciate it sir
OK a I watched all your videos. They are easy to understand and very good. I have JD ZTRak 375 with a Briggs 25hp. The factory issue battery just died 2 weeks ago. So I bought a new Die Hard from auto parts store and placed it into service. I tested it with my Klein MM600 and noticed it reads 12.25 volts after 1.5 hours in service which seems very low to me. This mower’s stator has a 1-wire yellow coming down out of shroud to the voltage regulator and single red going from VR to the battery. I checked stator Voltage output at full throttle and it tested 47 AC VOLTS. I also checked DC Voltage BACK to the battery. THIS TEST SHOWED 12.2V. Then turned motor ON at FULL throttle. THIS TEST SHOWED 12.13V. Then I checked Voltage Regulator ground.
THIS TEST SHOWED “OL” on the Klein plus an intermittent beeping and a range of numbers that fluctuated between 2.6 and 10.0. This test never fell below 1.6 with a constant tone sounding. Any ideas on what I should do next? Someone said “check the ground strap” but don’t know where to look for that. Any advice.
If you have 47 ac to regulator and only 12.2DC out of regulator and base of regulator has good ground.
Replace regulator
Test the DC at regulator
The 12.2 you are getting is just battery voltage, It is not charging battery
Should go to about 14 + volts engine running wide open throttle
@@sartingarage8045 ok so I’ll replace the regulator. Was the continuity test of the VR supposed to show “0”?
@@sartingarage8045 I should re-state something about the 12.2V test results. That was the red test lead plugged into the red wire battery on the “mower side” and grounded to the chassis. That was not 12.2V coming out of VR going back to battery.
Need to check it out of voltage regulator and at battery
Voltage may be 14 + right out of regulator
But still only 12.2 at battery
Which would mean there is a wiring or key switch problem.
Another words the voltage regulator maybe putting out correctly, but that voltage is not making it to battery.
That DC wire out of voltage regulator usually goes to key Switch then from key Switch to battery positive side of starter solenoid
@@sartingarage8045 today I got back to testing the DCV coming out of the voltage regulator red wire that charges the battery… it was all over the place. I couldn’t get a constant reading.
Thanks for this knowledge. This can help with all sorts of things. I'm wondering if this can cause a key switch to go bad or a melted fuse. I don't see any chaffed wires. But I have melted fuse and a bad key switch for sure.
For sure... Those key Switches are known for shorting out especially if wrong key or Screwdriver is used to turn the switch, It will eventually wear the contacts in switch and cause a short
Thank you - excellent video with great step by step instructions.
Just a bit long winded, but extremely thorough. Thanks for the video.
What a great and informative video! Thanks for taking the time to help…
Excellent demonstration and well explained video
Thanks mate that was great
Best video i have seen on this
Awsome video...even for a slow learner..keep up the GREAT videos
Good information there. Thank you for the thorough explanation. 👍
Great video. Thanks for explaining this. Now I can do some decent troubleshooting.
Thanks so much for making this informative video. I have searched for weeks before finding this great tutorial on how to troubleshoot charging systems. THANKS!!!
Your Very Welcome
Glad I could help
Sartin Garage With your help I was able to pinpoint the problem. It was the voltage regulator. So many other you tubers jump to a conclusion without explanation. Because of them I replaced the starter solenoid and it was not the problem! Thanks again!
Thanks for the video. I have the same Kawasaki FR730V in my Garden Tractor and your video helped me to confirm the voltage regulator was likely faulty. So glad it wasn't the stator or the wiring. Those items would have been major headaches. My voltage regulator puts out about 8V at idle an just shy of 12V at full throttle. So, I'm guessing one of the legs of the circuit is shot -- dead diode.
Good job. Detailed enough for even me to understand.
Awesome and clear explanation. Really helpful. Thanks
Glad I can be of help
Your Welcome
Outstanding video. Saved me some money and i learned an important lesson. Great job and outstanding instruction!!!!
Thanks for the info
Hello, JD 325 , Kohler, charging problem.Battery does not charge while mowing. has electric PTO for deck. battery measures 12.64 volts, stater output 29.3 volts, regulator output 12.39 volts. Key OFF 12.62 volts, key ON 12.54. is key switch bad and the problem? your video is helpful and got me this far.
Check voltage regulator base for ground
If the base is grounded
Replace voltage regulator
Here is my video on testing ground
ua-cam.com/video/ogV7e8x0tZY/v-deo.html
Thanks my friend Awesome explanation very very helpful now I understand
Yeah - let's get started
You mentioned checking current while your meter was on volts. How can you do that?
Thanks for this video. I actually understood everything. I think. I’m an old lady but I’m still trying to learn wiring systems and electrical stuff. You get an A plus for instruction. I have 2 John Deere riding mowers and 1 utility tractor and have done a few minor repairs on them. I always wear my safety glasses and disconnect the negative terminal on the battery. 😊
Thank you Sartin. A very good video.
excellent video, great info and well narrated.
Great video. Only thing is If your not getting the voltage you stated Then you should state what the exact problem is. Stator is bad. Voltage regulator is bad, battery is bad. Switch is bad.. this will greatly help the greenhorns
If your testing the stator for Voltage and it doesn't show the correct Voltage you replace the muffler....joke
No really
Basically what I'm meaning is you can't just test the output on the voltage regulator and if there is NO Voltage or not enough voltage you can't just assume Bad Voltage Regulator
The Base of Regulator has to be grounded
And there has to be Voltage coming to the Regulator from key Switch before Voltage Regulator will work Correctly.
Those 2 things need to be checked before Replacing Voltage Regulator.
Thank you this was very helpful. I founded the problem and fixed my self .