Maverik Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Slightly OT but its a 2 cylinder Yanmar diesel engine in my mower, and the fuse for the "charge circuit" has started to toast itself i.e. it gets very hot then goes, rather than an instant short out and a pop. The charge circuit is basically a rotor and winding attached to the engine output that goes past a magnet, then there's a wee voltage regulator in there... Am I right in thinking my regulator is duff and not controlling the current to said fuse? Cheers Mav Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Is it charging a battery then? If so... then it could be the battery on the way out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted July 22, 2014 Author Share Posted July 22, 2014 Sorry Yeah its charging the battery, well I thought that too, but if that was the way surely it would have difficulty starting (in which it doesn't)... with the engine being the main mechanical power supplier, there aren't many electrical loads on the system, so my thinking was the voltage controller was shot thus trying to push more into the battery than needed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Not something stupid like dirty/corroded connectors in the fuse holder? I had that in the 110 and resulted in 4 melted fuses and also a melted fuse box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanuki Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Check the battery voltage with the engine running: if the regulator's died then it could be stuck in the "full charge" position and you'll see a stupidly high battery-voltage. Continued use like that can rapidly 'boil' the battery dry and ruin it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Sadly I find myself wondering if there is any update on your lawnmower ...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 haha, hi Barry, well I've managed to pull the "current limiter" out of the thing to have a look, while doing it I found some previously repaired wiring (very much like a LR ironically). Sourcing a replacement one is proving somewhat difficult. Not had chance to plug it back in a do some testing on it, but to be honest I'm a little cautious of running it up now as it seems to get extremely hot rather quickly, logic dictates that it is the voltage regulator that is faulty, I'll still pop my voltage tester on it to be sure, I've also got a 60A ammeter I might hook up inline with the battery to see what's being pushed into it too.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Possible to get something that is electrically similar rather than an exact part? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Well that's what I was thinking but I'm at a loss as to what's in the sealed black box... I can't find any info on the mower and repair places haven't been able to give me any assistance... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Maybe Simon Smith will take a wander past this thread and impart his wisdom, he's a font of knowledge on mowers and the like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanuki Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Yanmar diesels have for the last 30-odd years been popular in the boating world - might be worth talking to a local boatyard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Anything look like it when you type yanmar regulator into eBay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Smith Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Sounds like the regulator has gone, the best people to talk to about these engines would be Meetens in Gosport. www.meetens.co.uk 01329-288977 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Anything look like it when you type yanmar regulator into eBay?yeah plenty looked like it, but all slightly different.... and the best ones where in the Americas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Sounds like the regulator has gone, the best people to talk to about these engines would be Meetens in Gosport. www.meetens.co.uk 01329-288977 Thanks for the contact I've just dropped them a mail, will follow up later with a call. - also I recon I'm going to try some surgery on the black box to see what it actually contains... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 £135 + VAT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Ouch ..... I'd be trying some open box surgery first if it was me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Ouch ..... I'd be trying some open box surgery first if it was me You got that right! on tonight's job list to pull apart... carefully... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMB Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 There can't be too much to the regulator if the generator is a simple rotor and magnet. What's the fuse rating? Does it look anything like this? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Voltage-regulator-3-5-KW-for-diesel-engines-L40-L48-L60-L70-L75-L90-L100-YANMAR-/141348622404?pt=UK_BOI_FarmingEquipment_RL&hash=item20e908d044 £30-90 incl postage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Looks like this... 20amp fuse, its only got a piddly 12v 32ah battery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangy35 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 motorcycles use that type of regulators, sure you can get one for way less than 135, you will need to be EXTREAMELY patient to open that, by the time you get to the inner workings you could have bought two of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 If it's set in the same type of epoxy that I've played with then warming it can soften it and then using a scalpel to pick lumps off has worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMB Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 This might be worth a look http://www.motoelectrical.co.uk/types/regulators-/regulator-rectifier-kubota-rtv500-grasshopper-718d-721d-721g-1822d/ or this http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-VOLTAGE-REGULATOR-RECTIFIER-for-Grasshopper-Kubota-185530-RP201-53710-/271095558363?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f1e8df0db Apparently, both Kubota and John Deere rebadged Yanmars. I used to work with encapsulated electronics - soldering iron plus scalpel and screwdriver worked best for removing, but need to be careful - resins cure to the maximum temperature to which they are taken. Heat with a soldering iron and it sets even harder on cooling - you need to be quick. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Thank you gents for the further leads and info, extremely helpful.I've been doing some reading and found that JD used the Yanmar engine but I couldn't find a rectifier that had 6 wires coming out of it and the correct type of plug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Smith Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I'm wondering why it has six wires, unless it has direct lighting you should only need four. The standard is two yellow for AC from the alternator, red regulated positive DC and black negative DC. Though Yanmar might be different to the rest of the world, don't often see them in our place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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