TL130 Won't charge, blinking battery light

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Hermie

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Mar 23, 2016
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Hi folks, I've got my manual from the other thread. But I still can't solve this one either. I've fixed a number of electrical problems on this, but I've still got a headache. The battery light is blinking, and the alternator won't charge the battery. When off, I get 12.5V at the battery, and then when running, it is the same. If I disconnect the battery terminal from the alternator, it gives me 0V while running.
The service manual troubleshooting chart only has one suggestion for flashing battery light, it says "Check Diodes + side". So I took the whole alternator apart and tested the diode block, but it was perfect(all 8 diodes have between 4.5 and 4.8 V drop in the right direction). Tested the windings, and all the ohms seemed right. The only thing I couldn't test was the IC regulator, so I put it all back together and took it to a shop. It gives them 14.5 Volts!

So now I'm looking again at the three control wires, IG, L, and P. L must be good because it is lighting the lamp (but flashing). IG is getting full battery voltage when ACC is on, just as expected. P still confuses me a little. It goes to the Safety Relay and I don't understand what it is supposed to do. I did replace the old crusty safety relay ($200 down the drain!), and got the same results.

I'm working on this puzzle as I type this, so any fast help would be very much appreciated! Let me know your thoughts, folks.
 
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Hermie

Hermie

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Mar 23, 2016
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Oh, and the light blinks as soon as I turn on to run, before I start it, and then stays blinking after the start. It looks as bright as all the other lights.
 

SkidRoe

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Oh, and the light blinks as soon as I turn on to run, before I start it, and then stays blinking after the start. It looks as bright as all the other lights.
According to Google, P stands for Phase, and is for driving a tachometer:
http://www.fleetalternatorstarter.com/alternator_10264.aspx
Confusing as to why it would be connected to a relay.
Sounds like your alternator is good. I would be focusing on the IG (Ignition) line. With it disconnected from the alternator, and the ignition on, you should be seeing battery voltage at this connection.
Another thought: Could it be that the P and IG connections were mixed up?
HTH - SR
 
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Hermie

Hermie

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Mar 23, 2016
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According to Google, P stands for Phase, and is for driving a tachometer:
http://www.fleetalternatorstarter.com/alternator_10264.aspx
Confusing as to why it would be connected to a relay.
Sounds like your alternator is good. I would be focusing on the IG (Ignition) line. With it disconnected from the alternator, and the ignition on, you should be seeing battery voltage at this connection.
Another thought: Could it be that the P and IG connections were mixed up?
HTH - SR
Thanks for looking into this. The relay is in the starter circuit and disengages the starter when the engine rpm gets high enough. I wish I had known that before I bought a new one!
Yes, I am getting battery voltage at the IG terminal while it is disconnected. One thing I've noticed is that the other terminal (L) just goes through the charge lamp to ACC(which is also connected to IG). When I measure resistance from L to ACC, Instead of seeing a 40 ohm (3.5W) lamp, I see 2Megaohms 1 direction and infinite other direction, so I hooked up the diode tester, and I see a 1V diode drop on that circuit.

What I'm in the middle of now is just putting a new lamp directly from L to IG, bypassing whatever other circuit was on L. If that is a bad idea, please tell me now!
 

SkidRoe

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Thanks for looking into this. The relay is in the starter circuit and disengages the starter when the engine rpm gets high enough. I wish I had known that before I bought a new one!
Yes, I am getting battery voltage at the IG terminal while it is disconnected. One thing I've noticed is that the other terminal (L) just goes through the charge lamp to ACC(which is also connected to IG). When I measure resistance from L to ACC, Instead of seeing a 40 ohm (3.5W) lamp, I see 2Megaohms 1 direction and infinite other direction, so I hooked up the diode tester, and I see a 1V diode drop on that circuit.

What I'm in the middle of now is just putting a new lamp directly from L to IG, bypassing whatever other circuit was on L. If that is a bad idea, please tell me now!
I don't see that as a bad idea at all. Mind you, I am an ME not an EE!! Fingers crossed - SR
 
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Hermie

Hermie

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Mar 23, 2016
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I don't see that as a bad idea at all. Mind you, I am an ME not an EE!! Fingers crossed - SR
Woohoo! That did it. As soon as I cut the wire, and started it up with nothing at all connected to the L terminal, I got 14.5V. I wonder what could be wrong with the existing L circuit. The schematic only shows it going to the lamp and then connecting to ACC, but the lamp is on a complicated circuit board inside the control pannel, so I guess it could be anything. I think I'm just going to wire up this other lamp I got from L to ACC, and mount it somewhere visible in the rear compartment. Kind of sloppy, but at least this guy can get back to work now.
Thanks for the help! (Now do you have any thoughts on my bobcat T300 full of mysteries?)
 

SkidRoe

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Messages
1,885
Woohoo! That did it. As soon as I cut the wire, and started it up with nothing at all connected to the L terminal, I got 14.5V. I wonder what could be wrong with the existing L circuit. The schematic only shows it going to the lamp and then connecting to ACC, but the lamp is on a complicated circuit board inside the control pannel, so I guess it could be anything. I think I'm just going to wire up this other lamp I got from L to ACC, and mount it somewhere visible in the rear compartment. Kind of sloppy, but at least this guy can get back to work now.
Thanks for the help! (Now do you have any thoughts on my bobcat T300 full of mysteries?)
Yayy!! That was simple! If it will work without the light, maybe just skip it all together and put a volt meter in it. It would give you a better idea of what is going on than the binary indicator.
As far as the T300 goes, those things are far to complicated for my simple little mind. BobcatDan and 7lbssmallie are the guys to talk to on them.
Cheers - SR
 
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