Help John T

That being said, some VR's will work correct at Pos or Neg ground while others may not, are you still at the factory original Positive ground??? and did you polarize the genny?? and is the VR compatible with whatever ground you have??

CAVEAT: Some folks get worried n have heartburn if the ammeter isnt showing max charge HOWEVER if the battery is good and the charging system all okay, once the battery becomes charged, the charge rate is supposed to slow to a trickle. Another good test for the charging system is to place a voltmeter on the battery. A 12 volt should read around 12.6 setting but rise to 13 and a lil over at wide open throttle and/or the light should glow noticeably brighter from slow idle to wide open.

Sooooo ooo I would check the connections n grounds n insure the VR is well grounded and the belts good n tight and use her n monitor the battery voltage and ammeter and if the battery stays up (especially if lights turned on) and she starts n runs fine I wouldnt worry too much just yet maybe. However, if the battery runs down and she NEVER charges UNLESS you dead ground the gennys Field and then does so and continuous and dont overheat, I would suspect the VR ground or its wiring or the VR ASSUMING its compatibe with your ground system ( + or -).

Also, you sure the ammeter is good and wired correct????? ? Not running if you turn on lights it ought to swing over to - discharge. Theres usually only one wire on the ammeters battery supply side but the other side feeds loads PLUS wires to the BAT terminal on the VR, yours like that??

John T

Its just hard sitting here to say what the problem is so I gotta take shots at possibilities. Has the battery been load tested??? A weak cell can cause all sorts of charging problems. Is electrolyte above all the plates and no cells exhibit a gray or milky color?? The load side of the ammeter has loads like lights n ignition PLUS is wired to the BAT terminal on your VR right???

Is this a 3 terminal (BAT ARM FLD) or a 4 terminal (BAT ARM FLD LOAD) Voltage Regulator??? On many of the 4 terminal the ARM is off on a side or the bottom all by itself and not so visible and the 3 terminal on top are BAT FLD LOAD. Is the genny an older 3 brush or a 2 brush, you know??? If it were a 3 brush genny on a VR versus a cutout relay, the 3rd brush ought to be set at max charge.

Sorry, Im runnin out of ideas sititn here where I cant hang a VOM on the system and insure its wired right and what it is. From the sounds of it Im not sure I would know then even lol, but I just wonder if its the right VR to match the genny specs, cuz unless its the battery or wiring or a ground problem, it sure sounds like a VR problem or its the wrong geneny or VR and they arent workin together.

Let us know, check n re check grounds n wiring and the ammeter n battery.

John T

Usually, regulators will work with either polarity, but will last longer used with the intended polarity.

Depending upon the polarity, one of each pair of mating contacts will wear more that the other.

On regulators that are polarity-sensitve, one contact of each pair is made of a different (better) material to withstand the erosion.

When used on the opposite polarity than intended, the contacts will have a shorter life.

If you got it from the dealer, you'd think it would be correct. Was it in a Deere box, or aftermarket?

Assuming the regulator is good, as well as the generator, are BOTH grounded... no rust, paint, or rubber grommets in the way of a good ground?

You could run temporary jumpers from a good ground to the generator and regulator, and see if that helps.

It may still charge when "full-fielded", but will not "excite" as easily, and, with the added resistance of the wiring to and from the regulator and the regulator, may not excite at all, when the regulator is in the circuit..

Did you check the armature for shorts with a "growler"?