Hello! My pc220lc-6 has the battery light icon flashing on the monitor panel. I've tested the batteries (both year old) and they are good. Ground was tested and is good. The alternator was just rebuilt due to no power output(short in the alternator and new bearings installed). Still with these repairs the light flashes. My hour meter has stopped working. I believe that runs off the alternator. Any help what to look for next. I'm perplexed! Thank you
Are you sure you hooked up all the wires correctly at the alternator? The input for the tach is actually an AC signal from the stator before being rectified. If you mixed up two wires, ie the tach and the sense wire, this would have the same symptoms you described.
Yes they are hooked up the same way as they were before the alternator died. Is it possible the stator has gone bad ?
Was the light flashing before this repair? If not, the wires are crossed, or you have a poor alternator repair. Also, you have a repaired alternator, not a rebuilt. There is a big difference there.
Does you machine have the Cummins clone engine or the Komatsu engine? There is a difference in the electrical systems and the way the alternators are wired.
Yes it was flashing before the the repair. It did stop flashing once it ran at full throttle for a few minutes. Then it continually would stay on and I knew I had a problem then.
It's has the Komatsu engine. I thought the Komatsu engine was just a rebrand Cummins.
Does the engine have a single valve cover or six individual valve covers?
Single valve cover sir.
There are only three wires on those alternators. A battery wire, ground wire and an indicator wire. The indicator wire tells the computer whether or not the engine is running. It provides an interlock that prevents engaging the starter when the engine is already running. You should check that the alternator is charging at the battery wire. While the engine is running you should also check that indicator wire for full voltage. If it is less or more than the battery wire, the problem is with the alternator.
Thanks John C. Ill test those wires and the voltage. Maybe my alternator repair was faulty. I am assuming, the indicator wire is telling the hour meter to run when the engine is on as well?
I think the hour meter might run off the engine oil pressure switch but I'd have to check that. You should have about 28.5 volts with the engine running a little faster than low idle and all the lights and the heater fan turned on.
So I was finally able to get over to the machine to test it. At high ide at the power on the back of the alternator is 28.8 volts. I tested the Exciter next to it and had zero volts. I jumpered / flashed the Exciter with the power and I get 28 volts at that terminal and the battery light indicator on the dash is off then. I've had the alternator back to this guy twice. Is it still bad? It is generating power.
It's probably a fault in the regulator or they didn't hook it up right when they went through it the prior times. If you take it back to him, remind him about the terminal and what it is supposed to do. If he doesn't understand, then it's time to find a new alternator repair shop.
You were right John. Alternator repair was crud. New alternator was the answer. I also have another question regarding this pc220-6 that I believe you may know the answer to, or where to look. After the machine is warmed up and operating, the engine will decelerate rpms and the machine will run like that for sometimes 15-20 minutes ( or sometimes longer) before it returns itself back to full power. It will do this cycle all day. It basically goes down to half throttle and obviously because the pump isn't at full throttle it just becomes a dog to use. There are no codes on the monitor panel. No black smoke. Fuel filter is new. The monitor panel is brand new, the governor motor and injection pump are both fairly new within the last couple years. The only way you can get it to return to full power is by shutting the machine off and letting it reset. Once you restart it, it's only a matter of time before it decelerates itself down again. Where should I be looking? Thanks for your help!
Here are a couple of thoughts. There were a couple of trouble spots on those machines. The muffler and burn through on the bottom shooting exhaust gas on the wiring for the throttle control motor and either burn the wire insulation or even the motor itself. If that is the case you will need a new muffler or weld up the hole in the old one. If that is fine, probably the first couple of things I would look at would be the actual RPM on the monitor panel when the engine was running at the right speed and then again when it slowed down. The monitor code for engine speed as I recall is 10. If they are the same, the problem is likely in the computer. If they are correct, I would get out of the cab and go back and look at the throttle lever on the governor and see where it is in relation to the high speed stop screw.
Ok. I'll check the rpms on the panel tomorrow before and after it happens and see if the panel reads it correctly. I'll check the bottom of the muffler too Is it possible the linkage isn't properly adjusted after the injection pump or governor motor when on and it's going to far forward and hitting the screw?
It is possible but what happens if the lever hits the stop too hard, the computer senses the extra current draw and then suddenly pulls it back. Then the things starts to hunt. Another possibility might be that the power down setting is on in the monitor panel and you have touched the button on the top of the left side joy stick. Is your monitor panel in english?
Monitor panel is in English. I have not touched the power down button. I replaced the joystick and power up/down switch last year and I know that it functions. I always have it on the power up setting.
The other thought that occurred to me is that the auto decal might be coming out for some reason. You can turn that off on the panel and see if the engine RPM comes back up.