just added electric start

sporty440 · Post by **sporty440** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 12:09 am

hello, just installed electric start on my sportfire. now with the rectifier plugged in the lights are very dim and the system is not charging. Ive done everything by the book and cant seem to figure out the problem. If I unplug the rectifier the lights are normal....any suggestions???? please help...I know it must be something simple.

sporty440 · Post by **sporty440** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 11:22 am

Hey Joe Rainville, I think I need your expertise on this one. All was fine with the lights before installing elec start. New nos wiring harness, New starter motor, circuit breaker, solenoid and rectifier. The electric start works great but now the lights are very dim and my mulimeter is only showing battery voltage at the battery terminals indicating a no charge situation. If I unplug the brown lead to the rectifier at the aux connector then the lights go back to normal but still no change in voltage...Im new to this electric start stuff so im not sure what to try. I dont know what voltage should be when the system is working properly. If it were a car then you need 13 volts or better engine running and lights on. But how is it possible to attain the voltage to charge the battery when the voltage regulator is for 12 volts? Im very confused. P.S. the "nos" 5 terminal key switch is wierd. I got it from image enterprises and it doesnt look like JD but It seems to have too many positions..off , one click and another click then crank/start. why would it have 2 run positions? I thought this may be the problem so I looked at the schematic and determined in the run position the orange and red wires are closed so I started the motor, unplugged the key switch and ran a jumper wire between the orange and red?? no change... is that really even a valid test?

harleysportster · Post by **harleysportster** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 2:49 pm

Sporty440,
The switch is the replacement for the original. The first click from OFF should be the run & charge position. The second click from OFF is run only(no battery charge). There are several circuits in the wiring:
-the engine run circuit
-the lighting circuit
-the battery charge circuit
The lighting circuit is in the form of AC(alternating) current
-The battery charge circuit starts out as AC(alternating),but the rectifier changes the AC to DC(direct current)
Take a voltage reading at the "Aux"terminal with the rectifier wire(brown) removed. It should be 12 to 15 volts AC with the sled running.
Second test, install brown wire on the "aux" terminal and remove red wire from circuit breaker . Check the voltage at the red wire to ground and it should be 12 to 15 volts DC with the engine running. If you do not get DC voltage the rectifier is bad. If the rectifier is bad this could be causing the dim lights.

sporty440 · Post by **sporty440** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 6:32 pm

Harley, thanks for responding. Thats good info. I was doing some online searching and discovered that you need a different voltage regulator for electric start versus manual start and I did not know that so I ordered the new one assuming thats the only problem. I should have realized that and Im pretty sure when I was ordering the new starter from Image that the guy told me and I must have spaced it. So the new regulator should be here in about a week. I was noticing that it has 4 wires I think instead of the 2 on my old one. I know the yellow and ground wires but do you know what I do with the other two. I assume one should be to power up the rectifier? not sure. Thanx again Harley, let me know if you know how to wire the new voltage regulator.

harleysportster · Post by **harleysportster** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 10:15 pm

Roger,
I don't know the wiring of the newer style retifier, but it should come with instructions. All you need is JD part # AM54972 rectifier . Image may have it. The voltage regulator on the sportfire is JD part # AM52886(single wire), with or without electric start.

sporty440 · Post by **sporty440** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 7:32 pm

Found the problem with dimming lights, the rectifier was grounding on battery box. fixed that and lights are bright but still not charging battery, rectifier seems open. will replace it and report back.

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sporty440 · Post by **sporty440** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 10:08 am

HHHHHeeeelllp!!!

rectifier not available from anybody. bob at image enterprises sold me a new voltage regulator with an inernal rectifier. i have no clue how to wire it
it has 3 wires and an external ground. anybody out there have any suggestions?

Rodimus Prime · Post by **Rodimus Prime** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 7:06 pm

rectifier is just a diode.with screwable post... amp of diode is 20-30 amps or watts. these are still availabel thru john deere themselves. check to see if circuit breaker is stuck in open position.. that square black thing with two posts on it near front of sled on battery box note that diode is easy to check with multimeter and of course if installed backwards will not let system charge.. easy to check as with key in on position lights should not be using battery ower. the lights in sled are ONLY on when engine is running. i have eletric start in both my trailfire and my 80 liquifire.

sporty440 · Post by **sporty440** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 4:08 pm

Hey Rod, circuit breaker is not stuck open, my rectifier is the oem type that bolts through the hole in the dog ear of the battery box. I have no continuity through the rectifier when tested with multitester and show 0 dc volts from stud on rectifier to ground. With rectifier having no continuity I assume it to be bad. No current flow through rectifier to me Im guessing means its open therefore in need of replacement. but I dont know if thats how a rectifier is supposed to be tested. My circuit breaker is not stuck open, and Im showing only 12.3 to 12.5 dcvolts at battery terminals....shouldnt it be more like 13-14 dcv?

sporty440 · Post by **sporty440** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 10:43 am

WELL I FINALLY GOT THE ELECTRIC START SYSTEM FUNCTIONING. TURNS OUT THE DIODE IN RECTIFIER ONLY ALLOWS CURRENT FLOW ONE WAY. ALSO I HAD
THE CONTACTS REVERSED ON CIRCUITBREAKER. SO NOW MY FINE 80 SPORTFIRE HAS ELECTRIC START AND OIL INJECTION. WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD I WANT A NEW SLED WHEN I CAN RIDE AROUND ON THIS FINE MACHINE?

harleysportster · Post by **harleysportster** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 7:23 pm

Sporty,
Glad to here you figured it out. I should have mentioned way back how a rectifier works. I haven't been following this lately.