RE: (ET) New 'almost failure' mode... Motor power, etc.

[ThompsonG DFO-MPO GC CA]

        Are we tuning for Maximum smoke here?
        Geof Thompson B.Sc., C.L.S.
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        -----Original Message-----
        From:   Hazen, Dwight L [SMTP:hazen indiana edu]
        Sent:   Monday, June 02, 2003 11:09 AM
        To:     Elie, Larry (L.D.); elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
        Subject:        RE: (ET) New 'almost failure' mode...  Motor power,
etc.



        It's very easy to check for loose battery connections in our
tractors.
        After you have used your tractor for 10 or 15 min. carefully put
your
        hand on each battery terminal looking for the warm one. Any 
terminal
        that is hotter than all the other ones needs attention. If you have
good
        wiring and terminal connections none of the connections will be
warm.
        Snow blowing or Tilling will heat the connections up faster so be
        careful.

        If you burn your hand you defiantly found a bad connection. Other
than
        burning your hand this is good test for any of the high current
        connections in the tractor. The only thing that should get hot are
the
        motors and the BIG ribbon resistors (do not touch them). The
contactors
        will be warm due to the coil in them but they should not be burning
hot.

        Try it. 

         Dwight 

        Dwight L. Hazen, Indiana University, UITS 
        Bloomington, In. 47408-7378
        812-855-5367 IP phone 317-278-4014    
        hazen indiana edu http://php.ucs.indiana.edu/~hazen/
        Ham Radio wb9tlh arrl net http://wb9tlh.ampr.us