Re: (ET) Charger heating while driving

[David C Robie <mycroftxx1 juno com>]

This does not sound like a battery charger problem.  If there's a problem
with it, either it would blow a house fuse or it's own red pushbutton
circuit breaker on the firewall. not excessivly heat the front panel. 

If the very top part of the front black shield (between where those big
cables go onto 3 studs) is where the heat comes from,  here is a common
problem.
     You are not getting closings from the 2 speed control relays (or if
heat is primarily on one side of that panel) one of these contactor
relays.  These are 1A and 2A on the schematic.
Put a meter across the coil of one of those relays.  Tractor in neutral
(and to be real safe one wheel jacked up off the ground) Key on, seat
switch satisfied, brake off.  Start the tractor. The first little click
nothing should happen on the meter.  Second click and succeding ones
there should be perhaps 39V across that coil.  Then do the same with the
second relay's coil. It will be the same but one 'little click later.  
     If you have voltage on those when you should, chances are that they
are both NG.
I have seen many GE type ET's where people have driven a good bit  with a
bad 1A or 2A and the paint at that front 'armature dropping resistor'
mount is burned from their heat.
     If you have no voltage getting to the coils, chances are that the
microswitches in the control lever assy are NG.  These don't go
electrically, but their buttons that contact the cam get shorter.  The
most often offender of course is the first one actuated, the start
switch. The next worde is the ones that control 1A and 2A.  If someone
once replaced the start switch without replacing the 1A and 2A ones also,
 sure you got a problem  The buttons get worn as they are in constant
contact with the cam.

Down the line they are (1) start swich (picks up relay RTn which starts
motor, enables PTO)  1A switch (shorts out first armature series
resistor)  2A switch (shorts out second armature res).   Reverse switch
(a separate leaf switch)  On the other line of switches there is only a
start switch and the 1A switch. (they don't want you to have full power
in reverse).  A good soup up is to put in a dash pushbutton across the 2A
switch so you can have full power in reverse (great if you are plowing
snow.
    If the tractor has more speeds, it has a field type motor - the extra
cam switches short out various combinations of the 4 field weakening
resistors.   

More power to you
Dave
Weymouth MA


On Tue, 11 Jul 2006 21:58:41 -0700 (PDT) Matt O'Brien
<obrienm00 yahoo com> writes:
> My E-12S  is performing sluggishly.  Has trouble climbing any grade 
> at all.
> I notice a electic heat type smell.  Then feeling the hood I can 
> feel the heat that the power resistors in the charger area give off.
> I've checked to see that the charger is really off by rotating knob 
> while plugged in.
>  
> I've been trying to find the manuals, but I'm having trouble finding 
> where I "filed" them..
>  
> Something obvious?
> Can I take the charger out?
>  
> I plan to charge with PV panels  soon...
>  
> Thanks,
>  
> Matt O'Brien