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In Reply to: Murray tractor ignition switch problems posted by John Thompson on Friday, October 29, 2004:
Hi Massey,
There could be more than one cause for your charging system not working. In most engines, the flywheel has magnets on it that pass over the stator (a wire coil) that produces AC electricity. The stator sends it to the voltage regulator, where it is converted to DC electricity, where it is sent to the battery to recharge it, and to the engine to provide spark, and run lights, etc. That is the simplistic description of how it works. The wiring for all of this goes thru the ignition system, so you could spend a lot of money replacing components before you find out what the actual problem is. So to keep the investment to a minimum, I'd start by getting a bright work light and inspecting all the wiring connections for a loose wire. The ground (negative) wire from the battery should be clean and corrosion free on BOTH ends and firmly attached to the frame with no rust or paint to prevent a good connection. Then I'd start at the positive wire at the battery and follow it out and closely inspect all connections for rust, loose wires, and corrosion. I'd also carefully check all fuses and carefully look for any wires that are rubbing somewhere that have the insulation rubbed off and causing a short circuit. In my experience, about 75% of electrical problems can be fixed this way, because these machines have a lot of vibration, and operated in a dirty invironment. If this doesn't work, then my recommendation is to buy a generic manual on small engine repair, and a mid quality volt meter and start checking each circuit from the stator out to see if electricity is indeed being produced and where it is going until it is stopped by a faulty part. It is not that hard a job and you do not need to be an engineer, just patient and careful to logically think it through. Best of luck to you.
Joe