[Malombard1]

Hello Everyone, I have Recently Purchased a John Deere 332 Garden tractor. I knew it had charging issues when I purchased it but I figured that it would be an easy issue to resolve. So far I have replaced the Regulator Rectifier twice to make sure I didn't receive a Dud. I have replaced the Alternator and the battery. I have ohm-ed all of the wiring for resistance. I have repaired or replaced the few wires that were bad. I have replaced every ground wire I could find and have checked to make sure everything is wired properly but it is still not charging. there is the potential I could of got a bad alternator too but I am pretty skeptical that it is bad, at half throttle it puts out 30v AC 40v AC at full throttle. the charging system is putting out a little bit of voltage because if I disconnect it with the engine running the battery voltage drops slightly but when it is connected I have never seen voltage above 12.6v DC. I am running out of ideas on things to check or replace, my father in law is a heavy equipment mechanic and he is a stumped as I am as to why nothing is working.

the Field Wire or signal wire coming from the ignition has the same voltage as the battery. is it Supposed to have some sort of resistance like in a GM one wire system requires?

Could the TDC (Time delay Control) play a part in the charging system? everything on the tractor works perfectly except for the charging system.

I would be willing to put a GM style one wire system and getting rid of the Alternator and regulator rectifier if I could find one that would fit on this engine.

 

[RandyM]

Malombard1,

Welcome to GTT! I realize this is your first thread, but it really is more technical than an intro. so I moved it to the Vintage L&G section. It will get you a better audience for your questions. Please take a little time and post a introduction of yourself in the welcome section where this thread was. We certainly would appreciate hearing more about you. Some of our sharp members will be along shortly to help you out. Thank you for joining GTT and participating. Good luck with your machine.

 

[Malombard1]

thank you sorry i thought i was in the right place i have never posted to a fourm before

 

[RandyM]

thank you sorry i thought i was in the right place i have never posted to a fourm before

You are welcome. No harm done, that is what I am here for. I had to learn this once too. Let me know if I can ever help you in any other ways as well. We have a lot of helpful threads in this link to the Help Section. It should answer any additional questions you have on how to maneuver the board.

 

[Titleist1]

I am learning about the charging system on my 332 now too. You mentioned the signal voltage is the same as battery voltage which as I understand the operation description from the tech manual is how it is supposed to be. If the signal wire voltage is lower than 12.6 then the voltage regulator provides the charging voltage. I could be misunderstanding that description though...:dunno:

Your alternator output sounds fine and matches what I see on mine. I will have to take some voltage readings on the 430 today and compare it to the 332. My 332 has low voltage on the signal wire and I am probably going to put a relay on that to account for any poor connections along that wire. There is some good info on the WFM website about the charging system.

 

[Chuckv]

Malombard1 and Titleist1,

Do you guys have the TM1591 service manual? It has good descriptions of the charging circuit function and the wiring diagrams. There is absolutely no interactions with the charging system and the TDCM so don't concern yourself in that regard.

Here is the basic charging system diagram of the 332:

...and here is the theory of operation description:

There are two types of charging issues common to the 332 tractor -- overcharging and boiling the electrolyte out of the battery, or undercharging due to a poor ground. The red wire marked A in the schematic excerpt above is how the voltage regulator provides the current to charge the battery, but it is the green wire that provides the information to the regulator on the battery terminal voltage. Note that there are several components in the circuit between the battery plus terminal and that sense input to the regulator. If there is excessive voltage drop in this connection (worn/corroded contacts in the key switch, poor connections or a bad harness splice), then the sensed voltage will be lower than the actual battery voltage and overcharging/battery boiling/harness damage can ensue. Here is a service bulletin on how to address this:
View attachment 322 battery boiling - service bulletin from Deere.pdf

Lack of charging current may be due to a poor quality ground -- a good enough connection to sense voltage but not good enough to complete a high current circuit. Check particularly the connection of engine ground to frame groound as seen here:

Let us know what you find...

Chuck

 

[Titleist1]

I do have the service manual, I planned to check the grounds today but got sidetracked on some family stuff. I know the braided jumper around the engine mount is good from testing yesterday and will get to the others tomorrow or Tuesday and see if they are the issue or if it is the regulator itself.

 

[drozment]

Hey, I just finished a 420 and a 140 before that. Both were giving me charging issues. I replaced 1 voltage regulator and batteries on both. What ended up fixing my issues on both machines was a brand new $19 ignition switch! Give it a try. Its easy and cheap.
:greentractorride:

 

[rydplrs]

Hey, I just finished a 420 and a 140 before that. Both were giving me charging issues. I replaced 1 voltage regulator and batteries on both. What ended up fixing my issues on both machines was a brand new $19 ignition switch! Give it a try. Its easy and cheap.
:greentractorride:

I don't think the 332 charging circuit goes through the ignition switch like it does on the other tractors, and the ignition switches for them are not cheap either, I think it was $90 for my 430

 

[Chuckv]

KB,

The voltage sense for the regulator clearly goes through the key switch as seen in the wiring illustration in my earlier post to this thread. If there is excessive voltage drop on this sense line the battery can overcharge and force out the electrolyte due to excessive out-gassing. Technically this is not 'boiling' since the temperatures are not that elevated...but it still results in spewing acid out the battery and making quite a mess. Hence the technical bulletin on the matter...

Replacing a failing/aging key switch can indeed solve some charging issues. I agree that these key switches for the diesels are not the low cost ones in the 318 and similar tractors -- but if they need replacing then the Deere part is what you need.

Chuck

 

[rydplrs]

KB,

The voltage sense for the regulator clearly goes through the key switch as seen in the wiring illustration in my earlier post to this thread. If there is excessive voltage drop on this sense line the battery can overcharge and force out the electrolyte due to excessive out-gassing. Technically this is not 'boiling' since the temperatures are not that elevated...but it still results in spewing acid out the battery and making quite a mess. Hence the technical bulletin on the matter...

Replacing a failing/aging key switch can indeed solve some charging issues. I agree that these key switches for the diesels are not the low cost ones in the 318 and similar tractors -- but if they need replacing then the Deere part is what you need.

Chuck

Thank you, I didn't have time to review the schematic when I posted, but knew the charging system and switch were not a good comparison to the onans

 

[Redingtonkid]

332 Electrical Charging Problems

After a thorough evaluation of the electrical system and all of its components...and after replacing a number of components, including the voltage regulator...and still not getting the proper voltage coming from the charging system, the tractor was taken to the John Deere service dealer. Within 30 minutes the problem was found to be the Glow Plug Module. Everything is now back in working / operating order. :bigthumb:

 

[flyweight]

After a thorough evaluation of the electrical system and all of its components...and after replacing a number of components, including the voltage regulator...and still not getting the proper voltage coming from the charging system, the tractor was taken to the John Deere service dealer. Within 30 minutes the problem was found to be the Glow Plug Module. Everything is now back in working / operating order. :bigthumb:

Glad to hear you've got it taken care of. :thumbup1gif: I'll have to check mine. It's having charging problems also.