# 1997 ford 6610 has a problem with the alternator not charging. Any ideas out there.?



## Brash Ranch (Jul 4, 2018)

*We have been struggling with this for some time now and need to get at the haying soon. *


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## Brash Ranch (Jul 4, 2018)

Brash Ranch said:


> *We have been struggling with this for some time now and need to get at the haying soon. *


Ford 6610 alternator not charging.


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

Howdy Brash Ranch, welcome to the tractor forum.

The Ford 6610 tractor was built from 1981 through 1993. The charging system is old fashioned, as it has an alternator and a regulator. See item #5 on attached diagram to see approximately where the regulator is located. You can have the alternator checked at an auto parts store to determine if it is OK. If the alternator is OK, I see no option but to replace the regulator.

If the problem continues, you may have a wiring problem. There is a harness that runs up over the fuel tank and rests on the fuel tank. Vibration (from diesel engine) over the years wears insulation off the wires in this harness where it rests on the fuel tank, resulting in short circuits in the wiring at this point. If you find that you have bare wires here, repair the wires and put the harness in a heavy wall rubber hose to prevent reoccurrence.


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## Brash Ranch (Jul 4, 2018)

sixbales said:


> Howdy Brash Ranch, welcome to the tractor forum.
> 
> The Ford 6610 tractor was built from 1981 through 1993. The charging system is old fashioned, as it has an alternator and a regulator. See item #5 on attached diagram to see approximately where the regulator is located. You can have the alternator checked at an auto parts store to determine if it is OK. If the alternator is OK, I see no option but to replace the regulator.
> 
> If the problem continues, you may have a wiring problem. There is a harness that runs up over the fuel tank and rests on the fuel tank. Vibration (from diesel engine) over the years wears insulation off the wires in this harness where it rests on the fuel tank, resulting in short circuits in the wiring at this point. If you find that you have bare wires here, repair the wires and put the harness in a heavy wall rubber hose to prevent reoccurrence.


Wow! Super happy to get such a detailed reply. Many thanks from us!


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## palolaporte (Oct 25, 2015)

I had the same problem. Here is a diagram that I put together from several places on the internet. Turned out it was a bad battery temp sensor.


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## JonathanP (Apr 18, 2020)

If my replacement alternator didn’t come with the battery temperature sensor connection, can I just tape up that wire and ignore it or with this cause a problem?


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## palolaporte (Oct 25, 2015)

If your temp sensor is not working (common problem) the alternator will not charge. The sensor provides about 200 ohm resistance. Without that wire *with* resistance, no charge.


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## Fedup (Feb 25, 2014)

Not to worry. If the regulator does not have the spade terminal for the temp sensor wire, then yes, you can tape it off and ignore it. The alternator will charge without it.


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## Smithing (Aug 21, 2020)

palolaporte said:


> If your temp sensor is not working (common problem) the alternator will not charge. The sensor provides about 200 ohm resistance. Without that wire *with* resistance, no charge.


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## Smithing (Aug 21, 2020)

Hi, can I bypass the battery sensor with a 200ohm resistor? If so what actual resistor would I need ? As they are different watts volts etc.


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## Fedup (Feb 25, 2014)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/10x-Resist...776252?hash=item4b7c1c4b3c:g:B0EAAOSwQTVV~DJt

I use something like this. Maybe not this exact item, but one very similar. I think I ordered a pack of five or six at one point when I needed one and still have three or four of them. I just solder a short jumper wire to each lead and wire it in with crimp terminals. I generally used a switched circuit, but I think you can wire it direct to battery voltage with no ill effect. The battery temp sensor you're eliminating is wired direct, so what's the difference?


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## Smithing (Aug 21, 2020)

Fedup said:


> https://www.ebay.com/itm/10x-Resist...776252?hash=item4b7c1c4b3c:g:B0EAAOSwQTVV~DJt
> 
> I use something like this. Maybe not this exact item, but one very similar. I think I ordered a pack of five or six at one point when I needed one and still have three or four of them. I just solder a short jumper wire to each lead and wire it in with crimp terminals. I generally used a switched circuit, but I think you can wire it direct to battery voltage with no ill effect. The battery temp sensor you're eliminating is wired direct, so what's the difference?


Thanks for this


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