By ron w on Unrecorded Date: Edit

The other day I was out playing in the snow w/ my headlights on. After about a half an hour, I shut the machine off, and then found out I didn't have enough volts left in the batt to crank the engine. The battery and cables seem fine. Does the alternator have enough output to keep up with the headlights and the blower motor for the brakes? The Bigfoot is about a year old w/ 40+ hrs on it. How can I check the Alternator? I'm thinking I should install an ampmeter to monitor the atlernator's output. Any ideas? Ron W.

By Kevin V on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Do you mean the Add-on Alternator or the lighting coil? The Alternator comes with a low battery light. Either should be adequate to run the factory accessories. Sounds like the battery might be weak. I ha to warranty the battery in my Vanguard when it had 20 hours on it(dealer tested/replaced free).

By ron w on Unrecorded Date: Edit

What's involved with installing the add-on alternator. It seems to be cramped enough under the hood as it is. I've never heard of a lighting coil. What is it and where can I find one? Ron W.

By Douglas MacCullagh (Dougmac) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Ron & Kevin,

Last summer I had to take my engine in for warantee work. The battery would not hold a charge, and quickly got where it wouldn't take a charge. Turned out that both the voltage regulator and internal alternator were bad and needed to be replaced. I'm glad it was still under warantee. I'd suggest going to a good Briggs shop and having the charging system checked.

By argogeru on Unrecorded Date: Edit

ron,
You probably have a bad battery. My bigfoots first two batteries went bad the first 6 months I owned it. Exide batteries are junk. Your bigfoot should come stock with an amp meter. If it is reading 12 or over your charging system is working. I would bet it is your battery.

By ron w on Unrecorded Date: Edit

What's involved with installing the add-on alt? It seems to be crowded enough under the hood. I'm not sure I've ever heard of a lighting coil. What is it and where can I find one? Ron W.

By Jerry Kennedy (Jerryduck) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I'll bet it is the battery. I had an exide battery go bad this week. Just 11 months old with 47 hours. Exide said my dealer had to replace. Becky Orr the distributor stepped up an was willing to send me a replacement. Luckily a local battery replaced it under warrenty. Have your battery checked first.

By ron w on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Argogeru, my Bigfoot has a volt meter to show the charge of the battery, but I'd like to have an ampmeter to see what's going in (or out)of the batt. I'll try to get the batt checked asap. Ron W.

By bugaboo on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I have a Bigfoot and had the same problem. The dealer explained to me that the fan that cools the brakes draws more power than the engine produces when the engine is idleing. As long as you don't leave it idle you should be ok. It is nice that you can start the bigfoot with the pull cord in case of emergency as with the top eight wheel model if the battery dies you are stuck

By Kevin V on Unrecorded Date: Edit

The Bigfoot master cylinder bracket is replaced with one which includes the familiar arc of a alternator bracket. The recoil starter has to be removed and a slot is cut in the air intake to allow for the belt. A pulley is added to the stub shaft that is now exposed. This pulley also allows for emergency starting by wrapping a starter rope about it as was necessary with older small engines. The lighting coil in the engine is diabled and and a 10 (?) guage wire is run to the battery. If you have a volt meter already it needs to be wired to the alternator. If not, a dummy light is installed to show low voltage/negative draw. The alternator included is 45A. I sent Richard some pictures to post a while back for some others who were interested but I don't know if they were ever posted. I will try again.

By ron w on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I wonder if it would be worthwhile to install an on-off switch for the brake fan. It doesn't seem necessary for cold weather ops, but perhaps more trouble than the effort is worth. I'd like to find out more about the add-on alt. Anybody out there have one? Ron W.

By argogeru on Unrecorded Date: Edit

bugaboo is right about the fan drawing the battery down at idle, I am instaling a toggle switch to kill the fan if i am idleing. very simple, the ground to the fan is right under the dash.

By ron w on Unrecorded Date: Edit

That sounds like a good idea. I'll look at my fan wiring tomorrow. Let me know how it works for you. Ron W.

By Acadia on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I'm on my third Exide battery, had my charging system checked and it is fine The Exide battery at idle can't handle the blower fan. An Alternater would solve the ploblem but you might loose a touch of horsepower. 98' Bigfoot.

By Roger and Bonnie on Unrecorded Date: Edit

We have a Bigfoot. The Exide battery was dead at the one year mark. There is no Exide battery dealer near us. We bought a new battery and then wrote to Exide explaining the situation, sent a copy of our purchase papers so they could verify how old it was, the serial number off the battery, and a copy of the receipt for the new battery showing that the exide was traded in. They sent us a check for about 50% of the cost of an Exide battery since the battery died at 1/2 life. Be sure to get all the information from the sticker on the Exide battery before you get rid of it.

By Kevin Vallelunga (Kevinv123) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Yes, I have one. It works great, pricey at $400.00 though.

By ron w on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Kevin,how much room does it take up? Any way you can send a picture of the installation thru the forum? Thanks for the info. Ron W.

By Mark M (Mark2) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Hi,
I have a Conquest and as any Argo owner knows that the charging system at idle can't handle the load placed upon it. The fuel pump, the blower fan for the brakes or the lights runs the battery dead if it sits at idle for to long. What I did was pretty simple really. I figured out which wires from the fuse block belong to the fan and spliced a relay with a switch to turn the fan on and off as I need. This was enough to keep the battery at charge while at idle. I mounted the switch to the right and below the dash and the relay by the regulator. If you do this just remember to solder and shrink wrap any connections. Later on I plan on getting the alternator upgrade since I also want to run a winch. I have a couple pics on my site of the switch locations. You'll see it under the wiper installations. This was a well worth it mod to do. Sorry the site is a mess I put it up and haven't had a chance to do much with it.

http://www.totalparadox.com/argo/index.html

HTH
Mark

By TIM O'K on Unrecorded Date: Edit

My bigffot battery lasted way over 300hrs before it died. I took measurements and bought a heavy duty battery from auto store for 40.00$. It's not an exact fit, but good enough and it won't shift when riding hard.

By Scott R Pearcy (Argo8x8) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I am replacing all of the chains on my Argo 8x8 and the battery is right in the way. It is in the way when I need to lube the chains also. So what I am thinking of doing is move my battery to the back of my argo right behind the front seat. I am also wanting to put in a car battery. It seems when I do a lot of rideing and/or use my winch much the battery goes dead real quick. Will the charging system charge a car battery?

Scott

By ISAAC EISENMAN (Tropicjungleboy) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

HEY SCOTT: as far as you uses a 12 volt system you can use any kind of 12 volt battery on it...of course that a bigger battery will supply surge charge (like extra light or winch aplication) for a longer period of time...also extra cranking time when engine deside not to start on short period..not to mention to safety supply power to a strong bilge pump)........

By argogeru on Unrecorded Date: Edit

scott,
the battery is not the problem. the chargeing systems on briggs in my experienced opinion are not designed for these machines if you are running lights and doing alot of winching. Your charging meter on the dash should at half to 3/4 throttle read 13 to 14. if it is not, check the inline fuse block on the yellow wire in front of the motor and the red conector on the red wire and make sure they are clean. these can get water and mud in them if you ride like i do and can get corroded quickly.
as far as greasing the front chain under the battery, just put the tube in the nozzle of the spay can of chain lube and spray the chain while driving foward slowly. you can see the chain wrap around the jackshaft with out pulling the battery. this is alot easier than pulling the battery.
when changing the front chain it is much easier to pull the air shrowd and the battery box so you have more room to work and it only takes a few minutes to remove them. have fun.

By Ronw on Unrecorded Date: Edit

KevinV, looking at the front (pulley side) of your alternator, does it turn clockwise or counter? What make and model # is it. Thanks again for the pictures. I'll probably start this little project when it warms up a little. RonW.

By Randy on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Anyone find a Odyssey or Optima battery that will fit a Argo Conquest, this seems to be the answer, for they work as a starter battery and also like a quick charge deep cell.

By newmax on Unrecorded Date: Edit

i have a 200 max 1v. i was riding yesturday and as soon as i got back in my driveway i heard a noise. the pully that the belt goes to from the clutch had the bolt sticking out, and it would not drive anymore. i tried to screw it back in but could not. not sure if it is broke or not. can anyone help me. how do i take that pully off if i need to.

By hellonsixwheels on Unrecorded Date: Edit

newmax,you would need to pull the transmission
out.not really a hard job on a max IV but still
a pain nonetheless.
i had the same thing happen to me on my old max IV
i was quite a few miles out in the trails and heard a noise,kind of sounded like a loose chain rubbing something.i checked it out but didnt see
the loose trans pulley bolt,by the time i got home and found the real problem out the bolt had worn
a circular hole in my lower tub.believe me i was not impressed at all,the thing that really puzzeled me was how the bolt came loose to begin
with??the bolt is a right handed thead which would
amount to a clockwise motion while the pulley
rotates in a counter clockwise motion.to me with these 2 things working against each other it would
almost be impossible for the bolt to come loose.
go figure??

By newmax on Unrecorded Date: Edit

thanks, any idea on how to get the bolt off on the cluth. can't seem to get a hold of anything to get it loose.