My ammeter wasn’t showing a charge about a month ago. Purchased a new cut out. Solved the problem. Cost was $79. Yesterday same is not charging. I saw one on google from a tractor supply place $26. Has anyone used or knows where to buy cheaper cut outs? I don’t know how to test it to see if its bad. What else could the problem be if it would test okay?
If the cutout fails typically it fails open. The generator then goes into runaway charging and melts the windings. So typically you have to have the generator rebuilt and then install a new cutout.
Royce is probably right about if you have a cut out but if you bought one of the new voltage regulators recently produce that may not be the case. I’d ground your generator just in case you haven’t burnt it up.
Replace the cutout with a diode and eliminate that problem.
Diodes fail too. When a diode fails it can be either shorted or open. Most of the time they fail open.