Kill Switch?

   / Kill Switch? #1  

Gibber

New member
Joined
Jan 30, 2013
Messages
11
Location
Mt. Union Iowa
Tractor
Foton 404
I hit hard while trying to miss my daughters dang dog with my Foton 404. The bucket caught. The tractor hit hard, tractor and motor just stopped like now!. I have all electric, battery seems good. Would a fuse blown or a kill switch activated?
 
   / Kill Switch? #2  
The engine is diesel and requires no electricity, there is no kill switch.

What happens when you try to start it? Does the engine spin? What does the exhaust look like?
 
   / Kill Switch?
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Absolutely nothing. I don't even think I hear a click but maybe a light blink. Its blowing 30 and 6 inches of snow. First night since I owned it, it will be outside overnight, Its killing me.
 
   / Kill Switch?
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Why would there be no activation to the starter when the battery is good?
 
   / Kill Switch? #5  
Why would there be no activation to the starter when the battery is good?
IS the battery still good? A sudden shock may have finished it off, shorted it internally or even cracked the case. Are all the cells still full of electrolyte?

A sudden shock may have also knocked a wire terminal loose causing the sudden inability to start the engine. Best way to troubleshoot is with a volt meter. Start at the battery looking for 12-13V at the terminals. Then work your way thru the main wires to chassis and the starter. If you get full voltage to the starter thru the large wires, you may be able to crank the engine by jumpering the solenoid contacts with a large screwdriver. BE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN IT IS NOT IN GEAR, people have been KILLED doing this incorrectly when their in gear tractor starts and runs them over... IF it starts, you can at least move it someplace warmer to further troubleshoot the electrical problem. If it won't crank, what is the voltage doing at the battery terminals when you try and jump the solenoid contacts. Is it dropping drastically(below 6V) when the starter load is applied? This is another symptom of a damaged battery...
 
   / Kill Switch? #6  
Absolutely nothing. I don't even think I hear a click but maybe a light blink. Its blowing 30 and 6 inches of snow. First night since I owned it, it will be outside overnight, Its killing me.

I feel your pain, my mental health state is directly correlated to the operational state of my tractor.

Based on your description, here's what I think is the worst case scenario: you broke the transmission or the motor mounts and the motor is jammed. Tractors don't have a body like a car. The engine, transmission and differential are all bolted together. You sit on top of the transmission, the rear wheels connect to the differential and the front axle is bolted to the bottom of the engine. It happens that the engine and transmission come apart after a violent shock, and when that happens the flywheel can jam. This would not be a trivial problem!

A less dire possibility: the hydraulic connectors on your front-end-loader have come off. That causes the hydraulic pump to stop, it's connected to the engine and can stop the engine. I've had that happen and when it does the engine won't turn with the starter. Reconnecting the hoses fixes it. If this happened to you, you are very lucky and the engine must not have been running very fast, usually if the hose comes off with the engine running the pump blows up.

Two other possibilities, both have happened to me, both seemed dire at the time but weren't: One time I drove into a tree and a branch hooked the kill switch cable on the motor and turned it off. I really thought I'd done it that time. Another time I ran over a branch and it pulled the wire off of the clutch switch, the starter wouldn't engage after that.
 
   / Kill Switch? #7  
I think the first thing you want to establish is whether the starter is not functioning or whether the engine is locked up. If you put a wrench on the crankshaft pulley (it's a 27mm on mine) and set your socket to go clockwise, you should be able to turn the engine over with about as much effort as pull-starting a lawnmower. Make sure the fuel is off! If it turns, something is up with the starter. If it doesn't, something is keeping the engine from turning. I'd look at the hydraulic pump, it's possible the starter is jammed in the flywheel or there is internal damage.

Let us know.
 
   / Kill Switch?
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Thanks a lot fellas. The bucket and blade are down so pulling it in the steel building might be a chore. I did notice that behind the clutch pedal a wire with a red cap like thing on it appeared to be off the depression type switch located behind the clutch pedal??? When the clutch is pressed the switch is open. When the clutch is out, the switch is depressed?
 
   / Kill Switch? #9  
My guess is thats a safety interlock switch with normally open contacts. When you depress the clutch the switch actually closes the contacts, they are wired in series with your starter solenoid. If the connector to the switch was Knocked off when saving your daughters dog The symptoms you describe would be the result... Hooking up the connector may very well solve your non start issue. Hope this helps
 
   / Kill Switch? #10  
Thanks a lot fellas. The bucket and blade are down so pulling it in the steel building might be a chore. I did notice that behind the clutch pedal a wire with a red cap like thing on it appeared to be off the depression type switch located behind the clutch pedal??? When the clutch is pressed the switch is open. When the clutch is out, the switch is depressed?

Other way round. Pushing the clutch closes the switch and allows the starter to operate. This would completely explain your starter not working.
 
 
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