John Deere starter relay

[Shyguy]

I have a John Deere 425 with about 1800 hours on it. For 6 or 7 months it sometimes just clicks one time when I try to start it. Turn the key off and it might start or might click again. Not the kind of clicking you get from a selenoid. Just one click. Battery tests good. Turn the key on and short across terminals and nothing happens. Just a big bunch of hot sparks. Anyone have experience with changing starter relays. A local auto electrical shop check selenoid and told me it was a starter relay, but I can't find it on my John Deere. any help or suggestions please.
I have the 1100 page tech manual, but the schematics are pretty confusing because while I can trace things on the schematic I don't know where they are on the engine. Oh I do get a green light on the panel board.
Help
Thanks

 

[pennwalk]

Shy, on a lot of the older John Deere lawn and garden tractors as the electrical system aged it couldn't supply enough juice to activate the solenoid. sometimes cleaning up all the electrical terminals would make things work for a while. Also as the solenoid aged and got dirty it needed more juice to activate it. You could remove the starter and take the solenoid off and clean it and a lot of times that would get you back in business for a while. The better fix was a John Deere relay kit that would supply the solenoid full 12 volt from the battery. Sometimes the solenoid needed to be replaced. I haven't had the clicking solenoid problem on my 425 but I am still under 1000 hours on it. I am not even sure if that kind of problem happens on a 425.

Chris

 

[Shyguy]

Chris,
Thanks for the response. On page 5-399 of the tech manual it shows the 5 "lugs" on the start relay and a 4 step testing procedure. Just a simple continuity, no continuity kind of test, so I thought if i did that test it would tell me right away if it was the start relay. The new relay i picked up at a local starter repair shop has exactly the same configuration and even terminal numbers as shown in the manual. So I think I have the correct replacement part. Trouble is I can't find anything that looks like what i have. Where is the Start realy? There is a small round black sealed plastic thing right near the selenoid that may be a start relay but it does not look anything like what I bought or what the book shows. It looks like a D size battery but only about half as long. Maybe it was an after market replacement, except i have had the tractor since it had 125 hours on it so that seems unlikey.
Does anyone know where the starter relay is on a 425 John deere? The book does a wonderful job of showing where everything is except that.

 

[caseyvand]

Hi.....My tech manual is TM1517.......my page 5-399 is for a 455 tractor. Are we talking about the same manual?
Thanks.....Casey

 

[caseyvand]

Hi....#4 on page 5-47 and 5-48 may help.(cranking cicuit test point 425)

 

[Shyguy]

Thanks
I was in the wrong part of the manual because mine is on a disk and it is sometimes easy to scroll too fast and get the wrong section. And yes we must have the same manual because 5-47, 5-48 do deal with the 425 as you said. Thanks again.

 

[Shyguy]

Starter relay problem solved.
First off when I put the battery back in the 425 I took special care to clean the terminals and wire connections. Tractor started and still had the click problem.
My local John Deere dealer solved the mystery of the location of my starter relay. It is part of the board ($100 for new board) he said it might be the start module ($275). As I was fairly certain it was the starter relay i simply took the unit to a auto electrical repair shop. In about 15 minutes they had "piggy-backed" a $15 relay and spliced it into my system. I am sure John Deere purists will tell me I have erred, but the unit runs fine now and starts with no click, or chance it won't start again like last week.
A big thank you to those who responded. When you get on the repaired side of things it looks so simple, but when you are confronted with a problem and don't know the solution it is frustrating. So thanks for the "bright spots" and helpful hints.
Dave in Waters
:dance1::dance1: