x300 - starting & pto problem

   / x300 - starting & pto problem #1  

jml755

Silver Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2007
Messages
116
Location
SE Michigan
Tractor
Ford 3600, diesel, Ford 755 TLB
Friend has an x300. Wouldn't start this spring. Popped the hood, no spark, wet plugs. Took off the motor cover. Noticed that 2 coils for the plugs had a small (14 or 16ga?) wire spade connected to them. Removed the 2 wires from the coils. It fired right up and ran like a champ. All safety interlocks (seat, pedal) work. Fuses ok. Pulled handle up to engage PTO and nothing. Belt is still on, and I don't have a schematic or tech manual (first thing I get when I buy a machine are ALL of the manuals). Looks like the 2 wires from the coils go up to some kind of electrical block under the console and I can't follow the PTO switch wires down through the harness very easily. Dealer couldn't give me any help over the phone and said "bring it in" but got no trailer to haul it and not sure how long it would be there anyway. Grass is getting looooong and I'd like to help this person out. I'm pretty handy with tractors/cars and have rebuilt an old Craftsman lawn tractor and electric golf carts so I'm pretty sure if it's a relay or switch, I could replace it or jumper around it for now. Any suggestions or a schematic that someone could provide so that I could troubleshoot this thing? Thanks in advance.
 
   / x300 - starting & pto problem #2  
could be the ignition module, there have been
a few of them go bad
 
   / x300 - starting & pto problem
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Dutch445,
if you mean the ECU under the console, I'm thinking about that myself as that's where the coil wires seem to lead and I've gotta believe that the no-start and no-pto symptoms are related to each other. The wires from the PTO engage handle seem to lead down under the engine. Just wondering if the engage switch goes directly to the clutch or through the ECU somehow or if there's a relay or another safety interlock in the circuit to the clutch. The ECU appears to be about a $70 item.
 
   / x300 - starting & pto problem #4  
Since both the spark kill and PTO are involved, probably a safety switch. Since you can crank it and start with the kill wire off the coils, the brake switch should be ok. Possibily is the seat switch? Must be seated or the PTO will be disabled, but to kill the spark the brake would need to be off. You can start the X300 without being in the seat. Another posibility is the PTO switch itself. If PTO on, then can't start (crank) but think it will crank right?
 
   / x300 - starting & pto problem
  • Thread Starter
#5  
The seat switch works ok,IIRC. I don't think I could start it without being in the seat. I'll check it again tonite. I'll see if I can jumper the seat switch as a test. I'll also see if I can get a meter on the back of the PTO switch to see if it's changing state when activated. It'll be a trial and error on which wires control it. Seems like there were more than 2 wires going into the back of the PTO switch. I don't think I tried to crank it with the PTO on (handle UP). I'll try that as well. But as a clarification, there's only 2 safety switches in the circuit right? Brake Pedal & Seat?
 
   / x300 - starting & pto problem #6  
My Guess would be seat switch. Brake switch will not let engine turn over. If you are not seated on the machine the brake switch can be activated for machine to run, the PTO however needs someone in the seat regardless of the brake switch for the machine to continue to run. Hopefully this makes sense.
 
   / x300 - starting & pto problem #7  
Since it was sitting all winter and sounds like you might have a problem with both the brake switch and seat switch - plus said moisture in plugs - try reseating all electrical connectors as they may have coroded over the winter.

Cranking engine - must have brake set - seat dosn't matter - PTO sw down
PTO - Brake off - seat made not in reverse.
Engine kill - PTO up and out of seat

3 interlock switches - brake, seat and reverse

The reverse switch is on the right side under the foot rest
 
   / x300 - starting & pto problem
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Batty54,RBLapham,
thanks for the info. When I said "wet", I meant gas, i.e. not a fuel problem. I'll definitely look at switches before I replace the ECU. I
 
   / x300 - starting & pto problem #9  
Go here for the manual
OMM158184_E9
on the left side under operating there is a "Testing Safety Systems" which describes all the interlocks and switches and how to test them.
 
   / x300 - starting & pto problem
  • Thread Starter
#10  
RBLapham,
thanks for the link. I went over and did a little more testing on the x300. The seat switch worked fine. Jumpered it out for awhile so I could leave it running while I looked around. There was no "reverse" switch under the right foot rest or anywhere I could see attached to the reverse/forward pedal linkage. With the engine off, I could hear a slight clicking sound when I moved either the fwd or rev pedal. But I couldn't tell if that was a switch contact noise or a mechanical "click" from the linkage. Since they're mechanically linked together (when one goes down, other goes up and vice versa) I was wondering if the switch is buried under the chassis somewhere.

I also took out the PTO engage switch on the console and checked all the NC/NO contacts. It worked fine. It was difficult to get to the connector for the PTO clutch and get a meter on it, so I'm going to go back with a decent gage jumper wire and see if I can engage the PTO clutch by just putting 12v to it with the engine off. Without a schematic, it's a slow go.
 
 
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