John Deere GT275 wont start.

[jdumont]

Hello all, just bought a new house and a used Craftsman tractor which runs great. A week after i got the Craftsman I was offered this GT275 for free. It had been sitting outside for a year or two and had 6 mice living in it. They have all "passed on" and now I just brought the tractor into the garage for some surgery. No wires appear to have been eaten and now that i degreased the engine and body you could never tell it sat outside.

I drained all the fluids and replaced the battery with the one from my Craftsman. The battery that came in the GT275 says 290 CCA and the Craftsman says 340 CCA but I tried anyways.

So i tried firing it up as is, and I hear a single click (like the engine trying to move) then nothing. Try again and same thing. Try hitting the starter and solenoid to unstick and same thing.

After 4 or 5 tries of this now i turn the key and hear nothing at all.

So I take the starter off and try to start that way and I hear nothing and see no movement.

I split the starter apart. I think the armature was rusted in place so i spun that and the commutator on the drill with emery to clean it all up. Got it back together in one piece and spinning freely and rested on the front tire and turn key, nothing.

Thats where im at right now. Tomorrow ill try jumping from battery directly to starter.

Can anyone suggest where else to go? I know the battery is good. Is there a relay or something that could have blown? The dash lights are on and fine, the fuses on the ignition board are fine as well.

Could the seat switch or other safety be screwing me?


Thanks in advance
Josh

 

[Willl]

Are you getting voltage to your starter ?

 

[jdumont]

Yes sir, there is identical voltage at the starter as at the battery, 13v. One odd thing i noticed was once or twice i put the key in the on position (not cranking) and the voltage at the starter was around 5. I wasnt sure if it was because i had the meter leads stuck in place (because i couldnt hold them and the starter and turn the key) and maybe they slipped.

So i should be able to leave the neg bat cable on the battery and run the positive to the starter solenoid right? If it moves then its an ignition issue?

 

[Willl]

If you've got V, did you try jumping solenoid ?

 

[jdumont]

Hey Willl, i have not tried that yet. When i get home tomorrow night that will be my first thing to try. was the method i described in my last post correct?

thanks for all the help so far, first time owning/working on a tractor but ive had motorcycles and always fix my vehicles myself.

josh

 

[Willl]

Before jumping the starter, I'd reconfirm voltage at starter.

May I assume this is a 2 wire starter ?, 1 large that goes straight to the battery and 1 smaller to the wire harness ?

When you measured your voltage, did you take it from just the large ?

Did you have any at the small one while trying to 'crank' ?

 

[jdumont]

Yes, two wire starter. I checked from thick gauge red wire only.
Im actually taking a half day today so ill check the small purple wire in a few hours and let you know.

Is the small wire the one that the ignition tells to switch the solenoid to allow the battery voltage through to the starter?

Josh

 

[jdumont]

Ok here we go.

*Battery + to small purple wire on starter (while plugged into starter) is at 2.85 V with key in ON position.

*With key in OFF position I get 12.5 V.

*Voltage goes to 0 (or very close) when i try to crank.

Jumping the Battery + at solenoid and exposed Wire from solenoid to the starter on the solenoid makes some sparks but nothing moves on the starter.

Sound like a bad starter to you?

Josh

Key OFF



Key ON



While CRANKING the V goes to 0.20 V

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[Willl]

Well no wonder your getting funny readings, your meter connections are all messed up.

Lets start from scratch,,,,

Connect your black lead to your battery terminal ground clamp. Maybe stuff the pointy in the clamp crack. What ever it takes,,,just make a good connection.

With your red lead, probe your battery positive term and then also the terminal on the starter with red cable. Looking to see about 13 or so at both.

Now again with the red lead, connect it to the small wire (black w/ wh stripe ?).
We want to see battery voltage here with key in the 'crank' position.

 

[Willl]

How you have any readings at all in that first pic stumps me,,, your red probe isn't touching anything.