CK20HST, no power, NOTHING, no dash, no lights, no start, #$@%^&C*!@!!!!!!!!!

xryan · Jun 4, 2013

OK, first off, yes battery is fully charged, cables fine, actually just replaced the battery terminals, the old ones wouldn't tighten up enough. Negative cable from frame to battery polished and re greased with dielectric grease, cable ends brushed clean. Key switch also completely disassembled and terminals brushed clean, new grease, etc. +12 to fuses, ALL GOOD. +12 to ignition switch.

Only thing I can think of is last time I ran it it didn't FULLY shut off with the key switch, it ran on at a VERY few RPM's barely enough to keep it going, so I pulled the fuel cutoff knob. The cable works fine, nicely lubed, etc.

A few weeks ago, earlier in the spring, I was doing some spring cleanup getting on and off the tractor when running, etc. My knee smacked into the dash under the wheel, and the tractor shut off. Similar no power to anything as is the case now. Opened up the lower dash to find a huge mess of a mouse nest and two wires that were chewed on the harness to the Time Control Unit for the glow plugs. I assumed that those two wires mush have shorted when I banged the dash. I fixed them and all was well, until this week?

:confused3:

I am really irritated. Any ideas?

GMtb42 · Jun 4, 2013

Think I would check the wiring under the dash again.
Darn rodents are a pain when they get into the wiring.
On the dairy we always kept cats around, darn rats would have overrun us if we hadn't.
One guy on here had one chew a hole in his plastic fuel tank.

k0ua · Jun 4, 2013

What about the main in-line fuse?.. On my Kioti it is 60 amps. and near the alternator. It is often wrapped up. I am not sure about your tractor, just where it would be but No power at all sounds like main fuse blown. Of course fuses blow for a reason. And that reason is excessive current thru them. The rat may have come back.

James K0UA

Rollcenter · Jun 4, 2013

I feel for you, I have been going through almost the exact same thing on my Bobcat CT 335.

No power to dash at all, yesterday I found my problem. On my machine the wiring harness that comes off battery and supplies power to dash had a plug together connector underneath the floorboard on the left side of tractor. Upon disassembly of the connector I found moisture had made its way Inside and corroded the positive "blade" of the connector until the point it finally broke off.

Coyote machine · Jun 5, 2013

Rollcenter said:
I feel for you, I have been going through almost the exact same thing on my Bobcat CT 335.

No power to dash at all, yesterday I found my problem. On my machine the wiring harness that comes off battery and supplies power to dash had a plug together connector underneath the floorboard on the left side of tractor. Upon disassembly of the connector I found moisture had made its way Inside and corroded the positive "blade" of the connector until the point it finally broke off.

The under floorboard electrical connectors are in a real bad place for anything electrical or connector related. Hard to diagnose, unless one looks carefully under there, and a terrible place to have any electrical/connector.
Glad to hear you found the solution to your problem, BTW, did you post it on the thread you started? If not it would be helpful for people to know you solved the problem.

To the thread OP: Do you have any relay click when you turn the key to glow? Any starter noise at all, even a begin to turn over and immediate lock of the starter? I ask this because if you have a PTO switch engaged, you will not get the starter to turn over but for an instant. Also if your tractor 's neutral safety is flakey then same thing- no start condition. Check these and under dash as already suggested and report back. BTW-welcome to TBN, and realize that we all know you're frustrated, who wouldn't be- so a little less heavy emphasis on the subject line will still get our attention.

ritcheyvs · Jun 5, 2013

Coyote machine said:
The under floorboard electrical connectors are in a real bad place for anything electrical or connector related. ....

Sure thing. But that's where the entire fuse panel is on my DK45S, and presumably other DKs. I do keep the tractor under cover and there is a rubber mat covering the "floor", so maybe it will continue to be OK. Is that where the fuses are on the SE models?

k0ua · Jun 5, 2013

ritcheyvs said:
Sure thing. But that's where the entire fuse panel is on my DK45S, and presumably other DKs. I do keep the tractor under cover and there is a rubber mat covering the "floor", so maybe it will continue to be OK. Is that where the fuses are on the SE models?

the fuse panel is up under the dash on the right side. The main fuse is inline near the starter.

Coyote machine · Jun 6, 2013

ritcheyvs said:
Sure thing. But that's where the entire fuse panel is on my DK45S, and presumably other DKs. I do keep the tractor under cover and there is a rubber mat covering the "floor", so maybe it will continue to be OK. Is that where the fuses are on the SE models?

Really?! Your fuse panel is under your floorboards? I'd like to see pics of that setup. Both my prior DK-35se/hst and my current DK-40se/hst have all fuses in a covered box on the lower right of the steering column. I don't doubt what you're saying- I do find it near impossible to comprehend why anyone would put fuses in that location....

ritcheyvs · Jun 6, 2013

Coyote machine said:
Really?! Your fuse panel is under your floorboards? I'd like to see pics of that setup. ...

I din't have an actual photo handy, but here's a fugure from the manual:

oldtrooper · Jun 9, 2013

"On my machine the wiring harness that comes off battery and supplies power to dash had a plug together connector underneath the floorboard on the left side of tractor. "
My DK45 did the same thing after getting wet. I wired around the plug (12 volt wire to dash) with a inline fused wire and no more problems.