T2310 Starting Issue

[jonnykk]

Hello everyone, new member here with a quick question about our New Holland T2310.

We purchased the tractor new in 2008 and it currently has 220 hours on it. The machine has been fantastic the past few years and has never given us an issue, even through some of these long sub zero temps in Northern Vermont.

Some background before the issue at hand...

We have someone here working on our garage and he uses the tractor from time to time. It was used to jump start a lift that we've been putting siding up with about a week ago, no issues... the lift started right up, the tractor was fine, drove it back around to the front of the garage and parked it.

Again late last week, the lift needed to get jump started again, so followed the same routine... this time around, things didn't go as smoothly. The lift would not start (another issue that has been fixed), however the tractor lost all power, just dead in the water. Somehow the main 40amp fuse blew out, so we replaced the fuse and all was well. I drove the tractor back around to the front of the garage, dropped the bucket and turned off the key. That was the first time there has ever been an issue with the machine.

This brings me to yesterday... the bucket was loaded up with a bunch of scrap wood from the garage, I figured I would take it around and dump it in the fire pit. I put the key in the tractor and turn it to on, wait for the glow plugs to cycle, then go to turn the key...

I don't hear anything at all when I turn the key, however as soon as the key is released, I hear the starter "click" as if it would be disengaging. I don't see any warning lights out of the normal range with the key in the on position. The glow plugs cycle just fine, everything seems to work normally but it will not even attempt to turn over.

I suspect that either the starter is bad, or one of the safety lockout switches has failed. I pulled the gauge cluster out and checked fuse #2, everything was fine there.

From my understanding, I can remove the plug on the side of the starter and jump from there to the main terminal to test the starter. Due to the fact that I can hear the starter solenoid with the key, I suspect that it may be one of the safety switches in the system, any ideas where I should start looking?

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Jerry/MT]

Hello everyone, new member here with a quick question about our New Holland T2310.

We purchased the tractor new in 2008 and it currently has 220 hours on it. The machine has been fantastic the past few years and has never given us an issue, even through some of these long sub zero temps in Northern Vermont.

Some background before the issue at hand...

We have someone here working on our garage and he uses the tractor from time to time. It was used to jump start a lift that we've been putting siding up with about a week ago, no issues... the lift started right up, the tractor was fine, drove it back around to the front of the garage and parked it.

Again late last week, the lift needed to get jump started again, so followed the same routine... this time around, things didn't go as smoothly. The lift would not start (another issue that has been fixed), however the tractor lost all power, just dead in the water. Somehow the main 40amp fuse blew out, so we replaced the fuse and all was well. I drove the tractor back around to the front of the garage, dropped the bucket and turned off the key. That was the first time there has ever been an issue with the machine.

This brings me to yesterday... the bucket was loaded up with a bunch of scrap wood from the garage, I figured I would take it around and dump it in the fire pit. I put the key in the tractor and turn it to on, wait for the glow plugs to cycle, then go to turn the key...

I don't hear anything at all when I turn the key, however as soon as the key is released, I hear the starter "click" as if it would be disengaging. I don't see any warning lights out of the normal range with the key in the on position. The glow plugs cycle just fine, everything seems to work normally but it will not even attempt to turn over.

I suspect that either the starter is bad, or one of the safety lockout switches has failed. I pulled the gauge cluster out and checked fuse #2, everything was fine there.

From my understanding, I can remove the plug on the side of the starter and jump from there to the main terminal to test the starter. Due to the fact that I can hear the starter solenoid with the key, I suspect that it may be one of the safety switches in the system, any ideas where I should start looking?

Thanks in advance for the help!

If you are hearing the solenoid than I doubt that the safety switches are the problem. They prevent current from getting through to the solenoid. More than likely your battery connections are bad (loose, damaged, or corroded) or the cables are damaged or internally corroded.

Check for voltage at the starter solenoid with the key in the start position to be sure. Then check for voltage of the big terminal at the starter from the battery. You can check the starter by directly jumping from the battery to the power supply lug on the starter MAKING SURE THAT THE TRACTOR IS NOT IN GEAR! If it turns the engine over, than the starter is good.

 

[shade tree welder]

I am thinking an almost dead battery.

 

[jinman]

JonnyKK, the 40 amp fuse is in the circuit after the starter, so it should not have anything to do with jump starting unless you perhaps had the engine running on the TC when you attempted to start the lift. I think you may have dirty battery terminals on your battery. All kinds of things can happen when high current starts dropping out due to dirty terminals. I don't see how you got that 40 amp to blow, but ????.

Clean your terminals to where they are shiny and check all other connections for tightness. Check that the battery has a voltage of 12.8 or higher to indicate a good strong battery. Also, check your fuses just for good measure and go ahead and try the hotwire start if things don't improve after cleaning and checking.

 

[jimmysisson]

Maybe the jumper cable clamp loosened what was a barely-tight terminal?
Jim

 

[jonnykk]

Thanks for the responses everyone!

I did check the battery, everything is good there and I tried another battery just to confirm. I can not hear the starter try to turn over when the key is turned initially, but I can hear the solenoid release when I let off the key. Putting the battery direct to the starter got me nothing either, so I'm leaning towards a bad starter...

 

[dynasim]

When I get the starter click, with no turnover, it has always been a loose connection.

Chris

 

[jonnykk]

Thanks for the response Chris!

What has me really confused on this one is that there is no initial "click" or any sound from the starter, the only sound is that of the solenoid after the key is released.

I'm hoping to do a bit more probing here over the long weekend. I would certainly rather find a loose connection... I plan on pulling all the ground points and power leads off and cleaning the connections and if none of that works, then I'll pull the starter and try a bench test.

 

[jinman]

I suppose your solenoid could be binding so that it is not engaging the switch, but when you remove electricity the return spring pulls it back to fully disengaged with a "clunk." If you find you need a new starter, consider an online source to save some $$$. Here's a link to a post with a link to a vendor.

 

[jonnykk]

Thanks for the link Jim!

I'm somewhat baffled... I just tested the voltage both at the battery and at the starter, it's showing 12v constant in both places. I removed the safety lockout terminal and tried jumping 12v power directly to that pin... nothing at all, the same "click" that I hear when releasing the ignition key.

I removed the starter at lunch, took it into the shop and put 12v directly to the solenoid... it spins with no issues.

So... I'm either back to chasing down a wiring issue (bad ground, faulty safety switch) or as you mentioned Jim, the solenoid is binding up.