TC-33 Blowing the #2 Fuse

   / TC-33 Blowing the #2 Fuse #1  

tkcomer

Silver Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2005
Messages
185
Location
Maysville, KY
Tractor
JD 3039R
Ok, so it’s a DX-33. Figure I’d get more responses here. I’ve seen the posts on these tractors blowing the #2 fuse. The one that takes out the starter when it blows. Seems to be a problem in a lot of these tractors. Right now, I stuck a 20 amp fuse to prevent this, but I just don’t feel comfortable doing it. I was using 10 amp fuses but it just blew the third one yesterday after owning this tractor less than a year. My biggest fear is the wife is going to direct her anger away from the tractor to me. So far, it has quit close to the house. But if she is on the back of the farm…. Anyone know for sure why these tractors blow that fuse?
 
   / TC-33 Blowing the #2 Fuse #2  
I didn't think the starter was on #2, I thought it was #5, but anyway the starter circuit has been discussed here before. The way I understand there are two things you can do to help avoid blowing the fuse….
1) Make sure you battery is in good shape. A weak battery will have lower voltage which increases the amps drawn when you hit the starter.
2) Wait until the glow plug light goes out before you crank the starter. That way you’re not pulling electricity for both the glow plugs and the starter through the fuse at the same time.

The fuse in that spot should be a 10 amp fuse. There are some owner’s manuals out there that show a 5 amp fuse, but those manuals are not correct.
 
   / TC-33 Blowing the #2 Fuse
  • Thread Starter
#3  
My manual shows a 7.5 amp fuse for that one. In one section it says that fuse powers the alternator and safety start circuit. In another, it says it powers the operator presence system. When I first went to look at the tractor, it shot that fuse. Dealer put the 10 amp fuse in. Battery is still the factory one. It went several months without popping one. Then, it popped two real quick. I was out of 10 amp fuses so I stuck the 20 amp in. When a circuit is popping fuses, something tells me that there is a problem. Unless the factory chose too small a fuse.
 
   / TC-33 Blowing the #2 Fuse #4  
tkcomer said:
My manual shows a 7.5 amp fuse for that one. In one section it says that fuse powers the alternator and safety start circuit. In another, it says it powers the operator presence system. I was out of 10 amp fuses so I stuck the 20 amp in.

20 amp fuse :eek: . I don't know much about fuses or electricity, but when the fuse is not "scarificed" something real expensive dies in it's place. Be careful. Go back to 7.5 or 10, but 20 seems like asking for trouble $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
Bob
 
   / TC-33 Blowing the #2 Fuse #5  
Doc_Bob said:
20 amp fuse :eek: . I don't know much about fuses or electricity, but when the fuse is not "scarificed" something real expensive dies in it's place. Be careful. Go back to 7.5 or 10, but 20 seems like asking for trouble $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
Bob

Beyond that, you can burn up the wiring harness and even the tractor. Do not overfuse, fix the problem. Do you oversize the fuses in your house? I hope not. You may have an intermittent short. This can be hard to find, but worst case, I would buy several boxes of the right size fuse and use then as needed. Look at the wiring and see if there is damage to the insulation. I suggest the seat switch area. It gets flexed a lot. I don't know your particular tractor, so these are just general suggestion. Call in an expert to look at this or contact the manufacturer. He may have seen this problem before.

Good luck,

Bob Rip
 
   / TC-33 Blowing the #2 Fuse #6  
SteveInMD said:
2) Wait until the glow plug light goes out before you crank the starter. That way you’re not pulling electricity for both the glow plugs and the starter through the fuse at the same time..

I don't own a 33.. but I'm guessing the power for the starter doesn't go thru that fuse... er.. or any fuse..

The premise is still correct however.. a low battery menas more amps needed.. etc.

I'd recomend a self resetting CB...

Soundguy
 
   / TC-33 Blowing the #2 Fuse
  • Thread Starter
#7  
The factory battery seems to be OK. It starts just fine. And I do wait until the glow plug light goes out. When you turn the key, you can hear the solenoid on the starter click. That’s it. No attempt to even turn the engine. Looking at the schematics, I cannot find fuse #2. I can find all other fuses in the book. The book has a table of fuses. Fuse ID #2. Page location 8. Circuit Identification: Operator Presence System. I turn to page 8 and see the Operator Presence Module, but no #2 fuse. That module is tied to all the safety start switches I think. I was hoping by now someone would know what is causing the fuse to blow. Something is pulling too many amps when you turn that key.
 
   / TC-33 Blowing the #2 Fuse #8  
Can't help with all that operator presence stuff.. None of my tractors have/have had it.. save my little rider mower.

Hopefully someone with a similar model will come along here shortly and point that fuse out to you.

On the related subject o fthe 'ignition' fuse blowing on NEW holland tractors.. Many of us here have seen it. Even my 7610s has done it when the battery was low... etc..

Soundguy
 
   / TC-33 Blowing the #2 Fuse #9  
tkcomer said:
The factory battery seems to be OK. It starts just fine. And I do wait until the glow plug light goes out. When you turn the key, you can hear the solenoid on the starter click. That’s it. No attempt to even turn the engine. Looking at the schematics, I cannot find fuse #2. I can find all other fuses in the book. The book has a table of fuses. Fuse ID #2. Page location 8. Circuit Identification: Operator Presence System. I turn to page 8 and see the Operator Presence Module, but no #2 fuse. That module is tied to all the safety start switches I think. I was hoping by now someone would know what is causing the fuse to blow. Something is pulling too many amps when you turn that key.

I think there is a good chance that this circuit has a "relay race" or switch contacts that are sticking, causing the problem. A relay race is when a circuit depends on one relay energizing before another one. If something happens to one relay, the circuit can be exposed to excessive current. Relay races are bad design and show up as intermittent problems. It can be very expensive trying to figure out what is causing an intermittent problem like this. One thing for sure, you don't want to keep increasing your fuse size. I'm sure you know this and probably didn't have any more 10 amp fuses, so you replaced it with a bigger one. You'll want to change that out ASAP.

I agree with Soundguy about the circuit breaker. There is a circuit breaker that inserts just like a fuse. Your NH dealer should be able to get them. If not, search the NH forum for "circuit breaker" and I bet you will find the Buss part number so you can order one or two. I thought I would have to do that on my tractor, but I got lucky with the 10 amp fuse. I haven't had a problem since I installed it.

In the meantime, I'd replace that 20 amp with a 10 amp and caution your wife to not kill the engine on the tractor when she is away from the house. Also, you might put several fuses in your toolbox and show her how to change them. Once she sees how easy it is, maybe she won't be too afraid of having problems.:)
 
   / TC-33 Blowing the #2 Fuse
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Oh, I’m going to put the 10 amp fuse back in. I’ve already bought a box of fuses, just haven’t started the tractor since I put it up. I’ll teach the wife how to swap them out. At least they are easy to get to. The battery part has my curiosity up. That would be easy to replace. I’ve heard of a lot of bad batteries on these models also.
 
 
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