JD 750 tractor clicks, tries to turn, won't start

[Oaktree]

Is this it?
John Deere Starting Improvement Relay Kit - AM107421

Didn't know about that kit at the time, but that's the gist of what I did...installed a new relay in the starter solenoid circuit.

 

[mfreund]

OK. Would a bad battery make the solenoid click but not turn the starter?

yes, Earlier in the year I had a battery in my Harley that even had 12.6 v but had no amps when load tested.

 

[stamello]

I think you definitely need a new battery. That is more than likely your problem, although your starter might be on the way out. I'd put in a new battery before doing anything else. Also, make sure that the battery terminals are clean and tight. Diesels require an enormous amount of current to start - a battery that is fine for a car won't necessarily turn over a diesel.

JayC

I tested my battery and it was showing around 500 Cold Cranking Amps. So I bought a 925 CCA battery and hooked that one up. First try, started right up. I skidded some logs for about an hour, then turned the tractor off to connect the bushhog. When I tried to start the tractor again, got the same click-click-click as before.
Then I started throwing things and cussing. After that I took the ground wire off again, recut it again and rebolted it to the frame. Then I took the positive connections apart from the battery to the starter and cleaned them again. After that it started right up and has been working fine all week.
I'm not sure if all of that fixed it or if I'll eventually have the click-click problem again. If it happens again I'll try the ignition booster kit.
Thanks to all for your advice and help.

 

[Dennisfly]

I'm not intimately familiar with your tractor, but it sounds like it could be a bad solenoid. There is a small wire from the ignition switch to the solenoid and a large wire that goes from the battery to the solenoid. If the solenoid is mounted on the starter, there will be an internal conductor that powers the starter. If it is not mounted on the starter, then there will be another large cable that runs from the solenoid to the starter. The solenoid and all of the associated connections at the cable/wire connections are suspect. Old, well used, solenoids have contactors that can wear and develop high resistance which can cause the symptoms you describe. You could put a jumper cable directly from the positive battery cable to the starter power terminal, with the ignition switch on and see if the starter motor spins. If it does, then it is the starter solenoid or one of the connections in the solenoid circuit.

 

[Sissybitus]

I bought this tractor in the spring and it started and ran fine.
A couple of months ago it started spraying coolant so I had the water pump replaced. No more fluid.
Now it doesn't always start. Sometimes it starts up fine - I just turn the key and away it goes.
But sometimes it's totally dead. I turn the key, get one click, and then nothing. After that -
- Sometimes I just wait for awhile and try again, and then it starts right up.
- Sometimes I try jumping it off my truck battery. At that point, it starts clicking like crazy and the engine moves and slowly seems to try to turn over, but doesn't "catch".
- Sometimes I try banging on the starter with a hammer, and once in awhile it starts. But not always.
I had the battery checked at autozone, and they say it's fine. But it's weird that I get no clicks with the tractor battery, but clicks and movement with the truck battery... right?
Any ideas? I'm a newbie, so maybe I'm just overlooking something obvious.

I have a 318 JD, but my experience may give you a clue. It does the same thing yours does; it's not the starter or battery. If it doesn't start (most of the time it does start) is the same time I'm turning the ignition key, jiggle the PTO switch up and down. The motor will cough, release the switch and key, and then turn the iginition key again. It will then start. Must be a short in the safety switch or something like that. I guess one of these winters I will have to have a professional fix it; but for now, it's working. Hope this helps.

 

[viper227]

Had the same problem with my JD 750 it started fine then one day nothing I'd turn the key and it was DOA charged battery changed terminals still nothing. Finally it just started but the problem now was intermittent. No headlights or flashers and the front PTO wouldn't engage. I thought it was the rear PTO or a neutral safety switch or something but I finally figured out it was the ignition switch was bad. I replaced the switch and all of my problems disappeared now it starts every time and all the accessories work I cleaned the switch with WD40 and it worked for a while but I decided to change the switch. Good Luck

 

[stamello]

I have a 318 JD, but my experience may give you a clue. It does the same thing yours does; it's not the starter or battery. If it doesn't start (most of the time it does start) is the same time I'm turning the ignition key, jiggle the PTO switch up and down. The motor will cough, release the switch and key, and then turn the iginition key again. It will then start. Must be a short in the safety switch or something like that. I guess one of these winters I will have to have a professional fix it; but for now, it's working. Hope this helps.

I'll try that next time it does it.

 

[stamello]

I tested my battery and it was showing around 500 Cold Cranking Amps. So I bought a 925 CCA battery and hooked that one up. First try, started right up. I skidded some logs for about an hour, then turned the tractor off to connect the bushhog. When I tried to start the tractor again, got the same click-click-click as before.
Then I started throwing things and cussing. After that I took the ground wire off again, recut it again and rebolted it to the frame. Then I took the positive connections apart from the battery to the starter and cleaned them again. After that it started right up and has been working fine all week.
I'm not sure if all of that fixed it or if I'll eventually have the click-click problem again. If it happens again I'll try the ignition booster kit.
Thanks to all for your advice and help.

It started acting up again doing the same thing. I retraced all the wires again and rebolted the ground again. Then it started up fine. Not sure what is happening or if it's all unrelated to the ground and I'm bumping something else when I trace the wires...

 

[jmchessman]

OK. Would a bad battery make the solenoid click but not turn the starter?

Yes, a weak battery can have enough oomph to pull in the solenoid but once the contacts close, it cannot crank the starter. Sometimes you will get the clickety-clickety-click thing in this situation. Another thing to do is check your battery cables and posts. If they are not clean and making good metal-to-metal contact, you will have excessive resistance there and it will act like a weak battery.

 

[don45640]

Yeah,I'm with DennisFly on this.Sounds like a faulty solenoid,corroded inside,sometimes making good contact,sometimes not. don-ohio ^)