SLIGHT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM

   / SLIGHT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM #1  

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I HAVE A JD 950. I TOOK OFF THE REAR FENDERS TO SANDBLAST AND REPAINT. WHEN I PUT THEM BACK ON THE LIGHTS THAT WERE ON THE FENDERS DID NOT WORK. THEY WERE WORKING FINE BEFORE I TOOK THEM OFF. I DID GET THE RED TAIL LIGHT TO WORK (BAD CONNECTION) BUT I CAN'T SEEM TO GET THE FLASHING LIGHTS AND WORK LIGHT TO WORK. I CHECKED ALL OF THE CONNECTIONS FROM THE SWITCH TO THE LIGHTS. ALL SEEM TO BE FINE. THE FUSES SEEM TO BE FINE. IS THERE A WAY TO SEE IF ELECTRICITY IS GETTING TO THE LIGHTS? WHAT COULD I USE TO DO SO? SINCE THEY WORKED FINE BEFORE I TOOK IT APART, MAYBE THERE IS A BROKEN WIRE? THE BULBS ARE FINE AND BRAND NEW. WHAT ABOUT THE GROUND TO THE FENDERS? THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS WORK FINE. ANY HELP/ADVISE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU
 
   / SLIGHT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM #2  
I think you have solved your own problem with the ground issue. Not familiar with the 950, but does the lights have and independent ground or do they get if from the frame? A good paint job would provide insulation from the tractor frame ground to the fender. Try this, take a piece of wire and attach it to the negative terminal on the battery and then attach/touch it to a metal part of the light , if its the ground, the light should come on (make sure the switch is on, I can't count the number of times I have been tracing a circuit and find the switch is off. If there is a seperate ground wire to the light, check that is connected to a good path back to the battery.
 
   / SLIGHT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM #4  
Ron, those fenders are mounted to the tractor with rubber isolaters and did always have a grounding problem because of it. Run a seperate ground lead for each fender, also make sure youre lights are grounded to the fender as well. Shake proof washers work good on the nut side.
 
   / SLIGHT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM #5  
Ron

The ground is your problem allright !!

My import had a full paint job done on it. It seems to be a good job as all of the fittings were removed first.

Do you think any lights or horn worked ??

No way !!!
 
   / SLIGHT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM
  • Thread Starter
#6  
HEY, YOU GUYS WERE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!!!!! I TOOK HALSEYGREEN'S ADVICE AND RAN A GROUND WIRE FROM THE NEG. TERMINAL ON THE BATTERY TO THE LIGHT AND "BINGO" IT WORKED. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ADVICE. I WILL WORK ON THE SYSTEM TONIGHT. WOULD IT BE A GOOD IDEA TO GET THOSE COPPER BRAIDED BATTERY GROUNDS? OR USE 10 GUAGE WIRE INSTEAD? THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE HELP. IT WAS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
 
   / SLIGHT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM #7  
10 gauge wire is fine.
 
   / SLIGHT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM #8  
Digital multimeters are getting pretty cheap. I saw some on the $9.95 at the local CO-OP. Cost more than a piece of wire but will give you info on a whole lot of electric problems.
 
   / SLIGHT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM #9  
Slamfire is right about the meters. If you get one make sure you get a set of leads with clips (some are alligator clips some are variations on the theme) in additon to the regular probe test leads. The clip is very handy for the ground lead while you use the probe to check the voltage on various locations. For a few more dollars you can get one with a current clamp, which can also be handy.
Any hardware or home center will also sells these.

You can get by with an indicator light.
Roll your own with a 12V bulb (any will work) by soldering two wires one to each terminal of the bulb. Maybe make one long enough to reach back to the batteries negative terminal. No if you touch the other lead to any point on the tractor or car (or any 12V system for that matter) the light will light up if you do in deed have power.

Fred
 
   / SLIGHT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM #10  
Just to keep wire lenght to a minimum, you only need to ground to the nearest frame point. There is no need to go all the way to the negative terminal of the battery as it is already grounded to the frame.
 
 
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