john deere 2240 solonoid clicks several times before starting

[decollette]

hello everyone this is my first post. i am having some trouble with a 2240 50hp 3cyl diesel tractor. i dont own the tractor but i am pretty good with cars and a small farm has taken my on fixing their equipment on the weekends. the farmer swapped in a new starter (OE JD part) because it was to the point where he had to tap it with a hammer every time he wanted it to start. then is would start sometimes and sometimes just click and sometimes do nothing. i came in the picture here. i cleaned the battery posts, cables, wiring connectors, and all connections for wiring with CRC quick drying electronics cleaner and a wire brush. now it seams to start perfect every once and a while but most of the time when i turn the key it just clicks, and if i keep turning the key back and forth on the third or fourth click it will turn over and start. i tried today to start it i had to click it a few times until it turned over the engine, but the engine was turning very slow and wasn't fast enough to start it. i used a screw driver to jump the posts on the solenoid and it turned a little faster(still not as fast as normal) and was just enough to catch and fire up. not sure where to look next or what to replace. i usually try not to just replace things willy nilly until something works, but im not sure what and how to try and diagnose this. i have a nice multimeter but not sure how to apply it to this situation. please help and share your solutions if you have had the same problem or any idea on how to fix this. it is much appreciated

[Zebrafive]

Check the ground. MY older 2030 grounded to the sheet metal of the battery compartment. If your 2240 is like that a longer cable to the engine block will help.
You might want to use your OHM meter to check resistance of the battery cables. If you find high resistance a cable end may be bad.
Last resort a new key switch.

[decollette]

thanks ill check it out next saturday and post my findings

[jeff9366]

Recently had the same problem with my Kubota. Same symptoms.

I had been working clearing dense brush the day before problem started.

Clicking solenoid without start was intermittent at first but became gradually worse.

The Kubota mechanic drove out, pulled accumulated brush from under the tractor, especially from kill switch associated with HST Forward/Reverse pedal and that helped....but problem returned.

Mechanic trailered Kubota to shop, removed more brush bits from HST Forward/Reverse pedal area and adjusted switch position, which had been pushed "out".

Now starting perfectly.

Repair $83 + Pickup/Return $50. No complaint.

[decollette]

thanks sorry for the wait busy with other things at the farm, i gig check the cables they have no resistance, i grounded straight to the engine and it helped but only lasted one day. almost like the battery slowly drains overnight. im going to check for current while the key is off, also ill have the batteries tested by a professional to be sure they are not the problem, because when it starts, its usually good all day

[BuckeyeFarmer1994]

I recently had the same problem with a 2440, if you have a delco solenoid, your problem may result from the internal contacts being worn out. If you take the solenoid apart, the contact can be flipped over and it'll be good to go for a long time, assuming someone has not already done that in the past.

Another problem area is the neutral safety switch contacts get dirty. Good Luck!

[Jerry/MT]

thanks sorry for the wait busy with other things at the farm, i gig check the cables they have no resistance, i grounded straight to the engine and it helped but only lasted one day. almost like the battery slowly drains overnight. im going to check for current while the key is off, also ill have the batteries tested by a professional to be sure they are not the problem, because when it starts, its usually good all day

Check the battery terminals for corrosion. If they are good, check the ground connection to the chasis. If it's good, then as the other poster said, it could be worn solenoid contacts. Finally, my experience with the newer maintenance free batteries is that they behave as you are describing and then die and will not take a charge. The fix is to replace the battery.

[puckgrinder85]

thanks sorry for the wait busy with other things at the farm, i gig check the cables they have no resistance, i grounded straight to the engine and it helped but only lasted one day. almost like the battery slowly drains overnight. im going to check for current while the key is off, also ill have the batteries tested by a professional to be sure they are not the problem, because when it starts, its usually good all day

You cant check a battery cable with an Ohm meter if thats how you did it. Only one strand of that huge cable needs to be intact for an ohm meter to read just fine. What you need to do to check it is a voltage drop test. This is done with a load on the wire ( like the starter cranking). What the test does is if there is resistance in the wire you suspect the voltage will try and get around it and will use your meter to do so. You're meter will show you the voltage loss in the wire (resistance). All you do is put your meter on dc volts and one end of your meter on the end of the wire you want to test, and the other end of your meter on the opposing end and crank and you should not see much voltage read on the meter, should be well under 1V. You can use this tests for just about anything and its way better than a simple resistance test as it tests the circuit under a load when most failures occur. You wont hurt your meter in anyway.