Kubota Won't Start?

[njrqs]

Kubota Won\'t Start?

My L185 always starts no worries. If battery goes a bit flat, it at least turns over to let me know it needs charging.

Well it is has been a month or so and this time I go to start, I get dash lights, headlights etc. but no click, no turning over, nothing.

Battery terminals and connections seem OK and I get full glow on the glow plugs (I have the old resistance coil)

My 3 year old tried to climb on with me before I started and used the **** wiring harness as a hand hold.

I suspect that has done something but can't find any loose wires. Have "dash" apart and see nothing.

I have power at the starter motor solenoid.

What else can I check? I don't know all the other jumping tricks etc.

There is a large box under the "dash". I suspect it is a relay of some sort. Is that the starter relay?

Any ideas?

Cheers /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[daedong]

Re: Kubota Won\'t Start?

Hi Neil

I am no electrician but, if you have power to the solenoid you should be able to use a screw driver to bridge across the terminals at the back of the solenoid. This will get yourself going until you get time to find the problem. good luck

 

[lschultz]

Re: Kubota Won\'t Start?

If he pulled on the wiring harness theres probably something not making a good connection.I would look it over very close,check both ends of the harness.Could be some wire that goes to some safety swith not making a good connection.

 

[cowboydoc]

Re: Kubota Won\'t Start?

First thing I would do is make sure your battery is good.

 

[RobertN]

Re: Kubota Won\'t Start?

Have you tried the hand crank start? My Farmall starts on the second crank. One thing that's nice about old gas iron... You can crank start some of them, and they can be pushed or pulled to roll start them! Can't do that with my diesel HST Kubota /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Start by double checking the battery connections. Take them off and clean them, just for good measure. Especially check and clean the ground, at the battery and at the frame/chassis connection.

The power at the selenoid is straight from the battery. There is a second small post on the selenoid; that's where the wire coming from the key goes to. Check voltage at that point with the key turned to "Start". If you do not get that voltage, you will not trip the selenoid to run the starter. You can, to move the tractor, jump from the large terminal of the selenoid to the small terminal.

Although it may appear that you have good mechanical connections on the wiring harness connections, that is no indication of good electrical connections. You can start by reseating all the connectors. If you have a volt meter and wiring diagram, you can check each connection for proper voltage. Also check the wires at the point the go in to the connectors. A wire may have pulled loose from the connector contact itself.

Check the fuses too. They may be dirty. Also, I have had the fuse holder act up on me(not on the Kubota, but in other applications). If the wire was pulled, the spring inside that hold the fuse in place might have gone "flat". I have stretched those springs just a tad, and had them work fine again.

Hope that helps!

 

[njrqs]

Re: Kubota Won\'t Start?

Thanks all so far.

Still suspect a wiring gremlin due to pulling, but can't find anything.

At Solenoid I have a BIG terminal and a LITTLE terminal.

Suspect there is another BIG one but not sure. Could be hiding behind the other big terminal. Maybe has wires going directly into starter?

Little terminal has no power with the key or starter switch in any position.

Scredriver bridging between BIG and LITTLE terminal produces sparks but no action.

Have fiddled with clutch switch and even jumped across it to check it is OK.

If no power at little terminal, does that point to a wiring problem upstream?

I get glow plugs which are operated by turning the starter switch anitclockwise, so starter switch is at least getting some power to it?

Hmmm

More on the jumpering guys as I need to shift the thing shortly!!

Cheers

PS - Aint it funny how I can't get time for TBN anymore, but as soon as I get a problem, where do I turn? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[bgott]

Re: Kubota Won\'t Start?

First, make sure you have the thing out of gear. When you jump the solenoid you are bypassing the safety switches. Now, you say you have sparks when you jump from the little terminal on the starter to the big one and nothing happens. Do the lights go dead when you do this? If they do you have a bad battery. If not, try this. Get a fair sized hammer and rap on the starter. You don't want to break it off the engine, just rattle the guts. You might also have dirty contacts in the solenoid or a stuck starter drive. To check for a stuck starter drive, stick it in gear and rock it back and forth with the tires. If you hear a clunk in the starter area while rocking it'll probably crank when you try it. Try this stuff and let us know, I know some other tips that might work. Oh, go buy a test light. You want the light that has a pointed probe on one end and a pigtail with an alligator clip on the other. Make sure it is a voltage test light, they make a continuity tester that has a battery in it that looks the same but doesn't work the same.

 

[njrqs]

Re: Kubota Won\'t Start?

Tried banging with hammer. - Nothing.

Tried a bit harder - Presto !

We have contact !!

Did get it started but admit it sounded funny.

Shut it down and tried to restart. Sounded even funnier.

Smoke coming from solenoid.

Me thinks me might have some funny goings on in there?

Will wait till daylight (dark in my part of the world) and have a good look.

Almost sounded like battery is flat (even though it is fully charged)

Maybe shorting inside the starter or solenoid?

Thanks again. Will advise when I get a good go but at least we have action.

Now to put all the dash back together !!

PS - I do have a test lamp and multi-meter so if you can advise any further tests to see what is dud, that would be appreciated.

But sounds like solenoid?

 

[TonyC]

Re: Kubota Won\'t Start?

A reminder for all of us for the future...when the tractor won't start but you have good lights etc, check the PTO lever. I spent an hour and a half last week "diagnosing" the same situation you had. Turns out the PTO lever had been moved slightly and the safety switch cut the juice to the starter. Oh well, lesson learned.

 

[glennd]

Re: Kubota Won\'t Start?

It sounds like you have a bad starter. IF you pull it off and take it to an alternator/starter/generator shop, they'll test it for free. Could just have some rust and water in it causing a direct short, but could be more. Either way, it's something you'd probably want them to do and many test 'em for free. I'd check the battery cables at the starter and where the ground cable attaches to the engine or chassis, to be sure they are not loose or correded before pulling starter. Get busy!