Kubota L275 starter failure, then whole electrical system failure... help...?

   / Kubota L275 starter failure, then whole electrical system failure... help...? #1  

SilverLakeFab

Bronze Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2008
Messages
83
Location
Concord, NH
Tractor
Kubota B6100D & Honda RT5000
I just sold my little Kubota B6100D tractor and yesterday went to purchase a 1983 Kubota L275, which I'm super excited about (see picture). When I arrived, the guy selling it started the machine without any problem whatsoever. After it ran for about 45 seconds, I turned it off so we could chat about the machine. I wanted to see everything function i.e. the gears and the loader it has, and the starter would not turn. Your could hear the starter solenoid click, but that was it, so I figured that the starter had worn brushes. The guy selling the machine tapped on the starter with a wrench (as anyone who's ever owned a forklift has had to do before), and after trying to get the starter to turn the motor over a couple more times, the electrical system stopped working altogether. The starter solenoid doesn't engage, the lights won't come on, and the glow plugs don't get power. We checked all the electrical connections, including the battery terminal connections, and everything seems to be in tact. We checked the battery and it had a full charge. We also checked the "fusable link" on the side of the machine and that was still good. Lastly, we double checked all the fuses on the dash panel and they all were in tact. Would anyone out there have any recommendations for what else to check on this machine? If we can get it starter again, I'm handing over the money and taking the beast home. Honestly, one way or another, I'm still purchasing the machine, even if we can't get it running in the seller's driveway. Any help or ideas would be very much appreciated.

L275.jpg
 
   / Kubota L275 starter failure, then whole electrical system failure... help...? #2  
If you have jumper cables, use one from plus of battery to "in" on the solenoid, use the other from minus of battery to ground of starter. Try to start. If it starts you have a bad connection some where. Check the ground on the chassis connection. Make sure tractor is in neutral!
 
   / Kubota L275 starter failure, then whole electrical system failure... help...? #3  
I assume the price will be adjusted if you can't figure out the problem before purchasing? If so, those old L275 models are well known and reliable.
 
   / Kubota L275 starter failure, then whole electrical system failure... help...?
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Hi,

So the battery was replaced (don't think that was a cause of this), along with the two battery cables and it now starts right up and works fine, so there was a bad connection there somewhere there. Regardless, it now starts well, so it'll be coming home this weekend. Thanks for the help!
 
   / Kubota L275 starter failure, then whole electrical system failure... help...? #5  
I bet it serves you well for many, many years.
 
   / Kubota L275 starter failure, then whole electrical system failure... help...? #6  
I bet it serves you well for many, many years.
I have a similar strange problem with an L 275. After failing to start upon turning the key and then in a short time later starting okay eventually it failed to start and I can't get it to start at all. Checked all the connections everything is fine battery charged good connections Etc. Here are the symptoms. If I turn the ignition to the start mode the tractor draws a lot of current but absolutely nothing happens. If I ground the solenoid to the body of the tractor it draws a lot of current Sparks but nothing happens. Grateful for any ideas, perhaps the starter just needs to be replaced or rebuilt. I'm baffled by the previous example where the battery and cables replaced and the problem was fixed especially since there was nothing wrong with the battery. Seems likely in that case one of the cables with either defective we're not connected correctly. But I've gone over these cables multiple times cleaned up the connections everything nothing works. That is when you turn to the start mode absolutely nothing happens other than a lot of current being drawn out of the battery. I can tell this because a battery charger is hooked to the battery and I have a meter on the front of the battery charger that shows it to be pegged when tractor is in the start mode as well as when it is in the mode to heat the glow plug. No clicking no nothing in the starter. Thanks again for any help Bob
 
   / Kubota L275 starter failure, then whole electrical system failure... help...? #7  
Bob, from your description, it sounds like the starter is either locked in position, unable to turn, or its windings have shorted. I'd pull the starter and do a bench test of the starter using a battery and perhaps your charger...

here is a video by which you can test your starter:
 
   / Kubota L275 starter failure, then whole electrical system failure... help...? #8  
Might try putting socket on end of crankshaft (if accessible) and see if it moves any, starter and flywheel may be jammed, and rocking crank back and forth a bit may release it.... Other wise pull starter and bench test as "bearthebruce" suggests...

Dale
 
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   / Kubota L275 starter failure, then whole electrical system failure... help...? #9  
Most "starter problems" come down to three things:
1. Either the solenoid's internal high current contacts need cleaning
2. Or the battery ground connection is poor.
3. Or there is a safety switch no functioning. The most common ones are under the seat or on clutch pedal.

With a good battery and a couple of jumper cables you can bypass all of those and power the starter directly. You need to know that anyway because it works on every old machine just the same.

If the tractor is otherwise in good shape - and ran nice for 45 minutes, failure of the starter to turn it over wouldn't bother me in the slightest - as long as it has a good battery plus the factory electricals and original wiring so I can see nobody has been in there trying a mickey mouse fixit.

Not starting would would be a good excuse to knock off a couple hundred bucks, but assuming a good battery already in there, it probably is not going to cost much if anything to set it right.

Now... However.....If there is a lot of home-made wiring and such or non-standard parts from previous fixes and it did what it did...then things are way different. I'd probably want at least $1000 off minimum and I'd get it too - and I still might decide just walk away. And that is in spite of my understanding and enjoying fixing electrical problems. If I would or not depends on the condition of the rest of the tractor. It has better be nice

It all comes down to if it is either normal wear on a nice simple original electrical system...which is easy to fix.
Or a hassle straightening out someone else's wiring on an "old crutch".
rScotty
 
 
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