It's been awhile since I've been on this forum and just noticed a lot of recent activity in this thread. I want to re-address one of the failure issues from my original post in order to be more specific as, for some, it may not be clear based on the follow up posts from others.
FAILURE #3 addresses the issue of cranking and cranking your 5X20 tractor for a long period without startup. Specifically, I wrote:
"You can test the solenoid directly without involving the key switch circuit. To do this make sure the key in in the OFF position. Take a long wire or jumper cable and connect one end to the positive (+) terminal of your tractor battery. Touch the other end of the wire or jumper cable to the positive (+) terminal of the fuel shutoff solenoid. You should hear it "click" as the solenoid activates. If this occurs then your fuel shutoff solenoid is in good working order. Otherwise you will need to replace the solenoid. If it is established that the fuel shutoff solenoid is good the next thing to check will be the fuse for it in the fuse box. Refer to your owner's manual for location of the fuel shutoff solenoid fuse or look on the back of the fuse box cover for a fuse map. If the fuse is blown replace it. If the fuse is good then the key switch may be bad."
However, I did not give the most likely remedy for the situation where the solenoid is good (based on the test above) and the fuse is blown. Others have mentioned that the problem could be a "temperature sensor" that is either shorted out or more likely just drawing too much current for your 20 amp fuse to handle. Specifically, they are talking about the "cold start advance" sensor. If you look at your injector pump you will notice that, in addition to the red wire from the key switch to the positive (+) terminal of the fuel solenoid, there is a positive (+) and a negative (-) wire that are part of a two wire harness. This two wire harness goes to the "cold start advance" sensor. This sensor is likely the cause of the problem with the blown fuse if you've already verified that the fuel solenoid is good. Historically, a lot of folks have seen the sensor go bad on several models of JD tractors, not just the 5X20 line.
So, when you've read, in this thread, that some folks "disconnected the wire" to fix the problem they are in fact talking about disconnecting the cold start advance sensor. You may disconnect just the positive (+) lead for the sensor. Obviously, the long term solution is to replace the sensor.
You may have noticed that after performing the "solenoid test" then replacing a blown fuse that your tractor starts up and runs fine over many startups even though you have NOT disconnected the wire(s) to the cold start advance sensor. You may be puzzled as to why this is the case. Again, most likely the sensor is drawing too much electrical current but it may be just below the threshold of blowing the 20 amp fuse. Over time, you will most likely see the fuse blow more and more often if nothing is done except to perform the solenoid test and replace the fuse. This is what I have observed with my 5320. That is, I can manually operate the fuel solenoid with the jumper wire from the positive (+) terminal of the battery then replace the fuse then be good to go for 6 to 12 startups until the fuse blows again. Clearly, I need to change the sensor or at least disconnect it until the replacement part shows up.
I hope this clarifies for some what others have posted in this thread.
FAILURE #3 addresses the issue of cranking and cranking your 5X20 tractor for a long period without startup. Specifically, I wrote:
"You can test the solenoid directly without involving the key switch circuit. To do this make sure the key in in the OFF position. Take a long wire or jumper cable and connect one end to the positive (+) terminal of your tractor battery. Touch the other end of the wire or jumper cable to the positive (+) terminal of the fuel shutoff solenoid. You should hear it "click" as the solenoid activates. If this occurs then your fuel shutoff solenoid is in good working order. Otherwise you will need to replace the solenoid. If it is established that the fuel shutoff solenoid is good the next thing to check will be the fuse for it in the fuse box. Refer to your owner's manual for location of the fuel shutoff solenoid fuse or look on the back of the fuse box cover for a fuse map. If the fuse is blown replace it. If the fuse is good then the key switch may be bad."
However, I did not give the most likely remedy for the situation where the solenoid is good (based on the test above) and the fuse is blown. Others have mentioned that the problem could be a "temperature sensor" that is either shorted out or more likely just drawing too much current for your 20 amp fuse to handle. Specifically, they are talking about the "cold start advance" sensor. If you look at your injector pump you will notice that, in addition to the red wire from the key switch to the positive (+) terminal of the fuel solenoid, there is a positive (+) and a negative (-) wire that are part of a two wire harness. This two wire harness goes to the "cold start advance" sensor. This sensor is likely the cause of the problem with the blown fuse if you've already verified that the fuel solenoid is good. Historically, a lot of folks have seen the sensor go bad on several models of JD tractors, not just the 5X20 line.
So, when you've read, in this thread, that some folks "disconnected the wire" to fix the problem they are in fact talking about disconnecting the cold start advance sensor. You may disconnect just the positive (+) lead for the sensor. Obviously, the long term solution is to replace the sensor.
You may have noticed that after performing the "solenoid test" then replacing a blown fuse that your tractor starts up and runs fine over many startups even though you have NOT disconnected the wire(s) to the cold start advance sensor. You may be puzzled as to why this is the case. Again, most likely the sensor is drawing too much electrical current but it may be just below the threshold of blowing the 20 amp fuse. Over time, you will most likely see the fuse blow more and more often if nothing is done except to perform the solenoid test and replace the fuse. This is what I have observed with my 5320. That is, I can manually operate the fuel solenoid with the jumper wire from the positive (+) terminal of the battery then replace the fuse then be good to go for 6 to 12 startups until the fuse blows again. Clearly, I need to change the sensor or at least disconnect it until the replacement part shows up.
I hope this clarifies for some what others have posted in this thread.