JD F525, where to start?

[JazzDad]

Does anyone have any preliminary advice to get me started? I inherited a 1992 John Deere F525 last Saturday. It has good voltage at the battery (confirmed by jumping the starter and getting it to crank). But the blue wire to the starter solenoid only has 1 volt to it when the starter switch it engaged. I can hear one of the relays click, but think there may be a bad connection somewhere (hence the voltage drop). I also do not have any spark, but have not torn into the engine enough to know if it has an excited coil, or is a magneto. (I think it's a magneto.) I know this may be multiple problems. I may have to go to the JD dealer to buy the manual. The manual is $125! (The unit was owned by a brother-in-law who ran it til it quit and left it in a field for a year. Besides the electrical problem(s) I have dealt with a bit of rust and seizing). Thank you. Bret

 

[Molerj]

I'm thinking you may have a bad ground connection, especially since it has sat outside in the elements for a year. The no spark could be related to the ignition switch. This may not be the case but when you jumped from the battery to the starter, if the ignition switch wasn't in the on position, then there wouldn't be any spark. Could be saftety switches as well. Removing the kill wire from the module would eliminate the ignition & safety switches.

 

[JazzDad]

Thanks, molnar. I will go over the connections again. As I posted over in the John Deere topic area, there are many questionable connections from the prior owner's work on the unit.
Do you know if the safety switch arrangement is the type that completes a circuit, or the type that grounds out the ignition?

 

[Molerj]

On some safety switches like the brake/clutch switch it completes a circuit. On others like the seat saftey switch it grounds the ignition.

 

[JazzDad]

Thank you, Ron. And sorry about whatever other name I called you. I wasn't wearing my glasses yesterday.

 

[DaveInColorado]

Hey - I have a JD F525 that I need to get rid of, if you ever need one. The engine is fine but the transmission has a cracked mount on the case. Offer? Shipping is expensive from Fort Collins, CO to Texas.

 

[JazzDad]

Thanks, David. I'll pass on your offer for now. One green and yellow, 700 pound paperweight is all I need at this time!

 

[JazzDad]

Well, it took awhile but I got the engine running last night. 2 bad safety switches, gummed up carb and fuel pump, bad battery and corrected some wiring. If the weather is good this weekend, I'll get it out of the barn and see if it moves. Today is sunny and 70 degrees (Fahrenheit), but don't you know the weekend will probably be rainy and cold again.

 

[DaveInColorado]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Well, it took awhile but I got the engine running last night. 2 bad safety switches, gummed up carb and fuel pump, bad battery and corrected some wiring. If the weather is good this weekend, I'll get it out of the barn and see if it moves. Today is sunny and 70 degrees (Fahrenheit), but don't you know the weekend will probably be rainy and cold again.)</font>

Whoof! That's a long time that it took for you to get it going! I admit that I now have Two F525's, neither one is useful. Maybe in another couple of months I'll take the good transmission off the bad F525 and put it on the good one.

 

[JazzDad]

And I'm already starting work on my 2004 New Year's resolutions! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif