John Deere 2510 Diesel Restart Problems

[swenerst]

I'm having a baffling problem (baffling to me at least) with my 2510 diesel. Tractor starts up no problem in the morning, but when I run the tractor for a couple of hours then switch it off, it will NOT restart. It acts and sounds like the battery is dead with the usual fast-clicking noise coming from the starter. Once the tractor cools down in a few hours, it starts right up again.

The tractor has a 12v electrical system with a negative ground. The battery is new and is definitely holding a charge as evidenced by being able to start the tractor when the engine is cool (either morning or after waiting a few hours after running it).

Has anyone encountered this before? Is it an electrical issue or perhaps something going on with the starter when the engine gets hot?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

 

[oldnslo]

Have you tried running jumper cables directly to the starter to eliminate all the connections in between battery and starter?

Possible ground connection losing contact when warm but I would think you see some sparking or arcing going on.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I diagnosed a tandem grain truck with the same issue. It would start great cold but once warm it needed a boost. Someone had installed a new ground cable and had attached it to one of the exhaust manifold bolts. When the motor was cold here was a good connection. When the motor was warm the heat of the exhaust caused the connection to have enough resistance that the motor wouldn't start. Moving the ground cable to a bolt on the engine cured the issue.

In your situation you might just have a poor battery cable connection. Either at the battery, or the ground, or at the starter. If a battery cable has a bolt on repair on the battery end, that can quite often cause issues also.

Sometimes just feeling for a warm connection after trying to start the tractor is all that's needed to figure out where the problem is. Try wiggling on the cables while trying to start the tractor. Just make sure the gear shift is in park before doing so.

 

[swenerst]

Thanks for the responses! The battery cables are in fact very old. I'll start there...

 

[Tx Jim]

JD offered a relay kit to help stop warm engine starting problems. A simple relay(2nd photo) can be added cheaper than JD kit. Another possibility is hyd pump is attempting to build pressure during engine starting. Moving steering wheel rapidly from side to side while attempting to start engine helps relieve hyd pressure. Another option is utilizing a hyd pump de-stroking screw(item 17) during starting procedure.

 

[swenerst]

JD offered a relay kit to help stop warm engine starting problems. A simple relay(2nd photo) can be added cheaper than JD kit. Another possibility is hyd pump is attempting to build pressure during engine starting. Moving steering wheel rapidly from side to side while attempting to start engine helps relieve hyd pressure. Another option is utilizing a hyd pump de-stroking screw(item 17) during starting procedure.

Upon reading your response, I took a closer look at my tractor and I think I already have the starter relay. See picture. Yes, whoever owned the tractor before me had it repainted and now everything (except for that new regulator) is JD green. Makes it fun trying to find wire color to diagnose electrical problems...

How would I test the relay to see if it is working properly? Where would I be able to find a replacement relay if needed?

Thank you very much for your time and insights!

 

[Tx Jim]

You're welcome,
Electrical object in your photo sprayed with green paint is a circuit breaker not a relay