Kubota L-275 Starting issue.

[Dr. Durango Dave]

I will try to be succinct. (Not easy for me)
1-Kubota L275 1984
2Thought battery was going bad because I always had to jump it to get enough juice.
3 Tested battery. All good
4 Tractor quit giving me anything; No turning over, no glow plug, no sound at all.
5 Bypassed system by connecting hot jumper to solenoid, negative to starter ground.
6 Solenoid started jumping (as it should) VERY little turning over of engine. Very little juice.
Any help would be appreciated.

 

[paulsharvey]

I will try to be succinct. (Not easy for me)
1-Kubota L275 1984
2Thought battery was going bad because I always had to jump it to get enough juice.
3 Tested battery. All good
4 Tractor quit giving me anything; No turning over, no glow plug, no sound at all.
5 Bypassed system by connecting hot jumper to solenoid, negative to starter ground.
6 Solenoid started jumping (as it should) VERY little turning over of engine. Very little juice.
Any help would be appreciated.

I would start at the battery terminals, then the main positive to starter, than main ground at the starter.

 

[Dr. Durango Dave]

I would start at the battery terminals, then the main positive to starter, than main ground at the starter.

Wires might be bad inside the plastic/rubber covering?

 

[K5lwq]

Wires might be bad inside the plastic/rubber covering?

Yes. It happens quite often but I would test before replacing cables. Use a good set of jumper cables to run temporary cables from the battery to the starter. Then see if it starts with the key.

Just make sure not to short the jumper cables and keep polarity correct. Also you want to connect the jumper cable on the starter to the same place as the one from the battery.

 

[paulsharvey]

Wires might be bad inside the plastic/rubber covering?

Could be, if moisture and corrosion is inside the wire sheath, they will need replaced.

 

[Dr. Durango Dave]

OK, did as you said and jumped the tractor using my 5.7 RAM. Hot to Solenoid, ground to tractor frame.
Glow plug lit up like a Christmas tree. Waited 10 seconds to start. She kicked over like a new born colt! I must have bad wiring somewhere.
Thank you much for your help!!

 

[K5lwq]

I would have used the battery on the tractor to jump with the cables to the starter. That way you also eliminate a bad battery although I do not think it is bad. But jumping positive post to starter only then trying then ground only then trying would tell you which cable is bad.

 

[3Ts]

I have an L235 - same as yours with a smaller engine. I have the same problem and I've traced it to the connector at the key switch. I replaced the key switch but it still does not work, I have to jiggle the connector until I get the proper contact. I need to remove (and replace) both ends of the connector. The contacts are corroded.

 

[paulsharvey]

I have an L235 - same as yours with a smaller engine. I have the same problem and I've traced it to the connector at the key switch. I replaced the key switch but it still does not work, I have to jiggle the connector until I get the proper contact. I need to remove (and replace) both ends of the connector. The contacts are corroded.

That was my first thought, However, the glow plugs aren't getting sufficient power either, and (I think) on the L275, it's not a key switch, it's a separate knob on the right of steering wheel, over near the hand throttle side, below the gauges