JD 3520 ehydro jumping out of gear

[LHS Inc]

I tilled up a small food plot and proceeded to spread seed on it. Its a small enough plot that one time down and back seeding with the 3pt spinner spreader takes care of it.

The ground was fluffed up enough that I was sinking down about 4-5 inches. Went down and was coming back the tractor comes to a halt, engine still running but it was just like I took my foot off the pedal. I thot the range shift lever had slipped out but it was still in.

I had it in "B" range because I was trying to beat a rain storm that was minutes away, "A" range was just too slow. Took it out of gear and put it back in and I started moving again and got done seeding.

Hooked to the packer and was going along in B range and it did it again. Same thing as before, took it out of gear and put it back in and went on. As I was firming the ground it seemed to do better and got done packing without futher incident.

I had it in 4 wheel drive the whole time. I've never had one issue with anything I've done with the tractor. Certainly the fluffed up ground made it pull harder. I'm just wondering if I have a problem or was there a setting that not set right?

Engine wise it didn't bog down so I don't know what's going on.

Thanks

 

[jeffster]

I have the PR tranny, so I am not sure if the brakes work the same on the ehydro or not. What I can tell you though is I occasionally have a similar situation after tilling with my 3520. What happens is that a small amount of dirt gets caught up into the linkage of the brakes and so when you push down on the brake it never really releases. I have had it so bad that it completely stalled out because of it. I usually have to climb underneath with some WD40 or like and spray the heck out of it while I tap it with a rubber mallet back and forth. Again, not sure if this is relevant to your setup, but figured I would throw it out there. Good luck

 

[LHS Inc]

I have the PR tranny, so I am not sure if the brakes work the same on the ehydro or not. What I can tell you though is I occasionally have a similar situation after tilling with my 3520. What happens is that a small amount of dirt gets caught up into the linkage of the brakes and so when you push down on the brake it never really releases. I have had it so bad that it completely stalled out because of it. I usually have to climb underneath with some WD40 or like and spray the heck out of it while I tap it with a rubber mallet back and forth. Again, not sure if this is relevant to your setup, but figured I would throw it out there. Good luck

Thanks for the reply. I don't know if its the brakes or not. I didn't use the breaks during the tilling,seeding, and packing process. I'm sure there was enough dirt slinging that some might have gotten somewhere it shouldn't be.

Not one problem tilling it up and I went over it about three times to work up the sod but I ran it in the low A range. By the third time tilling I was running thru the fluff with no problem going about 1.5-2.0 mph.

The more I talk and think about it the tractor didn't like it in the B range in the fluff. There wasn't a noise or anything it just stopped moving in its tracks.

 

[greg_g]

naw, more likely it's a linkage adjustment issue. I've got 130+ hours on mine now, and have knocked the range select lever into psuedo-neutral with my elbow - at least a half dozen times. But that's self-inflicted, I've never had it arbitrarily jump on its own. That's one I'd lay on the dealer doorstep

//greg//.

 

[LHS Inc]

naw, more likely it's a linkage adjustment issue. I've got 130+ hours on mine now, and have knocked the range select lever into psuedo-neutral with my elbow - at least a half dozen times. But that's self-inflicted, I've never had it arbitrarily jump on its own. That's one I'd lay on the dealer doorstep

//greg//.

Thanks for the reply.

The lever didn't jump out on its own as far as psuedo-neutral way you mentioned. It was in the correct range notch, it just stopped moving as if I had taken my foot off the pedal. Only in B range and going thru the fluffed up dirt.

Going to get it serviced later this month so I'll let them check it out while its still under warranty.

 

[greg_g]

Only time that's happened to me is when I get klutzy and hit both go-pedals at the same time. Doing so will result in zero motion, forward or reverse. But it should also put a yellow triangle Code 001 error on your multifunction display.

//greg//

 

[LHS Inc]

Only time that's happened to me is when I get klutzy and hit both go-pedals at the same time. Doing so will result in zero motion, forward or reverse. But it should also put a yellow triangle Code 001 error on your multifunction display.

//greg//

A triangle light with the ! sign did come on as I tried to move again when I pressed down on the pedal. I then moved it out of gear and back in again and it started moving again. I didn't think to look at the display.

Like I said I was in a hurry to beat the rain and might have pushed both pedals as I turned around to look at the spreader. It certainly could have happened and I hope thats what it was. Is that something I can pull up on the display or can the dealer do it?

 

[greg_g]

I don't know if the JD error codes are memorized or not. Since that one is so common, it's quite likely forgotten as soon as it clears.

//greg//

 

[pwt]

May not be the same issue as you had, but, I have had this happen as a result of lifting my weight off the seat. It is a safety feature. The ! Warning light in the dashboard will come. Once the weight is back on the seat the tractor will operate normally.

 

[LHS Inc]

May not be the same issue as you had, but, I have had this happen as a result of lifting my weight off the seat. It is a safety feature. The ! Warning light in the dashboard will come. Once the weight is back on the seat the tractor will operate normally.

That could be what happened. I was in a frantic mode trying to get the seed out and packed before it rained.

Got rained out the week before and I didn't want to wait another week.

Everything was a blur at the time but I do remember now that the lever was hard to reach because I had the 3pt spreader lower to the ground than normal.

I could have shifted my weight enough turning around to open or close the lever on the spreader that I triggered the safety switch.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Lebneh]

That could be what happened. I was in a frantic mode trying to get the seed out and packed before it rained.

Got rained out the week before and I didn't want to wait another week.

Everything was a blur at the time but I do remember now that the lever was hard to reach because I had the 3pt spreader lower to the ground than normal.

I could have shifted my weight enough turning around to open or close the lever on the spreader that I triggered the safety switch.

Thanks for the info.

I second, that it could have been lifting your weight off the seat. I have done that many times.... Turning and trying to look down at the PTO or something and lifting my weight just a little to much. The tractor stops in it's tracks.

 

[LHS Inc]

I second, that it could have been lifting your weight off the seat. I have done that many times.... Turning and trying to look down at the PTO or something and lifting my weight just a little to much. The tractor stops in it's tracks.

Finished my food plot yesterday taking my time without rushing. Sure enough when I reached back too far to move the shut off lever on the spinner spreader I came off the seat and the tractor stopped.

Tried it again and really watched what I was doing. Reached back came off the seat some and it stopped in its tracks again. I didn't realize that I was doing it the first time. It really didn't take much weight shift on the seat to stop the tractor.

What I thought was a mechanical problem turned out to be a physical one, me.

I was running the spreader lower than normal which made it harder to reach the lever because I didn't want a very wide swath as my food plot is not very wide.

Still would like to extend the length of the lever on the spreader.

Thanks to all who offered advice.

 

[bubbacuse77]

I'm sure this won't be the popular answer but I bypassed the seat safety switch with a wire splice. I mainly did it so I can stand up and look over the hood when slowly moving into something with the forks. I really don't see the point of this on a ehydro since when your foot comes off the pedal the tractor stops as well. It could be an issue if using the cruise control but I don't really don't ever use my cruise.

 

[DP Property]

You most likely hit the forward and reverse pedal at the same time even for a split second the machine did what it was supposed to do I think your machine is ok!

If you were in hurry this is easy enough to do I have done it myself and wondered what the heck was going on thought my new tractor was broke untill I looked up the error code >)

 

[DP Property]

Hi Greg I have 140 hours on my machine now and unfourtunately many of them are rough cutting some pretty nasty lots, I always take my time and try and keep the machine clean. However recently I have been noticing that when I go to shift my shifter lever is stuck, I really have to give it a good little push to get it to shift then everything seems fine again. I have been worried that something got broken inside my machine (oh god what a nightmare to split it apart and have a look) but after reading your post I am wondering if it is just a linkage adjustment. When the machine is off it shifts perfectly and smooth 90 percent of the time it seems fine then all of the sudden it will be hard to shift again then fine again. It never did this before. I am under warranty but my dealer I prefer is 2 hours away not sure if I should be bothering him about this yet!

 

[greg_g]

Since the 3720 is an eHydro machine, I'm not understanding your use of the word "shift". Are you referring to the range select lever? If so, for what reason(s) do you seemingly "shift" it so frequently? Mine spends 99% of the time in mid-range (B), using high-range (C) only when up on the highway enroute to doing occasional tractor work for friends and neighbors. And I bet I haven't used low-range (A) more than twice since I've owned it.

//greg//

 

[DP Property]

Yes sorry Greg range selector. I use it when I have to leave the road and drive over curbs into rough terrain for rough cutting development lots. Going from C for highway use to B and 4 wheel engaged, then returning to road and trying to disengage 4 wheel and return range selector to c position when I find sometimes it is stuck and have to really give it a good jolt to move it.

 

[LHS Inc]

Yes sorry Greg range selector. I use it when I have to leave the road and drive over curbs into rough terrain for rough cutting development lots. Going from C for highway use to B and 4 wheel engaged, then returning to road and trying to disengage 4 wheel and return range selector to c position when I find sometimes it is stuck and have to really give it a good jolt to move it.

Sometime mine is hard to shift so I just press the forward or back pedal a little bit and it comes out. Same thing for getting it in gear.

Just some, not all the time.

If the tractor is kinda stuck in its place it can be hard to shift. I know when I park mine in the shed before I lower the bucket to the ground I can shift it to neutral smoothly.

If bucket is on the ground where the tractor won't move an inch it seems to take a little more effort to shift to neutral.

Acts like the tractor needs to be free to move just a touch to free up the shifter.

Again, not all the time.

 

[Spindifferent]

Sometime mine is hard to shift so I just press the forward or back pedal a little bit and it comes out. Same thing for getting it in gear.

Just some, not all the time.

If the tractor is kinda stuck in its place it can be hard to shift. I know when I park mine in the shed before I lower the bucket to the ground I can shift it to neutral smoothly.

If bucket is on the ground where the tractor won't move an inch it seems to take a little more effort to shift to neutral.

Acts like the tractor needs to be free to move just a touch to free up the shifter.

Again, not all the time.

Ditto for my 2005 3520.

- Spindifferent

 

[greg_g]

Yup, there are no clutches involved in selecting an operating range. And you can't shift on the fly either, this must be done at a dead stop. Range select is strictly a matter of aligning gear cogs. Most of the time simply moving the tractor back and forth an inch or two does the trick.

//greg//