Frustrating Kubota Starter Problems

[Spaceman]

First I want to thank everyone for all the excellent help and info. The voltage drop from the keyswitch to the starter solenoid was driving me nuts.

It had a 0.2 ohm drop across the entire line, (.2 is actually the drop across the ohm meter leads, meaning there was practically no resistance) including the safety switches. There was no short to ground, and I had jumpered out the switches to test. When I disconnected from the solenoid, full battery voltage existed when the key was turned to start , so thats why I suspected a bad solenoid.

Because the starter worked everytime when the solenoid was crossed with the main positive, the possibility existed that the solenoid was drawing too much amperage for the tractor wire since it had previously worked fine. All of the tractor wiring is encased in protective corregated plastic sheathing, so wearing against the frame somewhere was also ruled out.

So here is what I finally did. Since pulling half the tractor apart to get to the wiring was not on my agenda, I went with the relay option. I measured the amperage draw for the solenoid (5.63amps) and went to Radio Shack. Bought a $6.79 30amp SPST 12volt relay and used it to directly power the starter, using the old tractor wiring to power the coil. It works like a charm every time!

Thanks again everybody. While I thought I did a thorough analysis, you folks came up with some other pretty savvy suggestions. God bless the folks on Tractorbynet!

Gotta go, Lady Kubota is calling! Says she's rarin to go!

 

[philnjojo]

Had this problem with the tractor at work. The cog on the bendix was not engaging the flywheel. I suggested shimming the starter forward, my supervisor nixed my suggestion, and bought a new starter. The new one had the same symptom. Guess what?? I shimmed the new one forward just a tad, and Voila...good as new. Now the company owns a spare starter.

 

[goulet]

Had the same problem with a Kubota B2400 and solved it the same way, adding a relay after getting the suggestion from a nice guy on this forum. Had been trying to solve this problem for 4 or 5 years. So you are right, thank God for Tractorbynet.

 

[virvis]

OK, here's a question. Have all symptoms of original problem, installed new battery, installed new ground cable, cleaned pos. cable and also installed the JD relay solution but still no starting. Still get a click click and possibly a slow crank but that's it. If i bump the key a few times, I can get the starter to engage enough that it occasionally will start but it's hit or miss and I'm sure I'll end up burning up the starter.

It just seems like it's barely enough voltage to turn the starter. Acts like a dead battery. I'm going to tear the wiring from the battery apart tonight and try and jump directly from the pos. post on battery to the post on the selonoid and try and start it that way. I'm just a little puzzled why the relay solution wouldn't have really made any difference.

Any ideas or thoughts?

Kubota L4200

 

[Chilly807]

You may need a starter...

 

[davesl708]

OK, here's a question. Have all symptoms of original problem, installed new battery, installed new ground cable, cleaned pos. cable and also installed the JD relay solution but still no starting. Still get a click click and possibly a slow crank but that's it. If i bump the key a few times, I can get the starter to engage enough that it occasionally will start but it's hit or miss and I'm sure I'll end up burning up the starter.

It just seems like it's barely enough voltage to turn the starter. Acts like a dead battery. I'm going to tear the wiring from the battery apart tonight and try and jump directly from the pos. post on battery to the post on the selonoid and try and start it that way. I'm just a little puzzled why the relay solution wouldn't have really made any difference.

Any ideas or thoughts?

Kubota L4200

Per kubmech's post, install a relay to get full power to the starter. Kubmech recommended a John Deere relay. Look at his post for the part #

 

[virvis]

Per kubmech's post, install a relay to get full power to the starter. Kubmech recommended a John Deere relay. Look at his post for the part #

Thanks for the reply but the relay fix was already installed with no change. that's what leads me to believe it may be the selenoid or starter.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[sd455dan]

OK, here's a question. Have all symptoms of original problem, installed new battery, installed new ground cable, cleaned pos. cable and also installed the JD relay solution but still no starting. Still get a click click and possibly a slow crank but that's it. If i bump the key a few times, I can get the starter to engage enough that it occasionally will start but it's hit or miss and I'm sure I'll end up burning up the starter.

It just seems like it's barely enough voltage to turn the starter. Acts like a dead battery. I'm going to tear the wiring from the battery apart tonight and try and jump directly from the pos. post on battery to the post on the selonoid and try and start it that way. I'm just a little puzzled why the relay solution wouldn't have really made any difference.

Any ideas or thoughts?


i agree with others that the starter may be failing

Or possibly the internal power contacts in the starters solenoid - these can cause slow to no cranking , but will still extend the starters drive gear into mesh with the ring gear.



This assumes that the new battery, main ground and new relay to power the solenoid were successfully installed.

You can use a volt meter to measure the voltage drop from the starters (solenoid) main + to the solenoids main+ out to the starters main power in. ( large terminal with rubber cover on starter)



Whatever tests are done with the starter on tractor- please be extremely careful...

 

[virvis]

Well, Now that I think about it, I did do a test there and I believe it was coming back around 6 when actually cranking. I just can't remember if that was before or after the JD relay kit was installed.

Here's my gameplan.

I'm going to run a jumper cable from the negative post on the battery to the frame and try it. If that doesn't anything, I'll run another jumper cable from the pos. post to the post on the selonoid. If that doesn't do anything different, I can assume the problem is with the selenoid or starter, correct?

 

[banjodunn]

Well, Now that I think about it, I did do a test there and I believe it was coming back around 6 when actually cranking. I just can't remember if that was before or after the JD relay kit was installed.

Here's my gameplan.

I'm going to run a jumper cable from the negative post on the battery to the frame and try it. If that doesn't anything, I'll run another jumper cable from the pos. post to the post on the selonoid. If that doesn't do anything different, I can assume the problem is with the selenoid or starter, correct?

Yes I reckon your on the money I would be just pulling the starter and getting a good auto sparky to have a look


Jon

 

[virvis]

After testing the voltage across the poles of the battery, I found the new battery wasn't at full charge. Put it on a charge for half hour and everything is back to working. Thanks everyone for all your input!

 

[Threepoint]

After testing the voltage across the poles of the battery, I found the new battery wasn't at full charge. Put it on a charge for half hour and everything is back to working. Thanks everyone for all your input!

Hope that solves the problem for you. But, if it reappears, still keep in mind that there may be a bad spot on the starter armature. Depending on where it stops rotating after the solenoid/bendix disengages, it can cause the unpredictable start issues you describe the next time you crank up. Can drive you nuts, especially when adding a bit more charge to the battery, or jump starting, gets things going. My Kubota GF1800 front deck mower had this problem years ago and it took two or three trips to the dealer for their service deptartment (a very good one) to finally find the problem.

 

[virvis]

I'll definitely start at the starter if it happens again. I'm thinking that would be the logical place for failure given that all other components are currently working as expected. Only thing I did do was possibly burn out the fuel shut off selenoid or fuse that operates it. Tractor won't turn off with key but that looks relatively simple to address.

thanks again.

 

[virvis]

Problem is back. Ordered a new starter. Will update after new starter is installed.

 

[arkydog]

i have a b3200 and was having a similar problem. turned out to be under the tractor at the forward/reverser pedal. there was a slide contraption the would activate the safety switches so you couldn't start it with the pedal in forward or reverse. ended up being the slider thing needed grease so it would slide better. was hanging up so it would be in gear even though the pedal showed to be in the middle or neutral position. good luck. rob

 

[virvis]

Thanks Rob. I'll check and see if my L4200 has the same mechanism. If it does, I'll grease it up. New starter should be here later this week and will probably get it in this weekend. Need to get it fixed, snow will be here soon.

 

[JimWalch]

snow will be here soon.

BITE YOUR TOUNG!

 

[virvis]

New starter is installed and the problem seems to be completely gone. Ordered the starter from All States Ag Parts. Have never used them before but their price was substantially lower than Kubota dealer. Anyone have good or bad experience with this company?

 

[newbury]

New starter is installed and the problem seems to be completely gone. Ordered the starter from All States Ag Parts. Have never used them before but their price was substantially lower than Kubota dealer. Anyone have good or bad experience with this company?

How did it work out?
Kubota quotes $382 for a starter for my M4700, Ag parts wants $85. Big difference.

 

[cegreen]

Thank you! And thanks to everyone else who contributed to this thread.

Like many others, I've wasted unbelievable amounts of time, energy, money, and frustration trying to troubleshoot this same issue with my Kubota BX2200. Yesterday, I tried the relay fix and bingo! it worked. What a relief!

Still, it makes me furious that the execs at tractor companies like JD and Kubota know all about this, but they refuse to spend another $4 for a relay while they're producing a tractor that sells for $13K or more. They'd rather sit back and wait for us poor schlubs to throw-in the towel and go to the local dealer, who will charge us hundreds and hundreds of dollars for unnecessary parts and repairs that don't solve the issue. What a bunch of greedy, cynical SOBs!