GC1715 turn signal stangeness

windcatcher · Nov 5, 2015

Hey folks.

I ran another test last night on my new GC1715 for operating the turn signals.

Please read my notes and if you have one of this series of tractors, could you respond and let me know if your tractor does the same thing? I'm not sure if my tractor has an electrical defect or not.

Here's what I found: Key on, tractor not running.

Checked emergency flashers first: dashboard indicators for both right and left are on and flashing. Both top and bottom lights on both right and left sides of the ROPS flash. Seemed correct to me. Turned emergency flashers off.

Turned headlights on. Both headlghts right and left burn. Both top lights on ROPS left and right burn. Lower lights on both sides are off. Turned headlights off.

Now, here's where it gets flaky - at least to me.

Turn left turn signal on. Left side dashboard signal indicator is on and blinking. RIGHT side dashboard signal indicator is on and solid. Left side turn indicator on ROPS is on as well as top Left side indicator and they are blinking. RIGHT side lower light is on.

Turn Right turn signal on. Right side dashboard signal indicator is on and blinking. LEFT side dashboard signal indicator is on and solid. Right side turn indicator on ROPS is on as well as top right side indicator and they are blinking. LEFT side lower light is on.

This seems strange to me. Why should the opposite side dashboard turn indicator be lit and solid as well as the corresponding bottom light on the ROPS?

BTW, I re-ran the above tests with the tractor running and there was no change in any of the tests.

I tried to look the turn signal checkout in the manual, and as of yet, I haven't found anything.

I'm not too worried about it yet as my tractor is very much under warranty. However, I do want to make sure I don't have a defective electrical system too.

Comments are very much welcome.

cdaigle430 · Nov 5, 2015

Maybe a dyslexic Japanese put it together?

flyerdan · Nov 5, 2015

Unplug the flasher unit from the emergency flashers and rerun the turn signal tests and see if it makes a difference.

windcatcher · Nov 5, 2015

cdaigle430 said:
Maybe a dyslexic Japanese put it together?

Have no idea. Maybe their water was tainted the day my tractor was built.

windcatcher · Nov 5, 2015

flyerdan said:
Unplug the flasher unit from the emergency flashers and rerun the turn signal tests and see if it makes a difference.

I'll see if I can do that this weekend. With daylight savings time gone, I can only do short non-exploratory tests.

jlgurr · Nov 5, 2015

windcatcher,

Checked function of my lights this evening, it's a GC1705.

Mine work just like yours do EXCEPT mine does it in both directions. When the left side is flashing and the left arrow is flashing, the right side is burning steady AND when the right side is flashing and the right arrow is flashing, the left side is burning steady.

So... that means mine is either completely incorrect (and probably out of warranty) or means yours is only half correct. We need a third opinion now to settle it.

Jeff

jlgurr · Nov 5, 2015

Double Post

jlgurr · Nov 5, 2015

windcatcher said:
I'll see if I can do that this weekend. With daylight savings time gone, I can only do short non-exploratory tests.

I hate standard time and getting home in the dark...

AxleHub · Nov 5, 2015

Windcatcher,

I ran the flasher test again with key on engine off. When left flasher is engaged the right indicator is on steady while the left indicator flashes and the same pattern is true on the rear lights.

When the right flasher is engaged its the same pattern just reversed.

It operates that same way when the flasher mode is ALSO engaged. Im guessing the process is this way so it is noticeable to the operator that flashers or directions are on because you can't hear them like in a car or truck.

And I'm guessing it is this way on the actual lights because a tractor doesn't have that computer chip technology that cars and trucks have so the indicators and actual lights are directly "paired".

Now yours appears to be different on one side compared to the other side which would be not so good

AxleHub · Nov 5, 2015

jlgurr said:
I hate standard time and getting home in the dark...

Some people like standard time because its so predictable:

Work-eat-tv-sleep

I prefer a little more of a 5 step plan:
Work-eat-outdoor stuff- tv-sleep. Lol

whis · Nov 5, 2015

pretty sure that's normal operation of the blinkers

windcatcher · Nov 6, 2015

whis said:
pretty sure that's normal operation of the blinkers

In some ways, I can see what you're saying. For example: if you're turning left on a car, you'd expect to see the RIGHT brake light on and the LEFT turn signal blinking. On a tractor like ours, that function just isn't there, so they (MF) made it look that way via wiring. Hence the RIGHT side lower light staying solid whilst the left side blinks and vice versa.

Here's where it really baffles me though: Why is the corresponding dash indicator on the dash lighted up and staying solid other than the cheap way out is as it is designed?

It was done that way to keep costs down.

I'd like to get tests from more GC17xx owners and see if this holds true if so, then we know it was done on purpose and just isn't an electrical snafu.

Hope you folks have a great weekend. It'll be raining here again so no grilling out or outdoors activities. That's ok though because I can work in the garage on my new bracket for my 54" hydraulic snow/dirt blade.

Bazinga!

whis · Nov 6, 2015

never been on a massey but kubtoa and deere are the say way, if you are using them on the road you still need to use hand signal because people in cars don't know tractors have turn signals and the only thing they are thinking is how to pass

irvingj · Nov 9, 2015

Even my '04 GC2310 works the same-- On the ROPs lights: when turns signals are used, the selected one flashes but its opposite remains on continuously. When flashers are selected, they both flash. Dash indicator lights follow suit. The only time my fender-mounted tail lights are on is when the headlights are on.

I always thought that was a bit weird, but it's always been that way. I kinda figured it was a "tractor thing." :confused3:

windcatcher · Nov 9, 2015

irvingj said:
Even my '04 GC2310 works the same-- On the ROPs lights: when turns signals are used, the selected one flashes but its opposite remains on continuously. When flashers are selected, they both flash. Dash indicator lights follow suit. The only time my fender-mounted tail lights are on is when the headlights are on.

I always thought that was a bit weird, but it's always been that way. I kinda figured it was a "tractor thing." :confused3:

Thank you sir for that post. I'm beginning to think my tractor is correctly wired. It may be a thing where the overseas builders don't understand "our" side of the big pond.