455 starting issues

[coachgrd]

Hi everyone, I come in desperation! I have a '96 JD 455. I got it used in 02 and it has proven to be one of the best purchases I've ever made. Love this thing. It laughs at lake effect snow.

That being said, I am having some issues that I am hopeful someone here can help me with...

-went to start it, nothing but clicking.
-assumed it was dead battery, charged it (it was low), still would not turn over.
-replaced starter, would start but only via jumper cables & car.
-replaced with brand new battery, no go. Sometimes when I turn the key 1/2 way to allow for glow plug light to go out, all lights will light up as normal but when I try to start, I get nothing. Occasionally when I turn the key, no lights at all will come on.
-When attempting to jump, sometimes I hit the key and every light comes on and it will start. Others times, I hit the key and get no response what so ever.
-When I can get it running (off a jump), PTO will only run for brief moment, then shut itself off.

I cannot say I am the handiest mechanic, so be gentle.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

 

[Richard001]

Hi everyone, I come in desperation! I have a '96 JD 455. I got it used in 02 and it has proven to be one of the best purchases I've ever made. Love this thing. It laughs at lake effect snow.

That being said, I am having some issues that I am hopeful someone here can help me with...

-went to start it, nothing but clicking.
-assumed it was dead battery, charged it (it was low), still would not turn over.
-replaced starter, would start but only via jumper cables & car.
-replaced with brand new battery, no go. Sometimes when I turn the key 1/2 way to allow for glow plug light to go out, all lights will light up as normal but when I try to start, I get nothing. Occasionally when I turn the key, no lights at all will come on.
-When attempting to jump, sometimes I hit the key and every light comes on and it will start. Others times, I hit the key and get no response what so ever.
-When I can get it running (off a jump), PTO will only run for brief moment, then shut itself off.

I cannot say I am the handiest mechanic, so be gentle.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

When you jumpered from your car battery, did you connect the positive cable directly to the starter terminal or put the jumper cables onto your tractor battery?

 

[coachgrd]

Directly from car to tractor battery. That being said, when I was trying to determine if I had a starter issue, I tried jumping the tractor from the car battery black to tractor battery black, and positive on car battery diectly to the starter on the tractor. I got no response, which led me to put a new starter on.

 

[Richard001]

This problem sounds very similar to another member who had starting issues. He found the the battery cable was corroded under the insulation.

Check your ground cable from the battery to the ground point. Also make sure that the engine has a good ground.

You can do some good trouble shooting with a low cost multi-meter. Check voltage drop across your cables, (from end to end) under load.

Have you replaced your starter solenoid?

Battery post corrode under the cable clamps. Get one of those terminal clean up tools and make sure you have good connections at the battery.

 

[steve74]

+1 on the ground strap. Kicked myself after replacing a starter on my 345 only to find it was the srtap. Particularly where it connects to the chassis. Take it off, clean everything up, maybe put a little antiseize or conducting grease in just to be sure.

To test, you could try the jump start with the negative connected to the tractor engine block. So positive to battery, negative to block. If everything works that way it points pretty strongly to either one of the battery terminals or the ground strap.

 

[coachgrd]

As it turned out, the fuel solenoid was shot. So...after a new starter ($), battery ($), and fuel solenoid ($$$), all is well. What was happening was I would hit the key, the solenoid would open up, then immediately shut itself. We (brother and I) narrowed it to this fuel solenoid. We held it open, and VROOOM!...the sweet sound of the 22 HP yanmar diesel! We immediately new the fuel solenoid was shot. So, off to my local JD dealer. I put the new one on and the sickly 455 came roaring back to life! Glad the ordeal is over. Of course the wife says, "I suppose this means you want a new tractor?" Me: "What? I love this 455."