1700 Starter

rockb · Oct 31, 2020

I have a 1700. Key switch has been flakey for a while. One day after I shut it off it just engaged the starter on its own. Luckily I was right there and pulled the negative battery cable and have been doing that since. Used it a little bit the other day but forgot to pull the batter cable. A while later I was in the garage and heard clicking and traced it to the tractor. Smelled something like electrical burning but not quite that bad. Starter was HOT.

Let everything cool down and tried starting it. I get nothing at all when turning the key. Is there something similar to a starter solenoid like in a car I can just jump power across to see if the starter kicks out?

Pic of starter below. Large black cable to left goes to battery positive. Orange and small black go to the switch. I figure that the orange is providing power to the switch and the black is feeding back to the starter when you turn the key.

rockb · Oct 31, 2020

Tinhack · Oct 31, 2020

The black-yellow looks like it triggers the solenoid. Check the wire where it passes over the nut for the battery cable. Chaffing there would trigger the starter. Is that yellow sleeve movable? Perhaps it should be protecting the wire from that nut.

rockb · Oct 31, 2020

Tinhack said:
The black-yellow looks like it triggers the solenoid. Check the wire where it passes over the nut for the battery cable. Chaffing there would trigger the starter. Is that yellow sleeve movable? Perhaps it should be protecting the wire from that nut.

That is what I thought. If I jump 12V to where it plugs in the starter should turn over correct?

CoyPatton · Oct 31, 2020

Before jumping wires, get an inexpensive 12 volt test light. You can check pretty much everything electrical on the tractor with this tool. You can verify power from the battery on the small wire and if power is sent from the switch also.

clemsonfor · Nov 1, 2020

Yes check all connections. Including the key switch. If it engages the starter when switched off you might have a short in the key switch?

rockb · Nov 13, 2020

Pulled the starter and took it to a local starter/alternator place.

He tested it and it is fine so the issue is in the key switch.

Thinking about just bypassing the switch altogether since it was very stiff and suck when you turned to engage the starter anyway. Any reason other than theft not to just put in a manual on/off switch that feeds a momentary push button to engage the starter?

California · Nov 13, 2020

rockb said:
Pulled the starter and took it to a local starter/alternator place.

He tested it and it is fine so the issue is in the key switch.

Thinking about just bypassing the switch altogether since it was very stiff and suck when you turned to engage the starter anyway. Any reason other than theft not to just put in a manual on/off switch that feeds a momentary push button to engage the starter?

That will work but at around $35 for the switch my choice would be to keep the tractor as near original as possible (for simplicity in future troubleshooting) and just get the switch. If you have Thermostart you need another pushbutton for that. And your new wiring needs to feed the dash warning lights and the return line to the regulator. Just get the switch.

clemsonfor · Nov 14, 2020

I agree if the switch is $35 just get the switch to make it work. Unless you have a switch mating around that push button you have to buy something anyway. And like said you want the warning lights unless the tractor is a heap and nothing works on it anyway. If it's that bad you don't need a switch anyway just jump the solonoid after you make sure the tractor is in neutral. I know starting a tractor from the ground is a BIG NO NO though. But if your trying to be cheap or not spend any money.

rockb · Nov 14, 2020

clemsonfor said:
I agree if the switch is $35 just get the switch to make it work. Unless you have a switch mating around that push button you have to buy something anyway. And like said you want the warning lights unless the tractor is a heap and nothing works on it anyway. If it's that bad you don't need a switch anyway just jump the solonoid after you make sure the tractor is in neutral. I know starting a tractor from the ground is a BIG NO NO though. But if your trying to be cheap or not spend any money.

I actually do not know if any of the warning lights work or not. I have never seen any of them come on. Not sure if the tractor is a heap yet but definitely on its way. Only gave $1800 for it and have definitely gotten my $1800 worth of work out of it.

The switch that is on there now has 4 posts, three of which are used. One is the power in, the other goes to the starter solenoid. Not sure where the other one goes, Will start a new thread to try and sort out the wiring mess that is under there. The switches I am finding all have at a minimum of 5 posts. Does that really matter? I figure all it should need is 3: Power in, Run, Start. What are all the extra posts for?