Snow Tractor won’t start tonight.

[MAX-24-Dean]

I have not; but they appear clean with zero corrosion and I’ve got 12.9v at the battery and just under that at the Hot connection on the starter.

Mahindra has had a common problem for battery, and battery cable connections needing cleaning and reconnected.

Also, have noticed the neutral safety switch on the HST has caused some starting problems.
Make sure the hydrostat pedal can freely return to the zero point (neutral).

As a battery gets colder it's internal resistance goes up and the voltage can change quickly. Battery may reach regulated voltage, but may not have recieved the current needed to properly charge the battery. This is more common as a battery ages.
After 2 hours of snow plowing you wouild think that the battery would be charged up. But at 6 years of age (if it has never been changed) I would look at replacing the battery. And cleaning the cable connection points.
MY opinion your mileage may very.

 

[hube2]

Different kind of tractor, but I recently had a similar problem. The neutral switch was not bad, but it needed to be adjusted. The only thing I can figure is that the vibration of the tractor cause the switch to turn where it is mounted. In my case putting just a little pressure on the gear selector, not putting it completely in gear, allowed the tractor to start, just enough to cause the switch to be in the right position.

 

[Idaho Ryan]

Thank you everyone for trying to help me. I’m up and having coffee now, then gonna go see what’s up. This is how I usually start my tractor. And I usually am standing outside the cab on the right hand side. I can easily reach the ignition from here.
1. Turn key backward to activate glow plug. Dash illuminates the symbol of the glow plug. I hold the key in this position for about 30 seconds.
2. Turn the key the other direction to Accessory and wait for all the dash lights, gauge’s, radio, etc. to cycle on and settle.
3. I push the brake pedal by hand and turn the ignition to Start. It usually fires right up.

Anyway, I’ll remove the dash cowling and try to find the Brake Safety switch. I’ll also check to see if the Brake lights are on EVEN WHEN the pedal is NOT being pressed with the key in the ON position.

 

[RustyA]

If you normally depress the brake pedal to start the tractor we can probably rule out stuck brake switch as cause of no crank. There is something else telling the tractor not to crank. That info was missing from your earlier info, sorry.

 

[Molalla1]

Sometimes (on my Mahindra) I have to press the clutch peddle really hard and several times when it's really cold out.

 

[sd455dan]

Mahindra has had a common problem for battery, and battery cable connections needing cleaning and reconnected.

Also, have noticed the neutral safety switch on the HST has caused some starting problems.
Make sure the hydrostat pedal can freely return to the zero point (neutral).

As a battery gets colder it's internal resistance goes up and the voltage can change quickly. Battery may reach regulated voltage, but may not have recieved the current needed to properly charge the battery. This is more common as a battery ages.
After 2 hours of snow plowing you wouild think that the battery would be charged up. But at 6 years of age (if it has never been changed) I would look at replacing the battery. And cleaning the cable connection points.
MY opinion your mileage may very.

Agree with most of the above but he has bright headlights while attempting to crank the engine -unless i read it wrong.
The headlights would go completely dim while cranking if that were the case (bad battery) plus he also used a booster and no crank.. from previous description it sounds like the starter solenoid and therefore bendix/starter windings is not being energized.

I would put a voltmeter on the solenoid start terminal and hit the key to see if the solenoid is seeing "start" voltage. a bad connection like the main ground or a safety switch that is not allowing the solenoid to be energized or even a bad key switch. Another volt test is put the volt meter across the battery ground at the battery and the starter case and if while attempting to crank, Voltage suddenly appears a weak ground is indicated.
If the solenoid start terminal does not see a Voltage when trying to crank then a voltage applied to that start terminal after all safety precautions are taken to make sure the tractor does not move and cant run over the tester. If it turns over something is interrupting the start terminal circuit path
If the solenoid does see Voltage at the start terminal and main power at the starter is verified while attempting to crank, a starter problem is most likely. my 2 cents

 

[Idaho Ryan]

Well… again I really want to thank everyone who has read this post and truly appreciate everyone who has replied.
Long story ending is this… Still no bueno on getting her started!
Here is what I did:

Turned the key to Accessory position to turn everything on. Tail lights come on, brake lights come on when the pedal is pushed.
Monkeyed around with every lever in the cab as well as every plug I could find outside and under her. I tried to start her after every ‘Monkey Movement’.

Did the old ‘screwdriver across the starter’ and she turned over BUT did not start. Ran (drove) to town and eventually put a 950CCA battery in her. Crossing my fingers the entire trip but she still would NOT start.

I decided to remove the entire dash/steering housing so I could look at the guts underneath. Found the brake safety switch. Doused it with WD40 and worked the contact pin up and down for a while because I know how to do that! Found it very odd that when I apply the brakes and lock them with the Brake Lever, the brake safety switch PIN (which travels in and out of the switch) is actually in the OUT position. Anyway, she did not start.

Next I disconnected and reconnected both forward and reverse pedal switches underneath. Still nothing!

After all of this I decided to just do the old “screwdriver across the starter’ and with the new battery (I am guessing) she roared right up. I know this does not solve the issue at hand but I really needed to move some more snow so my wife could make it onto the property and get home.

Maybe in June or July I will trace the ignition (Start) wire from the key to the starter and see what is in between.

It’s -5 degrees tonight so July sounds great!

 

[thclimer]

Thanks for the update and glad you were at least able to get a temporary method to start her. So I would also surmise that you are getting power to the fuel solenoid when you are "jumping the starter" because she starts and will continue to run.

Maybe it something with the key switch? A electrical schematic would sure help in identifying what to look at next with all the information you have so far.

 

[mwayne]

Do you have a starter relay? The one on my 2538 failed and had to be replaced. Mine is on the left hand side just behind the battery. Edit: it bench tested fine but would not engage the starter.

 

[duffer]

I'm late to the party, but check your grounding cable from the battery to the frame. If you can jump the starter, then your problem appears to be between the battery and the starter. Including relays, as mentioned above, as well as safety switches (hate the damn things).

On a different thread a guy mentioned a safety switch by the rear axle next to the tire. Small gauge wire that had come unplugged while he was working with the tractor. I never would have thought to look there.

 

[jb1390]

I had an issue with my 3550 with the key switch, which would allow crank, but intermittent start - because it would lose power to the middle pin when you rotated the key further to the start position. So sometimes right as you let go to stop cranking, it would fire up as it made contact again.

Not the exact same symptoms, but you have definitely narrowed it down to an electrical issue. Whether that's a relay, bad key switch (like mine, just broken in a different way), broken wire, corroded contact - you can find by checking one part at a time with a meter.

 

[Idaho Ryan]

Do you have a starter relay? The one on my 2538 failed and had to be replaced. Mine is on the left hand side just behind the battery. Edit: it bench tested fine but would not engage the starter.View attachment 775731

I have three or four of those behind the battery but up high enuf to reach. They’re basically right in front of the radiator. I dont know which one is which because the elderly widow who I bought the tractor from did not know where the manual was.

 

[Idaho Ryan]

Put in a new battery. Plugged in a battery tender to keep the battery up during the cold weather. Went out this morning and it cranked right up WITH THE KEY! This cold snap must have really screwed with some switches and the ignition…

After she started this morning I noticed she was puking fluid all over the ground! It’s not radiator fluid, and its not engine oil… It appears to be coming from the cooler directly behind the radiator. Is this the hydraulic fluid cooler…? I have a message into Bills Tractor for a shop manual but I have not heard back from them….

 

[leonz]

If the oil cooler has no steel tubing connected to it you are stuck with
a very bad oil leak and they need to come and pick it up.

I know that is not what you want to hear but unless you have a very
warm tractor shed to work with you need to have them pick it up today
and see about a getting a loaner mule.

 

[Idaho Ryan]

I’m fairly certain it’s hydraulic because when it was running and puking I could not raise the bucket. Anyway, I’ll know more after Christmas.

Merry Christmas everyone and thanks for all your knowledge and help.

~Ryan

 

[ruffdog]

Damn cold weather...................................

 

[camshawn]

This sounds like a hydraulic cooler that has either split or a line has failed. If your machine was out in the cold, possibly the oil was too cold? Cam

 

[thclimer]

Oh my, sounds like you have two unrelated issues with only the cold weather being a common factor. Hoping it just a loose hose that can be fixed easily.

I hope your Christmas improves!

 

[Idaho Ryan]

Anyone have any schematics they could share with me…? 2016 Mahindra 2555HST (diesel) Cab

 

[Rootfarmer]

400 hours, I have 12.9 volts at the battery and the starter, I cycled the HST pedals several times, there is no Seat Safety switch (I’ve started it from standing outside the cab), PTO handle was cycled several times and it would not start in any of the 3 positions. I don’t know how to ‘Block the full solenoid closed. I can put my Jump Pack on the starter but I dont know about fuel solenoid….

i had similar erractic starting issues for months and found that a $6 ground cable fixed it .... I found that as the ground cable *looks* good, it is not...
the engine will not start as it cant pull enough amps [due to rotting ground wire]

- also at times engine power would drop or surge for no apparent reason...

good luck !!!!