1 year old tractor won't start after idle winter

[poltroon]

I completely serviced my JD 3320, gave it its first oil change, checked all the fluids, etc. It has 60 hours on it and it has sat for 5 months. The small amount of fuel in it had stabilizer and the battery was charged.

When you turn the key, the starter motor makes a nasty,
RRRRAT, RRRAT, RRRAT, RRRAT noise. You can also hear a solenoid click. We tried jumping it to see if there just wasn't enough power; no dice.

What could be going on? I don't see how the starter motor could be bad after just a year and a half. Could it be seized somehow? Could it be related to something else I did?

Yeah, I should've started it once a month, but because I was late servicing it I didn't. Yeah, I'm really really sorry; I won't ever deprive myself of monthly fun with the tractor again.

 

[thcri]

Is the connections on your battery good. And when you put the charger on it did you leave it on for a while before trying to start??


murph

 

[poltroon]

Cleaned the connections on the battery. Hazard lights and headlights work.

 

[diyDave]

Ditto to what thcri said. Most likely culprit imho is the battery. Especially if its a small battery, just haven't had much luck with them lasting more than 1 winter.

 

[thcri]

You don't have glow plugs do you? If you did you could cycle them and see how your light react. But I have seen many batteries when just doing the lights will make the lights do great until you put a load on them. And if the battery is not taking a charge putting jumper cables on them and then trying to start right away doesn't work to good either. I would put a car or pickup on it and jump that way. Let the vehicle run ten minutes or so first.

murph

 

[randy41]

battery...no doubt. instead of jumping it disconnect it and try a good battery. your car battery should work.

 

[thcri]

Oh yeah one other thing. Next year either take your battery out and charge every so often or buy a battery tender for $15.00 I like the battery tender thing best.


murph

 

[art]

I'd test the battery as they should last longer then a year. You might find the problem on the starter end of the wires.

 

[poltroon]

Okay, so even with the jump (from a F-250) the consensus is that if the battery is toast, that it won't start? Is there any way to test it other than just getting a new battery?

 

[dqdave1]

Take battery to an auto parts store; they will be able to run a load test on it.

 

[john_bud]

To me, the obvious things are battery (already mentioned) and the battery cables. Remove the cables from the battery, solenoid, starter and ground. Remove the battery, check the electrolyte levels - top as needed. Charge it with a 2 amp charger overnight. It should be 12.8v - 13.4v at that time. If not replace. Closely inspect the cables for creeping green death (copper corrosion). Replace if you find any. Clean the metal on each area down to shiny metal - coat with dielectric grease. Replace the battery, cables and it should start.

jb

 

[gary1611]

diesels draw a lot more current than a gas engine at start up. If your battery is dead jumper cables won't do it. You will need to charge the battery, change the battery or use a good jumper box. I always get a dead battery so i know from experience jumper cables don't cut it. You just get rrat rrat sometimes if the battery not that low i can get rrrat rrat rrat vroom.

 

[poltroon]

Thanks everyone for your timely responses. I had figured if it wouldn't jump that we had a bigger problem. Fortunately, a new battery is annoying but straightforward and I will be able to do that tomorrow and finally get to work. I really appreciate the help.

 

[thcri]

I'd test the battery as they should last longer then a year. You might find the problem on the starter end of the wires.

That starter end is one thing that could cause you problem too. Before you buy a battery check teh terminals at the starter.

murph

 

[DieselPower]

I would be checking a couple of other thing's before I changed the battery. If you tried to jump it and it still didn't start the battery may be fine. Check ALL starting system wiring connections. You may have a loose or corroded terminal elsewhere like the starter solenoid etc... Just trying to prevent you from buying a new battery and still having the same problem.

 

[poltroon]

Checked the connections back to the starter; all looked clean and firm.

 

[BTDT]

Pull tractor battery, put battery off of one of your other vehicles on it and see if it will start. Can you short across starter solenoid and get it to start (with battery that is suspect). You say connections "looked" clean and firm. Did you take them loose, clean, and tighten as has been suggested?

What kind of tractor is it?

 

[normde2001]

Checked the connections back to the starter; all looked clean and firm.

Are you doing all of this work without ever testing the voltage in your battery? Is the engine frozen?

 

[randy41]

this is kind of simple to test...just do what i posted before and what btdt said. just use a different known good battery and see if it starts.
the battery in my tractor is history but i can get it going with a charger after a while. stupid thing doesnt really need a battery cept to start.

 

[JayDavis]

The tractor out here if you let it sit more than a couple of days, when you go to crank it, it will turn over for a second and stop then you just hear the solinoid buzzing. At this point you have to walk to the front, take off the nose / headlight assymbly to get to the battery. In my case, it is the frame's ground connection that gets corroded just enough. Sometimes instead of undoing the connection, you can take the 3/4" wrench and give it a few hard whacks (its just a ring terminal attached to a bolt in the frame) and climb back in the cab and it will crank right up. The battery? It is brand new only 3 months on it.

When it is like this hooking up jumper cables doesn't help since it isn't the battery, it is the connection to the starter. At first I was scratching my head. You would think a diesel with 2 750cca batteries and a 120A alternator would have enough oomph to jumpstart a tractor engine with slightly less displacement.