a good old fashioned electrical fire

[jpwazz]

since last winter I've been having an intermittent problem on my 4310, the 30a fuse for the headlights/signal lights blows for no apparent reason, it first happened when i changed the tilt on the steering wheel to accommodate the bulky winter clothes and expanding waistline.

with warm weather to lessen the likelihood of cracking the plastic components i tore apart the dash of the tractor looking for a culprit, something obvious, something simple...nothing. i removed the side panels and the front grill in an effort to trace wiring but its all rather well buried in the frame of the tractor, another dead end.

a trip to the local green deer affiliate proved fruitless even while the service guy commiserated with me by saying "yep, those electric things can be a bear".

then the lightbulb went on, why not force the issue? i crafted a fuse holder for a larger amperage fuse to plug into the fuse block, i figure if the fuse doesn't blow, but the short(?)rears its ugly head in spectacular fashion i can simply locate the charred area and make necessary repairs! best case my problem just goes away and i keep using the tractor for another 20 years, worst case, recovering from 3rd degree burns while my wife looks on with a disapproving grimace on her face.

wish me luck!! (i've got the abc extinguisher strapped to the rops just in case)

 

[groundcover]

Sounds like this could be a runner up for the why women live longer then men thread !

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

Don't forget to holler, hey ya'll watch this, or hold my beer....

 

[old and tired]

Set up some video cameras around the tractor... You might be able to make some money from the videos!!!

 

[grsthegreat]

Electrical shorts suck to locate, but can be found with patience. I just found a short in my dk45 ac circuit. The ac stopped working last week while spraying a field. New 25amp blew instantly key was turned on even with ac turned off.

Started at fuse box. Pulled fuse turned on key and found battery side of fuse holder. Tested other side of fuse holder against ground with meter and dead shorteted when tested against ground.

Had to take a look at ac system in roof. I popped the cab roof up to access ac unit. I traced the wire up to the ac unit and disconnected he wiring harness up there. The short at fuse was still present. This eliminated entire roof system as the issue.

Next i had to disassemble all interior plastic trim on fuse side of interior cab. I saw another wiring connector there and disconnected that. Short disappeared. So short was in The wire loom going up the support channel between fuse and ac unit. I noticed damage to wire loom at point it entered the channel where loom was scraping on one of the trim screws. I opened the loom and taped up the scraped wire. Plugged everything back together.

Ac works again

Put everything back together but left that particular trim screw out.

Saved a long time sitting at dealers lot waiting to get looked at. They would have probably replaced the entire wiring harness.

While i had lid opened on roof, i used compress air to clean it entirely out. Wasnt too bad to begin with, but now its spotless.

Also replaced the 4 old intake air filters.

I need ac in summer.

 

[Hay Dude]

Electrical shorts suck to locate, but can be found with patience. I just found a short in my dk45 ac circuit. The ac stopped working last week while spraying a field. New 25amp blew instantly key was turned on even with ac turned off.

Started at fuse box. Pulled fuse turned on key and found battery side of fuse holder. Tested other side of fuse holder against ground with meter and dead shorteted when tested against ground.

Had to take a look at ac system in roof. I popped the cab roof up to access ac unit. I traced the wire up to the ac unit and disconnected he wiring harness up there. The short at fuse was still present. This eliminated entire roof system as the issue.

Next i had to disassemble all interior plastic trim on fuse side of interior cab. I saw another wiring connector there and disconnected that. Short disappeared. So short was in The wire loom going up the support channel between fuse and ac unit. I noticed damage to wire loom at point it entered the channel where loom was scraping on one of the trim screws. I opened the loom and taped up the scraped wire. Plugged everything back together.

Ac works again

Put everything back together but left that particular trim screw out.

Saved a long time sitting at dealers lot waiting to get looked at. They would have probably replaced the entire wiring harness.

While i had lid opened on roof, i used compress air to clean it entirely out. Wasnt too bad to begin with, but now its spotless.

Also replaced the 4 old intake air filters.

I need ac in summer.

Not having AC in a cab tractor in the summer is considered a priority repair for farmers. I’ve lost AC a long time ago and I bet it was 110+ in the cab. Unhealthy and unsafe.