Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust. . .

[HiTechTed]

I'm betting that it was damaged from the beginning, and after all those hours of air from the fan and from just being used, the dust found it's way into that tiny hole and as luck would have it, you got to deal with the end result. At least you were able to troubleshoot it!

 

[DaveOmak]

jinman,
Good job! Warms my heart to know, someone out there is willing to take the time to trouble shoot a problem the high paid mechanics won't.
Sitting down and thinking is sometimes the best way to spend time.
Dave

 

[Mace Canute]

Good going, jinman. :thumbsup: Intermittent electrical problems are the hardest things to trouble shoot and having the relay actually go into total failure mode turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

Good job Jim. Intermitent problems are a nightmare to figure out. Now why don't you tell us what the project is that you bought the new toy I mean tractor for.
Bill

 

[jinman]

Good job Jim. Intermitent problems are a nightmare to figure out. Now why don't you tell us what the project is that you bought the new toy I mean tractor for.
Bill

Thanks Bill, Mace, and Dave. I have always been a hardhead when it comes to troubleshooting. I think persistence may be my crowning quality.

Bill, in the projects forum, I have a thread called "The gully to pond project." I'm turning a few gullies on my property into ponds. It's about the only thing this part of my property will ever do well. I bought the TLB because of it's flexibility for digging, moving, and finishing. Of course, I'll do the fine work with my TC45D. It's a long-term retirement project that should keep me out of trouble and out of my wife's hair.

 

[Depmandog]

It makes me wonder if the tractor has been sandblasted and re-painted at some point. Auctions such as Ritchie Brothers sand blast, paint and decal most of the equipment that runs across their sale ramps. We have a big RB auction facility a few miles from here. Of course only speculation on my part, and probably not a bad thing..... But I would like to know if I was buying a repainted unit. #justsayin

Good luck, and great job with diagnosing your problem.

Dean

 

[TGF]

This reminds me of what we would find in fuse boxes of cars that had been underwater. I worked at an auto salvage yard over a summer in high school, and they got a truck load of cars that had been underwater because of a flood, and there was fine dirt in every orifice of everything. It was in the intakes the air filter, the fuse boxes, the cup holders. Was this tractor ever under water?

 

[jinman]

Was this tractor ever under water?

There's no indication of that in other electrical panels at or below the same level as this relay. However, pressure washing at the dealership was done over two days and I got the impression that the engine covers were left off during the time the loader arms, undercarriage, and all other parts were being cleaned. I think sand and dirt goes in and washes down the firewall. Since the relay was upright, all that stuff washed over the top of it. Even the relay socket was a bit corroded, but not really full of sand because the relay was an "umbrella" for it. The main fuse has a hooded cover, so it was free of sediment too. Only this relay seems to be affected.

Also, this is a 2005 model tractor and all the paint is original. It's obvious it has never been repainted nor sand blasted, but I don't know for sure that the pressure washer didn't have grit injection for cleaning. I have a friend with a washer that uses grit for cleaning concrete parking lots and removing paint, but I doubt the tractor dealer would use one of those. If so, I'd expect them to have constant problems with sand in alternators, starters, and many other places you don't want sand around a diesel engine. The sand does look like fine sandblasting sand though.

 

[jinman]

Hot diggity dog! My new relay arrived by UPS from Grainger yesterday. My starting problems are over. Woohoo!

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Does the new relay have the "non sand filled" quieting option? :confused2: