B3030 starting charging problem

[blackoak]

I have a B3030 and about a month ago I was using it and shut it off to talk to my wife. When I went to start it it would do nothing. I thought the neutral safety switch or one of the PTO safety switches was not engaged. I checked them and they seemed fine. I had to jump the starter solenoid to get it started. The battery I knew was getting weak, it was about 7 years old. I bought a new battery and it still would only start by jumping the solenoid. I went ahead and used it for several weeks jumping the starter every time I used it. The last time I went to start it the battery was weak and would hardly turn it over. I put a charger on the battery and got it started and thought I would see if the alternator was charging, but it wasn't. I bought a new alternator and put it on and it is still not charging. So I still can't get the tractor to start by using the key and the alternator is not charging. Help!!!! I did also replace the natural safety switch and that didn't help

 

[RjCorazza]

There are several big slow blow fuses that I believe could account for your symptoms. My L4060 has an 80a fuse that has something to do with the alternator, starter, and battery (?). I about went blind reading the diagram. Doesn't necessarily apply to your machine, but I would start by checking all fuses, including the possible big slow blow fuses.

 

[number two]

Not that it would explain the no-crank condition,but I'd like to verify battery voltage at the alternator output terminal-the big one with the large red wire.
If no power there,the fuse could be blown and explain the not charging issue.

The mysterious no crank could very well be the venerable OPC-Operator Presence Controller.
They do go bad on occasion and aren't that much-$150?.
I've seen a few posts through the years.

Good Luck!

 

[blackoak]

I put an ohm meter and the voltage was 12 volts at the battery even after throttling up the tractor. I checked the two wires coming out of the alternator and it was 13 volts at idle. I think the alternator is working but the charge is not making it back to the battery. As far as fuses my B3030 does not have a cab so the only fuses it has is the slow blow fuse above the starter, which is good, and then under the hood, there are five other fuses. One is the OPC fuse, one for the work lights, one for the flasher, and one is the key stop. All check good using a test light on both sides of the fuses. I'm starting to think I have issues in the wiring harness. I'm getting close to loading it up and talking it to my dealer, but I hate to if it something simple that I am missing

 

[blackoak]

Has anybody put a starter relay kit on their tractor? I found a video on youtube where a guy installed this kit and it took care of the starter problem.

 

[RjCorazza]

I put starter relays on my diesel mowers to fix low voltage to the solenoid issues. Works like a champ.
12 volts at the battery is a practically dead battery. 13 volts at the alternator is also insufficient charging voltage, but at idle some alternators do not put out much voltage. My L4060 does not charge at all untill I got about 1000 engine rpm's.

 

[number two]

Since yours is not the cab model,do you have the dynamo rather than an alternator?
It's kind of a AC generator with wimpy output and may require different troubleshooting techniques.

Good Luck!

 

[Dave M7040]

A forum member named on the Orange Forum Lugbolt wrote a diagnostic procedure for dynamo equipped tractors which is what the open station B3030 has
I have attached it.
Dave M7040

 

[rScotty]

Has anybody put a starter relay kit on their tractor? I found a video on youtube where a guy installed this kit and it took care of the starter problem.

It's just not that hard to find a charging problem. You can do it with some help and a standard Volt Ohm Meter. I'll help where I can.

Alternately you could use the services of any decent mechanic with a volt ohm meter. Anyone with experience who is any good at all can at least point to the problem in half an hour or less. Knowledge of Kubota is not required. All those older systems are the same. Especially the cabless tractors.

A standard cargng system are always an alternator puttng out unregulated AC current which goes into a rectifier&regulator combo where it becomes regulated 12 to 15 volts of DC current to charge the battery and run the tractor. That really is all there is to it. And the problems are always the same handfull.

I read through the "Lugbolt dynamo diagnosis.pfd" and found it to be a bit hard to follow. He jumps around a bit, and takes some things for granted. But Lugbolt's basic trouble-shooting is right. Give it a read and ask if you have questions.

For right now, we assume nothing and have to prove everything. So put the battery on a charger overnight completely disconnected from the tractor. It can sit in the tractor, but take the leads off the posts. Only the charger is connected to the battery. We know that if you don't use the lights, a good battery will start the tractor a dozen times or more and run it for hours. That's decent. And It won't hurt anything to run "chargeless" for awhile. Right now, finding how long the battery will last does tell us if the battery is a good one.

To test the charged battery: A good battery is slow charged overnight and then taken off the charger and left to just sit unconnected for an hour to settle. Then it should read OVER 12.4 or 12.5 volts an hour later. and a day later about the same. A little more is better. Anything less and the battery is part of the problem.

Next renew all the big battery connections at both ends of the cables. Don't cheat. Take them off ,inspect, and clean.
After that, connect it all up and go on to Lugbolt's tests for the dynamo or alternator - you can call it by either name. I'm around for questions.

rScotty

some good battery voltage charts here:

Lead Acid Battery Voltage Charts (6V, 12V & 24V) - Footprint Hero

Lead acid battery voltage charts showing battery capacity vs voltage for 2V, 6V, 12V & 24V sealed (AGM & gel) and flooded lead acid batteries.

footprinthero.com

 

[rScotty]

I put an ohm meter and the voltage was 12 volts at the battery even after throttling up the tractor. I checked the two wires coming out of the alternator and it was 13 volts at idle. I think the alternator is working but the charge is not making it back to the battery. As far as fuses my B3030 does not have a cab so the only fuses it has is the slow blow fuse above the starter, which is good, and then under the hood, there are five other fuses. One is the OPC fuse, one for the work lights, one for the flasher, and one is the key stop. All check good using a test light on both sides of the fuses. I'm starting to think I have issues in the wiring harness. I'm getting close to loading it up and talking it to my dealer, but I hate to if it something simple that I am missing

Well, maybe it suddenly decided to charge.

When you said "something simple", that made me think back over some 60 years of doing mechanics, Most electrical problems today are actually battery or battery cable problems* - and cables need attention about twice as often as batteries need replacement.
Replacing an old style wet cell with a new sealed battery causes cable problems to go to zero.
rScotty

* 60 years ago it was carbon brushes....