Can an old lady get her MF1250 to start?

[tall corn]

:newhere:

Here's some history....I am a 64-year old female and bought the Massey Ferguson 1250 4WD diesel new in 1996 in Idaho. It has been flawless throughout it's 439 hour lifetime. Always started, even after sitting in sub-freezing temps in blizzards. Brought it with me to Ash Fork, AZ 4 years ago and it has/is my work partner.

Last week I used it to get some guys unstuck in the muddy road. The tractor did a perfect job and I drove it home (about a mile) and parked it as usual. The next day, go to start it and all I get is the sound of the glowplugs and a single "click" when the key is turned to start. The idiot lights lit up, horn works, turnsignals, etc. Turn the key off and another single click. I checked ALL of the fuses (even the 2 slow-blow ones), thoroughly cleaned and reinstalled the battery cables, cleaned and redid the ground strap, made sure everything was in neutral and PTO off. Still the same scenario. I checked the battery with a multimeter and it read 12.5V. I added distilled water to 2 of the cells that were real low.

I *think* it is a safety switch? The one for the seat was disconnected right after I bought it (the dealer did it for me) and I understand there is one for the transmission? Where is it located? Also, how do I test the starter or solenoid? I read that it can be jumpered? Huh?

Please keep in mind that I am an old lady that is not afraid to get greasy, but I have limited knowledge on tractor mechanics.

Thanks a bunch

I think it is your battery. 12.5 V isn't that great. If the battery was low on electrolytes it probably damaged it some. Do the simple things first. Install a new battery.
And 64 isn't old.
Tall Corn

 

[Old Gray Mare]

The more I think about the click/clunk sound, the more it feels like when the gears are not in neutral and I go to start it. Like....OOPS! gotta take it out of gear to start, dummy! That's why I was looking for a safety switch somewhere.

The schematic shows a main safety and a relay safety, but how the heck is a person supposed to find such things? Here's what the manual shows:



I may try taking down part of the fence tomorrow so I can get my truck alongside the tractor to try and jump it. We'll see what the morning brings and if this old lady will be able to remain vertical :laughing:

Thanks again!!!

 

[SPYDERLK]

I think it will start on its own batt. Theres probably some safety interlock preventing the ignition switch from putting 12V on that blue arrow connector. You could unplug that wire and jumper +12V directly to the then exposed plug terminal on the solenoid, This should close the solenoid and crank it. Be sure its in neutral!
larry

 

[tcreeley]

If you do replace the battery, get one with the same cranking amps, or what the manual suggests - designed to match the motor. Less crank amps is basically using a weaker battery. You may get away with it, in the long run you will regret it. Try a sears, or the auto parts place can order you the right size battery if they don't have it in stock.
Better to replace a battery in good weather, than lousy weather. Your battery is old, a new one is not money wasted.
Good luck.
I find the lights, or the battery on the wiring diagrams and then start tracing one wire at a time. Try a highlighter in the color of the wire on the tractor (say from the lights) and color it on the diagram. As you do that it will gradually start to make sense.

 

[whistlepig]

The more I think about the click/clunk sound, the more it feels like when the gears are not in neutral and I go to start it. Like....OOPS! gotta take it out of gear to start, dummy! That's why I was looking for a safety switch somewhere.

The schematic shows a main safety and a relay safety, but how the heck is a person supposed to find such things? Here's what the manual shows:

View attachment 383056

I may try taking down part of the fence tomorrow so I can get my truck alongside the tractor to try and jump it. We'll see what the morning brings and if this old lady will be able to remain vertical :laughing:

Thanks again!!!

When I have a safety switch tripped it kills all electric to the starter. No sounds are made when trying to start with a safety switch tripped. Dead as a door nail.

 

[deerseeker001]

take battery in they will test it for free and go from there.

 

[Old Gray Mare]

Yep, dead as dirt except for the single click/clunk when the key is put to "start" position (the glowpluhs chatter when the key is in "glow" or "on", but never when the key is at "start"). Then the delayed click/clunk after the key is off. Sure sounds mechanical to me.

SPYDER...how EXACTLY would I jumper to the starter? I have never done that, even with an old car. I was reading through pages on this forum and bypassing the safety switches may get her to start...worth a try?

I *will* replace the battery with the correct size and type. I like to sleep at night

If you all lived closer, I'd buy you a cup of coffee :thumbsup:

 

[kebo]

Here's a little trick to try.... maybe.... if you can reach the starter assy with a dead blow hammer from the seat, while you are engaging the starter at the same time. From the looks of the picture of your starter, it should be possible to do it.

IF you can reach it, then try this... get the hammer, hold it just above the starter/solenoid assy at the ready, turn the ignition key to the cranking position and hold it there. Just as soon as you hear the solenoid click, rap the starter housing with a pretty solid blow (maybe even two or three quick raps) and see what happens. If the motor magically spins over and/or cranks, then the solenoid is sticking. If it is sticking, that doesn't necessarily mean that the solenoid itself is bad though. It could still be a sign of a weak battery/low voltage condition. As already pointed out, low voltage can be caused by a whole host of conditions such as poor/corroded connections, weak solenoid (some turns in the windings in could be shorted together), bad battery, or undersized wiring in the starting circuit. You seem to have already cleaned up some of the connection points though, and eliminated a few potential causes.

If you try that and it doesn't make ANY difference, then I would vote for getting a new battery and try it. Sometimes with starting problems, you have to go through the process of elimination. If you get a new battery and that doesn't fix the problem, then you can say for sure it ain't the battery lol. You would have to move on to the next logical step in that case. But, then you would have a spare battery, as long as it stays good. :laughing:

One last point, I don't think that your problem is caused by one of the safety interlocks. If it were, I don't think you would even hear the starter solenoid click at all. At least, that has been my experience limited to just a few varieties of tractors in my lifetime.

Hopefully, a new battery will get it all fired up though. Keep us posted.

 

[whistlepig]

"Mechanical" as a starter solenoid trying to kick in without a enough juice to do so?

 

[Old Gray Mare]

Many years ago, we (the ex and I) had a grand ol' 73 Ford 4x4 that wouldn't restart when we were using it to move some fencing. It was dead as a doornail and smack in the middle of the corral, so it was priority to get her going. We cleaned the teminals and posts, then replaced the solenoid, relay, starter, and battery. Guess what it was? The battery negative cable.

So, when the tractor gets its new battery, the cables will be replaced, too

Whistlepig...the sound isn't coming from the starter or solenoid. It's more from the top of the engine and kinda "floppy" sounding...LOL!