Century 2535 dead, nothing, nada

[EddieWalker]

No wiring diagram. I'm looking at a much newer diagram for clues, but also searching online. If one of my safety switches is bad, could that cause everything to be dead? One page mentioned the clutch safety switch as a good place to start testing. Should that be a simple on/off type switch? Push it in and the circuit is complete, leave it out and nothing?

 

[k0ua]

No wiring diagram. I'm looking at a much newer diagram for clues, but also searching online. If one of my safety switches is bad, could that cause everything to be dead? One page mentioned the clutch safety switch as a good place to start testing. Should that be a simple on/off type switch? Push it in and the circuit is complete, leave it out and nothing?

Safety switches usually deal with the cranking of the engine and running The dash lights and glow systems should still work. If you have no power on the key switch, start tracing and fixing that first.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks. I'm taking everything apart and trying to trace the wires now. They are all wrapped together, but I'm at a loss as to what else to do.

 

[k0ua]

Thanks. I'm taking everything apart and trying to trace the wires now. They are all wrapped together, but I'm at a loss as to what else to do.

Take photographs as you go. A workshop manual would be very helpful

 

[Reg]

Hi Eddie,
Sorry I'm so late to the game on this one.
I have a "Branson" re-branded Kukje shop manual.
I'll dig it out, though as I recall the "electrical" chapter is kinda slim.
If there is anything worth copying I'll try to create jpegs or pdfs of it and e-mail them to you.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks Reg, that would be great. I've received a few very helpful diagrams, but none where exact. I have found a few bad wires while doing my search for the problem without success at it to start. I know I'm missing something, it's probably hiding in plane sight, but so far, it's eluding me.

 

[Cougsfan]

As I read this thread, I am a little confused as to what you have done or not done. To jump into the middle of an electrical circuit and start guessing if parts are broken is pretty ineffective. Exactly where do you have electrical power to and where do you not? It sounds as if you have no power anywhere on the tractor. If you don't have power anywhere, you shouldn't be checking components in the middle of the system. The problem is likely in your battery, battery cables, their connections or your fusible link. Battery cables and their connections are probably them most troublesome spots in a system can be tricky to diagnose. On my Ferguson I once got stumped because the multi-meter showed the system passing power when I checked it under no load. As I applied a load (the starter), it acted as if it were completely dead (it ended up that the corroded ground cable connection was only able to pass milli-amps). A new ground cable fixed the problem. Start at the beginning.

It helps to be systematic when dealing with electrical problems, and follow the current from where it starts (the battery) to where it is needed and find out where it doesn't get through.

Not to sound offensive, but it would help us to know if you know how to use a multimeter. (Don't be embarrassed if you don't, I know mechanical engineers who don't) Do you know how to check continuity, voltage and amperage?

 

[Budweiser John]

I've read through this post and share Eddie's frustration. When there's a Job to do and your equipment craps out for no apprairant reason, ain't nobody happpy.
A similar delima happened recently with my late model New Holland tractor while hauling wood. No start, no lights, nothing. Multimeter showed continuity through out the electrical system but no start.
Ultimately I discovered the positive battery cable where crimped to the yoke that bolts around the battery post was incompleatly crimped around the conductor running to the starter. It had worked from day one but finally gave up. Mystery was, it still conducted enough current to show up on a didgital multimeter.
Yet another trouble shooting suggestion from the school of hard knocks.
B. John

 

[airbiscuit]

I agree with the last two posts. I had a car that had similar symptoms. The positive cable looked fine, but there was imperceptible corrosion between the replacement battery post clamp and the cable. I had failed to use di-electric grease when I originally replaced that clamp.

What happens when you try to jump start the tractor?

 

[EddieWalker]

It's started up last night!!!

I'm not sure if this was a comedy of errors, or the death of a thousand cuts. With everything that I found, its amazing that it was ever working. One of my problems was that relay. I think the original was damaged with the fusible link burned out. I went to Napa for a replacement and the one they sold me had different markings on it. 1,2,3 instead of 85, 86, 87 and they where not on the plugs, they where on the side so I was never able to know if they where the same thing. When I put it in, nothing happened except the battery drained real quick and the relay got too hot to touch. I paid $30 for that relay. I replaced it with one from O'Reileys that had the exact same markings in the correct locations. After doing this, I got power to the key. Nothing else worked, but that was a big step forward.

As suggested, I also checked my battery cables and found that the ground cable was cracked where it attached to the post of the battery. I replaced it with a thicker cable and sanded all the connections.

I had already found three burned out wires plus the fusible link that I repaired without any results, so I went back to following wires and found another wire in a multi wire harness type plug that just fell out when I pulled on it. I took the plug apart and reconnected that wire without any results. Then I cleaned up all the terminals with brake cleaner and air from my compressor.

That worked!!!!!! I have no idea which wire was the problem, but as of now, it fires right up and drives great!!!!

Thank you to everyone for your advice, your help and especially for the effort of sending me those wiring diagrams.

Eddie