Century c42 Not starting...a mind puzzler...(my mind anyway!)...help appreciated

   / Century c42 Not starting...a mind puzzler...(my mind anyway!)...help appreciated #1  

rameye

Silver Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2004
Messages
192
Location
Northeast..new hampshire
Tractor
Zetor C-42 with HL50 loader
Need some help figuring this problem..

I have a 2006 Century/Zetor C-42 with the a Series Kukje motor (4cyl), Czech Loader, 4 wd clutch and gears..Only 1 relay on firewall in engine comp (glow plug)...many smaller relays under the dash
I also have shop manuals which concerning the electrical system make good fire starters!

Ok so this unit been a good solid machine..it lives indoors...@ 2oo hours its had a charmed life.

Im chasing down a no start condition- starter does not engage (glows come on..fuel pump runs etc everything else OK)

Couple weeks backed it cranked over but wouldnt catch (no smoke...nada)...tried it a few more times voila!...ok i figured its just mad at me...happened again same deal...keyed it a couple of times...all good.

So i figured today (no crank situation) it was a clutch safety has I pumped the clutch a bit, turn the key a couple times and operated the shuttle...got it to fire...Shut it off a ways from the house of course.....no crank...try my tricks...no good.

Pop the dash, DC the clutch safety...jump it...no crank....pull the shuttle safety (potted switch with 4 wires)...manually operate it
reverse light come on....no game otherwise....work the pto safeties...NG!....all while playing the key..

Ok so i want to get this girl home its gettin late I go to see how to spin up the starter...I figure I bring 12 volts to the solenoid (which is not clicking) and im off to the races.....to my chagrin....(now entering the twilight zone) I cant find a wire that goes to the solenoid like the manual says!!! The starter has a connector on the solenoid...no wire to be found ...Nobody unplugged it..Im sure thats the way its been. Needless to say it got dark...and I left my buddy behind.

The manual swears there is a R-1 relay with a heavy wire under the dash that is the starter relay....not that i can find...unless there idea of heavy wire (maybe 10 gage) is different than mine.

Ok so my questions...

How in the **** does that starter get activated...where is the wire to the solenoid????

Anybody have an accurate schematic??...The one I have is not all that compatible with my machine

Any other thoughts...Im starting to lean toward the ignition switch??

Really want to bypass all safetys to rule out solenoid/batt connections and gounds

Thanks

Frustrated but not beaten...yet
 
   / Century c42 Not starting...a mind puzzler...(my mind anyway!)...help appreciated
  • Thread Starter
#2  
On edit...it could be a 2005
 
   / Century c42 Not starting...a mind puzzler...(my mind anyway!)...help appreciated
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Also this is known as a 4220....its badged a C-42L however
 
   / Century c42 Not starting...a mind puzzler...(my mind anyway!)...help appreciated
  • Thread Starter
#4  
anybody...any ideas??? Buehler?
 
   / Century c42 Not starting...a mind puzzler...(my mind anyway!)...help appreciated
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Oh well the forum isn't quite what it used to be...

Got it running...found the starter relay under the hood...powered it from the battery direct...fired it up moved it inside.

Either an ignition switch, shuttle safety switch or starter relay (not solenoid different animal)

Will get back with the final analysis.

Hope the forum comes back to life one day...
 
   / Century c42 Not starting...a mind puzzler...(my mind anyway!)...help appreciated #6  
Hey Rameye sorry you to hear you are having problems with tractor, first thing there are 3 safety switches on this model the shuttle switch also known as neutral switch, pto position switches, and the clutch switch first make sure the pto is in off position depress clutch put shuttle in neutral position if all this is not helping. There are 4 relays under the dash 2 blue 2 red you should be able to locate them after removing the dash and side panels if you have manual you can look up the procedure to test relays but I think you probably have a bad switch either the clutch or the neutral position if you don't have a manual let me know and I will try to post those pages thanks
 
   / Century c42 Not starting...a mind puzzler...(my mind anyway!)...help appreciated #7  
Hey Rameye to hear you are having problems with tractor, first thing there are 3 safety switches on this model the shuttle switch also known as neutral switch, pto position switches, and the clutch switch first make sure the pto is in off position depress clutch put shuttle in neutral position if all this is not helping. There are 4 relays under the dash 2 blue 2 red you should be able to locate them after removing the dash and side panels if you have manual you can look up the procedure to test relays but I think you probably have a bad switch either the clutch or the neutral position if you don't have a manual let me know and I will try to post those pages thanks
 
   / Century c42 Not starting...a mind puzzler...(my mind anyway!)...help appreciated #8  
Hello Bransonbuilder, I just joined this site in hopes of gaining some much needed information for a 2005 Century C42L. I read your reply in this forum and was hoping you may be able to guide me in the correct direction for troubleshooting a no start problem. About all I can tell you is that the tractor has about 400 hours on it and has always been rather trouble free and a good runner. It sat outside covered during this winter for at least 2 months. I went to fire it up and the battery was too weak to spin her over well enough to fire up, "so I assumed". No problem, I put a good slow full charge to it and tried again thinking I was good to go. Well, it spun over correct but did not fire, I tried again and then heard a "semi-loud" POP / SNAP sound that seemed like it came from the right side of the dash section. The tractor still turns over well and I can hear the fuel pump humming when the key is on, but it just will not fire up and / or start. I don't know if it may be a spark / ignition problem, or a possible a fuel issue of some sort, or something else. I am rather clever with light mechanical work and I am trying to troubleshoot this myself, but I can't find any worthy information on-line or in the "worthless" manuals that I got from the previous and original owner.
Any help or leads on a troubleshooting procedure would be great!!
Thanks in advance,
Tom.
 
   / Century c42 Not starting...a mind puzzler...(my mind anyway!)...help appreciated #9  
Hello Bransonbuilder, I just joined this site in hopes of gaining some much needed information for a 2005 Century C42L. I read your reply in this forum and was hoping you may be able to guide me in the correct direction for troubleshooting a no start problem. About all I can tell you is that the tractor has about 400 hours on it and has always been rather trouble free and a good runner. It sat outside covered during this winter for at least 2 months. I went to fire it up and the battery was too weak to spin her over well enough to fire up, "so I assumed". No problem, I put a good slow full charge to it and tried again thinking I was good to go. Well, it spun over correct but did not fire, I tried again and then heard a "semi-loud" POP / SNAP sound that seemed like it came from the right side of the dash section. The tractor still turns over well and I can hear the fuel pump humming when the key is on, but it just will not fire up and / or start. I don't know if it may be a spark / ignition problem, or a possible a fuel issue of some sort, or something else. I am rather clever with light mechanical work and I am trying to troubleshoot this myself, but I can't find any worthy information on-line or in the "worthless" manuals that I got from the previous and original owner.
Any help or leads on a troubleshooting procedure would be great!!
Thanks in advance,
Tom.

What I know about Century/Branson tractors you could fit in a thimble, and have room for your finger, however, I can assure you that your problem is not spark/ignition related. As you tractor is listed as having a 4 cylinder diesel engine. No spark No ignition. I don't know what the pop sound was either, but I would think your tractor is not getting any fuel. Is there a manual pull knob for fuel shut off to kill the engine, or is it powered by an electrical fuel shut off solenoid on the front of the injection pump? If so there is usually a relay on firewall or or under dash to pull the fuel shutoff solenoid. You could crack a fuel line from the injector pump and crank for a couple of seconds and see if fuel squirts out under high pressure. Start there, and hopefully someone will come along with some century/branson experience.
 
   / Century c42 Not starting...a mind puzzler...(my mind anyway!)...help appreciated #10  
Re: 2005 Century C42L Turns over but does not start

It does have a lever fuel shut off near the fuel filter, but I need to check and see if it looks like it may have a solenoid shut off on the injection pump. The fuel lines on the injectors have been loosened and checked for fuel delivery during an engine crank over, and there appears to be no fuel flow, so I think your input has helped me learn a bit more, and I now think the fuel is shut off at the injection pump. Now hopefully I can gain some more info on that procedure.
Thanks
 

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