Help - won't start due to idiotic move on my part! Stood up with PTO on!!!

[smcglon]

I have a 2010 MX5100 Kubota. Like an idiot, I got up with the PTO engaged this past (w/6' JD Bush Hog attached) Saturday and the tractor shut down. Turned PTO off and tried to restart and it seems the entire electrical system is half on. A faint buzzing sound is coming from below dash when I turn the key on. When I turn the key once more to start, all lights go out - nothing. Battery is good, wiring is good, checked all fuses (all good), checked safety switch on seat (seems to be good and correctly working). Acts like there needs to be a breaker reset - or something related but I have no idea. Even with the tractor on, the flashers barely turn on. What is even stranger - I can leave it on with the faint buzzing for 30 seconds, turn it off and then turn it back on, all the regular check lights turn on but when I go and turn the ignition once more...nothing and it goes back to the fainting buzz sound. Can't find anything in the manual. Sitting in the middle of my pasture dead. HELP! Thanks, Scott

 

[Gator6x4]

Sounds like you have a bad battery ground or a weak battery not providing 12 plus volts. Have you checked the battery?

 

[MikeInEburg]

Sounds like you have a bad battery ground or a weak battery not providing 12 plus volts. Have you checked the battery?

This was my thought as well. Bad ground - remove and clean both ends of ground cable.

 

[Bluegill2]

Dose sound like the ground, or maybe the positive connection.

 

[WaxMan]

Battery or ground, did you try jumping it?

 

[DeanKC]

Did you also check the solenoid? Put a voltmeter at the point where the wire from the solenoid attaches to the starter; then have someone turn the key to start. If it does not read 12 volts, you have eliminated the starter motor as the culprit.

 

[Jim Shooz]

Was the PTO actually disengaged. I have stalled a couple of times while mowing and even though I had returned the PTO lever to the disengaged position the engine wouldn't start. Seems that there was pressure on the PTO somewhere, the lever was disengaged but internally it actually hadn't disengaged. By thumping that lever it eventually released.

 

[Dozernut]

Those cables on the pto are problematic. Climb under your tractor and trace the cable from the pto lever to the point where it connects to a lever on the (right) side of your transmission. Take your finger and push forward toward the front of the tractor. The lever should move easily and probably no more than a quarter of an inch. You should be able to start your tractor. If it does then adjust your cable. If this doesn't work then you might have a faulty seat switch or a short.

 

[smcglon]

Thanks for all the feedback. Heading to the pasture now to try it out. I have checked the battery (new) and the cables so I am pretty sure it is not the battery or ground but will triple check.

RB - thanks for your input. The "pressure" on the PTO sound like it could be the culprit. The tractor was running great, I engaged the PTO/bushhog so it was spinning at idle speed, and then took it out of gear to get off forgetting to disengage the PTO. The tractor shook and cut off as soon as I stood up. The tractor was off when I disengaged the PTO. If the seat switch shorted out, is there a way to circumvent the switch? Any other ideas? Thanks again for all the feedback - this has been great! Scott

 

[nspec]

Not to totally hijack this, but NEVER get off the tractor with the brush hog running! I'm the farthest thing from the safety police, but this is just a wicked bad idea. Anybody read "Lancaster Farming"? Recall the article on last weeks front page? It was pretty ugly.