Ignition switch is junk on my 2615

[Wyld Bill]

Great tiome for my tractor not to start. The middle of the winter, at night, outdoors. I go to start the tractor to scrape down the driveway so the wet snow doesn't turn to ice over night & nothing. No lights, no crank, nothing. Messed around with a battery charger to find out the battery was fine. Messed around with the fuses to find the ignition switch is open all the time between common & the IGN & Start terminals. Guess I'll be looking for at least a temporary fix tomorrow.
It is weird how it just quit,..I've never had any issue before

 

[DavesTractor]

Ignition switch failure is rare on these. Generally a "no crank" issue is dirty battery cables, failed safety switch or a blown main fuse over by the starter. Sometimes the wires will get torn off a safety switch, that will also do it. We have sold several hundred of the 15 and 16 series, and have only repalced a couple ignition switches.

So have you got it fixed yet?

Great tiome for my tractor not to start. The middle of the winter, at night, outdoors. I go to start the tractor to scrape down the driveway so the wet snow doesn't turn to ice over night & nothing. No lights, no crank, nothing. Messed around with a battery charger to find out the battery was fine. Messed around with the fuses to find the ignition switch is open all the time between common & the IGN & Start terminals. Guess I'll be looking for at least a temporary fix tomorrow.
It is weird how it just quit,..I've never had any issue before

 

[whodat526]

Ignition switch failure is rare on these. Generally a "no crank" issue is dirty battery cables, failed safety switch or a blown main fuse over by the starter. Sometimes the wires will get torn off a safety switch, that will also do it. We have sold several hundred of the 15 and 16 series, and have only repalced a couple ignition switches.

So have you got it fixed yet?

i have owned two of these tractors one was a repo i ended up with and one was a case 1130 which is the same exact tractor and both of them i had to change the ingition switch on both of them so it must not be to rare atleast where im at i am 2 for 2 on these

 

[Joe Willie]

My 2615 acts up like that occasionally. What I have deduced from my struggles is either (A) the factory battery cable terminal ends are a little to big around (I've had to get shorter bolts) or the non factory (new) battery posts are smaller than the factory intended. I tighten down some more, tap around and it cranks up every time. Sounds simple but I've experienced that "now she will, now she want" several times.

 

[DavesTractor]

Sounds like you are hard on igniition switches. No doubt they do fail, it just isn't common in our area. We are in a very dry area, maybe the humidity is a factor?

i have owned two of these tractors one was a repo i ended up with and one was a case 1130 which is the same exact tractor and both of them i had to change the ingition switch on both of them so it must not be to rare atleast where im at i am 2 for 2 on these

 

[knute_m]

i have owned two of these tractors one was a repo i ended up with and one was a case 1130 which is the same exact tractor and both of them i had to change the ingition switch on both of them so it must not be to rare atleast where im at i am 2 for 2 on these

I'm interested in knowing more about the Case connection. I knew that Cub Cadet sold these Mitsubishi tractors as their 7200 series. How many other "American" names sold what became the Mahindra 15-Series tractors?

 

[whodat526]

i know the case 1120, 1130, and 1140 where mitsubishi tractors they look identical to the mahindras

 

[PILOON]

I had similar problem with switch.
Shoot some WD-40 into the key slot and that should do the trick.

They assemble the switches with a lubricant (kinda grease) that dries up with time.
The WD softens the lube and gets her going again.

 

[Wyld Bill]

I guess I never go tback to this thread. The ignition switch on these is junk!
I took the failed one apart for post mortom examination. There is a post in the center of the rotary switch. The copper plates that rotate to switch the contacts are stacked on this post or pin. THIS POST IS PLASTIC!!! So no big surprise what happened, the plates wore a deep grove into the plastic post & this was fouling things up. I bought another stock switch for now but the next time it happens I'll be replacing it with a standard marine ignition switch from Napa.

 

[Adaviscfd]

Wyld Bill, I have a 3015 that has been dead for a few days. Working fine lugging firewood, then wouldn't start. Nothing. Found the 60amp inline fuse blown. After getting new fuse at NAPA ($2.85), dealer wanted $22, i have hazards, but it blows the fuse when i turn the key to the glow plug. I put another fuse in and turned the key all the way and the starter cranked a few times before the fuse blew again. I looked at all harnesses, all looks good. Do you think it could be the ignition switch? I figure it is either the switch or glow plugs or something after the switch. If these switches are junk, it would make sense that could be it. Thanks for any input.

 

[Blue_Sky]

Wyld Bill, I have a 3015 that has been dead for a few days. Working fine lugging firewood, then wouldn't start. Nothing. Found the 60amp inline fuse blown. After getting new fuse at NAPA ($2.85), dealer wanted $22, i have hazards, but it blows the fuse when i turn the key to the glow plug. I put another fuse in and turned the key all the way and the starter cranked a few times before the fuse blew again. I looked at all harnesses, all looks good. Do you think it could be the ignition switch? I figure it is either the switch or glow plugs or something after the switch. If these switches are junk, it would make sense that could be it. Thanks for any input.

Did you ever get this fixed?

 

[Wyld Bill]

Well here we go AGAIN! Its 15degrees out, its a snow storm, tractor has worked fine all year, go to start it,.....NOTHING!
Troubleshoot it. Failed ignition switch AGAIN!
Just got home from town, had to go find an ignition switch on a Sunday night. Not a happy camper!

 

[Wyld Bill]

So I bought a universal ignition switch and some washers to make it fit the existing hole in the dash. I bought it at Tractor Supply for less than $20. Well see how long this one lasts.

 

[Wyld Bill]

By the way I only have about 50 hours on the last OEM ignition switch. DO NOT BUY A MAHINDRA/CUB CADET IGNITION SWITCH FOR YOUR TRACTOR!

 

[DavesTractor]

Wyld Bill, can you figure out why they are failing? Like I have said before, we have sold literally hundreds of the 2615/2816 and the 2015/2216 and they all take that switch. I have sold maybe one or two switches. I carry one in stock, and it is covered in dust. So I believe you entirely, but we have something contributing to the failure I'd guess. Not a bad idea to use a universal switch.

 

[Wyld Bill]

Yeah I sure do. I dissected the first one that failed. I have pictures of it somewhere. Basically there is a plastic shaft that run down through the center of the switch. Copper plates or copper plated metal plates have a hole in the center of them for the plastic shaft to go though. From vibrations and what not the plates wear into the plastic shaft creating a groove. Then instead of the plates making good contact they are stuck in the grove and you have no ignition power.

 

[DavesTractor]

Yeah I sure do. I dissected the first one that failed. I have pictures of it somewhere. Basically there is a plastic shaft that run down through the center of the switch. Copper plates or copper plated metal plates have a hole in the center of them for the plastic shaft to go though. From vibrations and what not the plates wear into the plastic shaft creating a groove. Then instead of the plates making good contact they are stuck in the grove and you have no ignition power.

I appreciate the good description. That would sound like a switch with a bazillion starts or a very old switch, which obviously isn't the case on your rig. Do you have extra lights wired into the system or anything of that nature that could be putting an extra load on the switch which might heat things up inside the switch and cause the plastic post to get soft or something? I'm just curious since we see this so rarely and have sold so many of them. We do not have much cold weather, but even so I can't see where that relates to what you saw in the first failure. If you take the second switch apart, let us know what you find, if you haven't already tossed it. Thanks!

 

[johnsonauto]

I have to say I have had the same experience as Dave. We dont see switch problems with these ignition switches. The "15" series tractors were our biggest selling tractor models at the time and have yet to replace a switch on one yet. My personal 3015 sits outside in the elements and no problems to this day, knock on wood!

MAHINDRA PARTS ONLINE

 

[DavesTractor]

Wyld Bill, since you are blowing snow, do you have a hydraulic or electric chute rotator? If electric, is it totally isolated from the switch somehow? Are you using relays? Something out of the ordinary is happening here, even if we aren't smart enough to figure it out. Meanwhile, use cheap switches and carry a spare.

 

[DavesTractor]

Wyld, I just did a little search and found this:

So here's the set up I'm running.
2006(?) Mahindra 2615 HST.
1" wheel spacers for 2-link tire chains
Loaded rear tires
Kats engine coolant heater
Origonal Cab Co. soft cab kit
6 Halogen flood lights
70" Provonost snowblower with electric chute rotator & adj. skids added.
Dome light, heater, & cup holder in the cab

So we have 6 extra lights, electric chute rotator, heater, etc. Obviously you are a sharp guy, but I just think that somehow the extra electrical loads are causing the switch to be used beyond it's designed duty cycle? Not sure, just guessing. BTW, sounds like a nice setup!