JD 855 Hard to Start??? Help Please!!!

[jd110]

Does the indicator light in the dash work for the preheater? On the 855, the light should stay on approximately 20-30 seconds to let you know it is working. Is there a ground wire connected to the other side of the heater? If I remember correctly, there is a ground wire that needs to be hooked up. Sometimes the module that controls the heater goes bad and will not allow the heater to stay on long enough.

 

[rox5488]

Hi Guys
I spent some time last night working on things.

I bled the system out as per the manual and at the injectors as well.

I then verified all electrical connections to the fuel shutoff Solenoid and Preheat grid. All seemed OK. I did turn the key on and it did preheat although I am not certain how LONG it worked as I did not count the seconds. the manual says the light on the dash should be on for 15 seconds and the grid will stay hot for 45 seconds when the temp is below 40 deg on early models but mine is a late model and should operate anything below 64 deg. The temp last evening was fairly warm though at around 65 deg. So its possible it wouldn't last long enough anyway. There was no ground wire on the other side of the heater grid although there is a place one could be hooked up I assume. Maybe I will try hooking that up.

OK so anyway the grid did heat some (not sure if it was 45 seconds or not though). Enough that I could feel the warmth from the top of the intake anyway.

Started the tractor and it seemed to start a BIT faster (not sure that wasn't the warmer air temp helping though either) I will try again tonight as its supposed to be warm again tonight. Prior to trying to start it though I might throw the module in the freezer to verify how long the grid is staying on etc. I might try to hook up a ground wire as well..

The other OTHER item I found wrong last night was a wire on the bottom side of the starter needs a new connector because it is almost torn off the old connector. I am not sure what that wire does. When looking from the side of the tractor at the starter it would be on the lower left hand side. its black. Anyone know what that wire does?

SO to recap how it started once again. The first time I cranked it it started to go and died. Which maybe happened because I didn't crank it quite long enough. Then I did it again. It idles up to about 400 RPM then spits and sputters and chugs like it is starving for fuel then SLOWLY idels up again, now at this piont it sometimes smoothes out and sometimes does the whoel spit and sputter thing again. and it seems to do that the colder it is the worse is spits and sputters. Then all that said it levels off a little around 15 seconds after you start it. Then around 30 seconds it starts to idle up to the desired speed where the throttle lever was all along. maybe 1500 Rpm or so. This was with a somewhat warmer temp. probably 50 in the garage anyway. So maybe that heat grid isn't staying on long enough to keep the air warm to help combustion. OR maybe its a fuel issue. I didn't measure the fuel output. Its a mechanical pump and the manual says it should put out X amount in 30 seconds. I didn't try that yet. I wonder if a block heater would help. They are only $54 which I didn't think was that bad but I don't know how many people use a block heater when the weather is 40 and 50 deg. you'd think that wouldn't be a problem??? Then again maybe my compression is bad. Which is certainly a bad thing. I do not have the proper gauge or adapter to check that though. (900 hours on the machine).

Thanks for any input on the black wire (it doesn't show up on the wiring diagram in the manual...)

 

[BGL990]

Here's something else you can try, just for fun, if you want. Take a hairdryer, or even better a real heat gun (paint stripper type) and set it up to blow down the intake while you try to start the machine. I've done this with a GMC 6.5L diesel that had bad glow plugs and it worked like a charm. If this works significantly better than the preheater grid, maybe the grid still isn't getting hot enough. If there isn't much difference, perhaps you do have fuel or compression issues.

 

[Dennisfly]

Hi Rox,

I received your private message and I'll respond here for the benefit of the forum.

I like the 855. I bet you will too.

I bought a block heater and I think you should also, especially being in Pennsylvania. Fifteen to 30 minutes of preheat makes all of the difference in the world. A couple of hours and it warms so much that the air heater won't even activate.

When I first got my tractor the preheat didn't work. It was summer so it didn't matter. I didn't realize it until the cold weather began. The dash light would come on but no heat. This was before I bought the block heater and when it was much below 30 degrees I couldn't start.

The problem was an electric module that is mounted on the engine side of the firewall. It controls the preheat. It plugs into a receptacle and the plugin was full of dirt. I cleaned it and the heater then worked fine. When the ambient temperature is high, you should not expect to see the preheat light come on at all. Let the preheat cycle complete (45 sec.) and you should be able to feel that the outside of the air heater is hot. If it is, it is OK.

With the warm weather approaching you probably won't need the air heater until fall. I would buy the block heater anyway. It will more than pay for itself in the wear and tear it will save on your starter motor when the weather is cold.

I did have another problem where I was sucking air at the fuel filter bowl. It wasn't leaking fuel, just sucking air. That is probably in my last post that you read.

With only 900 hours I would doubt that compression is the problem unless the tractor has somehow been abused.

Good luck. Let us know how this all works out.

Dennis

 

[BigEddy]

Rox - as promised- I tried starting my tractor up without preheat several times in the mid 20's - low 30's (F) over the last week. Not once did it not start up and go fine. A bit more black smoke than usual, and once it coughed twice before starting - but not once did it get the fits and rattles that it has done at much lower temperatures. So a reference point for you. I do not have a block heater . (Although I need one and recommend you get one - I just dont think it will resolve your issue.)

 

[fortisi876]

Anyone know what the outcome was on the o/p's problematic 855?

I own a 655 and believe I have the exact same issue as he has described.

Any guidance would be much appreciated!

 

[jnporcello]

I had a 755 that did that occasionally. Maybe 5 times over 10 years, but it sounds the same. I never found out what it was though, sorry.

 

[fortisi876]

I wish it was an occasional problem, mine becomes difficult from say 65°on down.

 

[855Idiot]

My 855 always has a slow time warming up when I start it up after a long rest (few weeks to a month).
It may take a minute to generate enough rpms to run properly.
Until that time it slowly picks up rpms and makes smoke & noises.
After a minute the throttle works properly and sounds fine.
Before a minute it won't take a rev and smokes.

I have always thought it's because my fuel solenoid is bad.