John Deere 5420 problem

astralplane · Mar 2, 2011

I own a John Deere 5420 and recently had an experience that scared the **** out of me. I placed the Powershifter in Park and when I released the clutch the tractor took off in forward direction. I was in low range and 2nd gear when this happened. I immediately hit the clutch and brake and looked to see if the shifter was in park and it was. I shifted to neutral and back into park and the same thing happened again. It took 4 tries for the transmission to finally to actually go into park. Has this happened to anybody else out there? This makes me want to trade my Deere for something else!

AKfish · Mar 2, 2011

Welcome to TBN. Great place, cheap advice..

I can appreciate your consternation and alarm! However, before you get ready to sell or trade - call your local JD's service manager.

Chances are he or the shop mechanics have some knowledge of your problem and can offer solutions.

At the very least, he can access the JD database for prior recalls, retrofits and/or repairs for the problem you experienced.

Best of luck.

AKfish

Tx Jim · Mar 2, 2011

I agree that you should contact your local JD dealer service manager. They should be able to contact D-Tac at JD service dept at the branch office to find solution. I'm guessing a control assembly malfunction as JD shows a retro-fit linkage in parts catalog with original parts NLA(if I'm looking at correct handle).

Kyle_in_Tex · Mar 26, 2011

The lever mechanism has 2 cables. Probably one has broken. Relatively simple fix. Not too technical, just getting to and routing the cable is the time.

Kyle_in_Tex · Mar 26, 2011

Just re-read your post. Maybe lube the mechanism with some lube. Make sure the latches and such are working. Agreed this is potentially dangerous. Keep us posted on outcome.

burnetma · Apr 16, 2011

So what was wrong?

I haven't had an issue with mine in nearly 1000 hours and hope that I don't. We have to put a lot of faith in that PARK position seeing that it doesn't have a park brake.

astralplane · Apr 17, 2011

The problem was a broken parking pawl and gear. The total bill to fix the problem was $2,971.00. The dealer said it is not uncommon for this to happen if the tractor is not completely stopped and you attempt to put it in park. I must admit that on more than a few occasions I have heard a grinding noise when I've tried to put the tractor in park. You can bet your rear end when I put it in park from now on, the tractor will be completely stopped. This was a very expensive lesson to learn! Overall this tractor has been a great piece of equipment. I'm almost ready to pull the trigger on a 3 point backhoe attachment for it. Anybody out there have any experience with 3 point backhoes?

cowski · Apr 28, 2011

any brand will break if you put it in park with it still moving.on my 5510, john deere replaced my linkage on a recall.it now has over 3500 hours with no transmission problems.the backhoe attachment works good but not as good as a real backhoe.

burnetma · Apr 29, 2011

Ummm, broken pawl and gear not all that uncommon??? YIKES!

You probably have the same issue I have. Not a single piece of flat ground anywhere on your property to park. Everytime I am making hay and have to stop with the baler and hay wagon on, I think to myself: "I hope the parking pawl holds". Now, you really have me thinking... Obviously I try not to stop on steep ground, but I rarely can find completely flat either. I will have to be more cautious.

Looking at the parts schematic on JD Parts, it appears that there is no way to inspect the pawl and gear without splitting the tractor, dropping the transmission and removing the top cover. Althogh, maybe there is a side access cover that will allow inspection.

Do you know if they could see the pawl and gear via the side access cover?

astralplane · Apr 29, 2011

Based on my conversations with a JD mechanic, there is no way to inspect the parking pawl without breaking the tractor in half. He also said to try not to park on a steep incline because it puts an extraordinary amount of strain on the pawl. I cut brush with a 7 foot rotary cutter on some very steep areas of my farm and sometimes it is necessary to stop on a hill for various reasons. It takes a leap of faith to trust that the tractor won't run over you as you work around it. I'm as careful as possible but I do worry when I have to work downhill in front of the tractor. I always work with my loader bucket attached and drop the bucket at an angle when stopping downhill as a safety measure.

cowski · Apr 29, 2011

i would not worry about parking on a hill. it's placing the lever in park,while the tractor is moving,that breaks it.

Kyle_in_Tex · Apr 30, 2011

I think they recommend putting the machine in neutral (besides park) before exiting the seat.

astralplane · May 1, 2011

My 5420 has a sinc/shuttle transmission that has a forward, neutral, reverse, or park selection. This means you can't put it in neutral and park at the same time.

Kyle_in_Tex · May 7, 2011

astralplane said:
My 5420 has a sinc/shuttle transmission that has a forward, neutral, reverse, or park selection. This means you can't put it in neutral and park at the same time.

I meant putting the gear selector between 1st and 2nd, or the A,B,C selector inbetween gears and put the shuttle in park before exiting with motor running.

astralplane · May 7, 2011

Hi Kyle,
That's a great idea which I intend to start doing immediately! Thanks for the tip. I guess I assumed when I put the transmission in park, the tractor automatically went into neutral.
Thanks again!

charleyfarmall · May 7, 2011

Is there not a parking brake to engage to take the strain off the pawl?

JD5210 · May 7, 2011

On the 5x10 and 5X20, I know there is no parking brake only the park on gear shift level. I have read a few people breaking the park pawl, when stopped on a good sloop after taking their foot off the parks the tractor moves back a little and breaks the pawl. With the tractor OFF I have heard what some people do is put it in gear range A and in first gear saying that the tractor will slide if it does move. If you have MFWD and you think you broke the park pawl be careful, there is not much room in the transmission and you can mess up the MFWD.

cowski · May 10, 2011

jd 5210 are you sure its parking on a hill that's breaking them.the ones i know of were broke by pulling the lever in park while the tractor was moving.i have older jd models that have over 15,000 hrs with no park problem. they have been parked on hills so steep that you have to yank it to get it out of park.that includes my 5510.but it only has a little over 3500 hrs.anyway keep up the good posts ,i really like the links you have posted before.

JD5210 · May 10, 2011

Cowski, I shared an e-mail with a person about a year ago that interestingly has a 5510. He said that he broke his park pawl parking on a hill. He said he was stop, but when he took his foot off the brake the tractor rolled back a little and that is when it broke. My feeling it was the rolling back that broke it, that was point that I was trying to make.
My comment was just to make people aware to be careful as it is expensive to repair it.