Kioti dk40 se electrical problem

[TimbourLarry]

Well, I'm back again with another electrical problem. A few months ago I began having problems with the instrument panel lighting up and I had to jiggle the ignition to get engagement. Ultimately, a new Interstate battery purchased four months ago solved the problem until recently when the problem began reoccurring. WD-40 sprayed into the ignition helped for awhile but last weekend I got very dim lights on the instrument panel and there was not enough power to engage the coil or starter. I tried jumping the battery to no avail and then removed the battery and recharged and yesterday it started immediately. I used it for about an hour and then when I tried to re-crank it was not enough power even to turn on the instrument panel. I had previously cleaned the battery posts and all the ground contacts on the chassis and taken the ignition switch off and cleaned and burnished the copperplate in the switch but the aforementioned problem still persists. The symptoms are similar to a bad battery but I think this is unlikely since The battery is only four months old. I would appreciate any thoughts or recommendations on what I need to check next. Thanks

 

[k0ua]

The symptoms are similar to a bad battery but I think this is unlikely since The battery is only four months old. I would appreciate any thoughts or recommendations on what I need to check next. Thank

s

I have to tell you, that the age of a battery has no bearing on the state of that battery. New batteries fail all the time. You must perform troubleshooting to determine what the problem is. Do you have a voltmeter, and if so what does the battery voltage measure when under a load? When you do get the tractor running again, what is the charging voltage? You must have an understanding of these things before you can solve this problem. Also please note that tractors are notorious for having bad (corroded, damaged) battery cables. i realize you said you cleaned them, but did you measure for any voltage drop across them? Did you pull on them? Many cases the battery cable will look just fine when viewed externally, but be totally destroyed inside the insulation sheath. Troubleshooting must be done in a systematic scientific method. Form a hypothesis and then test that hypothesis.

Here, I will get you started with your first hypothesis. Your battery is defective.. Prove it is not by testing voltage under current load on top of the actual battery posts. Good luck, and report back.

 

[TJP89]

Sounds like a loose or bad cable somewhere. Battery was low, then the new batter with the higher charge pushed the issue back. But now it's back. I'd check the battery, but I'd bet it's a loose cable or corroded wire. The good news is it's an easy fix once you find it. The bad news is that it can be a real PITA to find. Start with the battery terminals and move up from there. It's probably a main line, not a little subsystem, because everything is affected.

 

[murphy1244]

Listen to these guy's. Start at the battery.

 

[TimbourLarry]

Ok I checked the battery and it measured 12.5 and also 12.5 with switch and headlights turned on. With switch on, I heard a buzz and then the instrument lights flashed for several seconds and then went blank after 10 seconds or so. However, I can hear the solenoid engage but there isn't enough juice to engage the starter. I'll recharge the battery to full power and see if it will start and then follow your collective guidance. Thanks!!

 

[k0ua]

Ok I checked the battery and it measured 12.5 and also 12.5 with switch and headlights turned on. With switch on, I heard a buzz and then the instrument lights flashed for several seconds and then went blank after 10 seconds or so. However, I can hear the solenoid engage but there isn't enough juice to engage the starter. I'll recharge the battery to full power and see if it will start and then follow your collective guidance. Thanks!!

If the battery measured 12.5 with the headlights on, it isn't the battery. Measure on the starter post when you try to start it. I am thinking corroded cable or loose ground that sort of thing.

 

[ritcheyvs]

Battery cable.

 

[k0ua]

Battery cable.

That seems the most likely at this time.

 

[TimbourLarry]

I'm sorry it took so long to post my follow up, but I wanted to be sure the tractor was indeed fixed. I charged the battery again and replaced the cable clamp bolt on the positive terminal and cleaned everything thing again and It fired right up and has started perfectly about 10 times since. The only odd thing is that the parking light stays on constantly and has for over a year. Many thanks to you guys for pointing me in the right direction and if you have any thoughts on the parking light that appreciate it.

 

[k0ua]

Check the microswitch and associated wiring on the parking light problem.