Kubota L4200 won't start

[virvis]

Looking for a little help. Kubota L4200 will not start. Battery is new. When turning the key, it cranks like the battery is dead for about 1 sec. found the relay at the starter but can't find any others. Any help in finding additional relays or fuses would be appreciated.

thanks!

 

[GManBart]

If it starts to crank, the problem isn't likely a relay or fuse. It sounds dumb, but have you checked the ground cable from end to end? When you say the battery is new, does that mean you just bought it, or is it just newer meaning a year old, or something like that? Batteries can go bad very quickly sometimes.

 

[virvis]

Battery was just purchased. I assumed battery but will check the cables this evening. Thanks for the rely

 

[virvis]

Reply

 

[k0ua]

Place your voltmeter directly on the battery posts and have your assistant crank the tractor. What was the battery voltage during the attempted cranking sequence.?

 

[virvis]

Cleaned up the positive battery cable and replaced the ground. Still acting the same. Bumped the starter a few times by turning the key on/off quickly and it started. Let it run for a few minutes (got it into the garage) and it seems to be working. Shut it off several times and it started right back up like normal. I'll have to try it again this morning with the engine cold and see what happens.

Haven't tested the battery terminals with a voltmeter yet but when I do, what should I be looking for?

thanks,
Jim

 

[Egon]

You probably need to charge the battery.

 

[k0ua]

Cleaned up the positive battery cable and replaced the ground. Still acting the same. Bumped the starter a few times by turning the key on/off quickly and it started. Let it run for a few minutes (got it into the garage) and it seems to be working. Shut it off several times and it started right back up like normal. I'll have to try it again this morning with the engine cold and see what happens.

Haven't tested the battery terminals with a voltmeter yet but when I do, what should I be looking for?

thanks,
Jim

Voltage before you start should be around 12.6 volts. voltage during the glow plug cycle it can drop as low as 10.5 as glow plugs draw a tremendous amount of current. about 20 amps per glow plug. during a cold start the starter might knock the battery down to near 10.5 also. As soon as the engine spins up the voltage should be near 13.8 to 14.5 or so. After the battery is charged it may drop down to 13.5 depending on electrical load. But if the voltage does not stay above 13 while running or appears to keep falling when a load like light are placed on it then it is possible your alternator/regulator is not working. Check the easy stuff first like a loose belt.

Tractors are plagued with battery cable connections problems, perhaps because they are often left out in the weather. Batteries themselves are subjected to a lot of rough treatment in tractors too, compared to a car which may be only operated on smooth roads.

 

[Ivan49]

You may want to take the battery out and have it load tested. I went thru the same thing last winter and had 3 different batteries from the same place that were bad. The last time I went to exchange the bad one I asked them to load test the new one before I left. Guess what it was bad off the shelve. He went back and tested more of that size and they we all bad I was kind of relieved that it wasn't my tractor