L3400 Neutral safety switch isn't working right

[varmint]

My L3400's is an HST, and when I leave the seat, especially when the tractor isn't fully up to operating temperature, it often will die. I realize there's a switch of some sort related to the forward/backwards treadle, and it seems to be the issue. Usually, with enough wiggling I can find the sweet spot which will allow the engine to continue running while I am off the seat. Before I start tearing into things, I am asking if anyone has experience with this, and where the switch is located? I could render the seat occupancy switch always on, but that seems like a bad idea for several reasons. Setting the parking brake has no effect. At first, it was a random occurrence, but lately, in the cold weather, it is almost all the time.

 

[Peter 315]

This is the switch mine would not start unless I moved the treadle back and forth so I just loosened the nut and turned the bracket up a couple of turns..Starting Issues with Kubota Tractor Part 2 - Installing New Switch - YouTube

 

[beowulf]

A couple of years ago my L3410 would not start at all. I checked everything I knew to check but finally figured out it was likely the neutral switch. I did not figure that out on my own - somewhere on this forum I found that suggestion as a possible issue. Anyway, I started working on it - not with a great deal of confidence as it was really hard to get at and I was not sure that was the problem anyway. After a lot of work - due to it's location I had to get under the tractor and my recollection is that there was very little room to get your hands or tools in there. It was under the treadle pedal and under the deck.

I finally got it out and it appeared there was a wire no longer connected - I did a patch on that and it resolved the issue.

Now, I can't say for sure that what I fixed was even what I thought I was fixing. . . but it worked.

Good luck. It was not a lot of fun on my L3410 - but perhaps I made more work out of it than I needed to.

 

[number two]

Don't forget the treadle needs to be well greased.

Good Luck!

 

[varmint]

Oh, I keep the tractor greased! The pedal moves back and forth freely- and I've tried getting off the seat with pedal teased towards forward or the rear, to no avail. Since it's become intermittent, I guess it's an adjustment that needs to be found and made. I am thinking I will remove the pedal and deck plate when it warms up a bit.

 

[varmint]

Turns out that fixing the problem was embarrassingly easy. The switch is conveniently located below the steering wheel, in the open pedestal. I turned the switch down 3/4's of a turn, tighened the locknut, and all good. That's the brake pedals to the right of the switch.

 

[Peter 315]

Yes 5 minute fix and you don't even have to unplug the wire...