My Kubota let me down this morning. (Help needed:

[dangerdoc]

Look for about 12.7 volts. If it is only reading 12 volts, the battery is pretty low and maybe bad.

Then, as others have said, check for the same voltage at the starter when someone uses the key to start it. If you don't have it, you know it is up stream, such as the solenoid. If you do have it, you probably have a bad starter. The smoke you saw or smelled, may have been windings in the starter. If the starter is pretty easy to get out, you can hook it directly to a battery with it out and see if it spins.

I checked the battery last night. 12.7 volts at the cable.

I do have a spare starter. Now that you mention it, the starter in the tractor was a very inexpensive "deal" on Ebay. I had the Kubota starter fixed and put away in case I needed it.

I did not change out the starter yet because I get all of the same lights dimming and buzzing under the dash when I turn the key to warm the glow plugs.

 

[keyman1808]

Possible that the key switch is bad and thats the short. Never happened on mine but I do remember reading somewhere on here that it has happened. I do not remember the symptoms of it.

 

[art]

Lets start with a model, most kubotas that were built in the last ten years have an electric fuel shut of on the injector pump which might be the culprit.

If it cranks up to speed and won't start it is a fuel problem.

 

[KubotainNH]

Lets start with a model, most kubotas that were built in the last ten years have an electric fuel shut of on the injector pump which might be the culprit.

If it cranks up to speed and won't start it is a fuel problem.

The motor doesn't turn over.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Warm up the starter and solenoid. I think your solenoid isnt closing so youre not powering the starter.
larry

 

[wdchyd]

I checked the battery last night. 12.7 volts at the cable.

Checking the battery without putting a load on helps but doesn't mean diddly......you need to check voltage while cranking to assess the power it's putting out ......

 

[dangerdoc]

It sounds like you are keeping the questionable battery in the tractor. Take it out and use that one you said you knew was good. Batteries can go bad, and if you have a cell reversal going on it would reduce your voltage and give symptoms like you are describing. From my experience, it is usually the battery, and it can be difficult to figure that our if you leave the questionable one installed.

I put the new battery in, exactly the same thing. I hope I can find out what is broken Saturday morning before the dealership closes.

 

[dangerdoc]

Lets start with a model, most kubotas that were built in the last ten years have an electric fuel shut of on the injector pump which might be the culprit.

If it cranks up to speed and won't start it is a fuel problem.

It's an M5400, I think it is about 20 years old.

 

[dangerdoc]

Warm up the starter and solenoid. I think your solenoid isnt closing so youre not powering the starter.
larry

Just a question, if the power is not getting to the starter, what is buzzing under the dash and making the light dim?

 

[dangerdoc]

Possible that the key switch is bad and thats the short. Never happened on mine but I do remember reading somewhere on here that it has happened. I do not remember the symptoms of it.

I was hoping somebody had the same problem. I was planning on buying a new key switch. There is another snow storm coming early in the week. If I can't get this snow off the drive, I'm hosed in a big way.

 

[SixHoeBob]

It would be unsafe to directly to use jumper cables and a good spare battery to spin the starter over, and confirm that the starter works. As you noted, you could run over yourself with the tractor. I would put every thing in neutral, and double check that everything is in neutral. Next I would confirm the starter works, using only safe methods. It sounds to me like there is a loose connection on the starter switch. Current trying to flow across a loose connection will yield smoke.
a. Wiggle each wire on the switch to confirm they are all tight.
b. Find the wire feeding power to the switch and it should have the same voltage as the battery.
c. With the switch in the start position there should be the battery voltage on the terminal feeding the starter solenoid.

 

[UnclePaul]

I am not sure if you checked this but when you turn the key to start, it should send power to the small post on the solenoid. I had this problem on my old kubota, so i just added a push button.

 

[JoeL4330]

A wiring diagram would be helpful, and reveal "safety" relays on the way to the starter ...your dealer's parts book would be helpful and, if it were me, I would buy one of each, (one of which) you would likely need if it started when you went directly to the starter (which I would do, cognizant of the safety concerns...chock the wheels, implements down, PTO off, etc. etc. ...and current applied via a remote starter switch available at an auto parts store, or made up, that gave me some stand-off distance) ...the starter solenoid is another suspect and, if integral with the starter might benefit from swapping back to your original, now-rebuilt, starter.

I don't know if you have electricity available at the tractor, but a pre-heat session with a tarp and a heat source, in addition to the block heater and float charger, could help.

Let us know the ultimate outcome, and good luck.

 

[dangerdoc]

A wiring diagram would be helpful, and reveal "safety" relays on the way to the starter ...your dealer's parts book would be helpful and, if it were me, I would buy one of each, (one of which) you would likely need if it started when you went directly to the starter (which I would do, cognizant of the safety concerns...chock the wheels, implements down, PTO off, etc. etc. ...and current applied via a remote starter switch available at an auto parts store, or made up, that gave me some stand-off distance) ...the starter solenoid is another suspect and, if integral with the starter might benefit from swapping back to your original, now-rebuilt, starter.

I don't know if you have electricity available at the tractor, but a pre-heat session with a tarp and a heat source, in addition to the block heater and float charger, could help.

Let us know the ultimate outcome, and good luck.

I have the shop manual. Unfortunately the wiring diagram print is so small, I can't even see it with my reading glasses.

I have the instructions for checking the relays, unfortunately, step one is removing the steering wheel with no instructions on how to do so. I hope it is obvious.

My biggest concern is that the dealership closes at noon tomorrow and my next day off is Wednesday with another snow storm coming in between.

The weather will be above freezing. There is a fully charged new battery in the tractor and I have the block heater plugged in for good measure. If I can get the starter to turn, it should start. I've never had a problem getting it to start except for a broken starter last winter during a major snow storm.

 

[dstig1]

I hesitate to add my 2 cents as there has been a lot said...but... Electrical problems are always a PITA to trace, but there is only one way to do that...and it is a PITA (of course). Get a volt/ohm meter and start tracing things. Use what you can see of the schematic (maybe blow it up on a photocopier to help a bit?) and just physically trace wires to find the starter/key switch path. Fortunately tractors are failry simple, at least compared to car wiring... Just remeber to unplug things before you check continuity or you can be fooled as you are checking the "wrong" side of the circuit by accident (backwards path through ground, for example). Having a helper is great for checking things like relays when you need to hold the key in start.

You've already hit the biggest culprit - bad battery. You can take the starter out and bring it to most auto parts stores to test - do that next. Maybe it finds the problem, or gives you peace of mind. Then you need to trace wires, and that also means checking grounds. It is wise on old vehicles with electrical issues to remove all frame grounds, clean them with emery/sandpaper and reattach (with a dab of dielectric grease) to ensure good contact. Bad grounds are the evil half brother to a bad battery.

 

[dangerdoc]

I want to thank everyone that took time to help.

Daylight is wonderful thing. I went out this morning and found the problem.

The winner is bad battery cable. It had been pinched at some time in the past breaking the insulation. Then had corroded inside the inslulation. It would carry the full 12+ volts but could not carry the amps to run the glow plugs or turn the starter.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

A good lesson.

 

[dangerdoc]

A good lesson.

Depends on your perspective.

At five o'clock in the morning with a blizzard blowing and people depending on me 40 miles away, it didn't feel like a good lesson.:laughing:

 

[Gods Country]

Glad to hear your problem was an easy fix.