Need help! Dk40se sensor stuck in Low

[Apsterbobed]

I stalled my DK40se HST out in the woods, and when I went to restart it the dash range light is blinking L. I can't seem to find N, it stays in L (and blinks) no mater where I put the shift lever. It has been acting up as far as the dash and the lever get out of sync but I can always find N somewhere along the shifting range. It has never blinked before. The worst part is that it's 1/2 mile in the woods and they are calling for on and off rain all week! Does anyone know how to bypass the neutral safety so I can get it up to the garage to make the repairs? The worst part is I asked my dealer to look at it last spring and it never acted up while they had it! Then when it went in this spring I asked them to check it again and again it worked perfectly for them!

 

[ritcheyvs]

Here are two things you might try:
1. Disconnect the battery for perhaps a minute, Reconnect and see if that resets the blinking light.
2. If that doesn't work, BE SURE YOU ARE IN NEUTRAL with the parking brake set HARD, turn the key to ON and (after the glow light goes out) use the brute force technique to run the starter.

Be advised that there is danger here. The tractor could start and run over you. If possible, have a trustworthy helper in the seat, just in case.

I would not recommend option 2 except you have something of an emergency and you need to move the tractor to fix it.

 

[Apsterbobed]

Here are two things you might try:
1. Disconnect the battery for perhaps a minute, Reconnect and see if that resets the blinking light.
2. If that doesn't work, BE SURE YOU ARE IN NEUTRAL with the parking brake set HARD, turn the key to ON and (after the glow light goes out) use the brute force technique to run the starter.

Be advised that there is danger here. The tractor could start and run over you. If possible, have a trustworthy helper in the seat, just in case.

I would not recommend option 2 except you have something of an emergency and you need to move the tractor to fix it.

Thanks, I didn't think about disconnecting the battery, I did unplug the range switch but that didn't get me anywhere. I will try that then the starter jump this afternoon. I had thought about jumping the starter but didn't try because I figured the safety would prevent it from starting even if it cranked over. Again thanks for the information, unfortunately I have to work and won't be able to try it untill this evening.

 

[LouNY]

I am not familiar with your tractor but,
when you disconnected your range switch what does that do to your dash lights?
How many wires on that switch connector and there colors, you should be able to use a jumper between terminals or to ground to activate your dash lights and make it possible to start your tractor, or price the range switch and connect it to the wiring and activate it by hand.
None of which is a safe or recommended way to run your tractor.

 

[Apsterbobed]

I am not familiar with your tractor but,
when you disconnected your range switch what does that do to your dash lights?
How many wires on that switch connector and there colors, you should be able to use a jumper between terminals or to ground to activate your dash lights and make it possible to start your tractor, or price the range switch and connect it to the wiring and activate it by hand.
None of which is a safe or recommended way to run your tractor.

Disconnecting it changed nothing on the dash, it's 3 wires and a variable resistor (I think). I get that its not ideal to run it without the safety features but I would prefer to make the repairs in a dry garage than out in the mud and rain. Also we are not talking about a safety that is all that important. I would have to start it while standing on the ground and leaning on the go pedal after having forgot to put the parking break on and forgetting to put it in neutral last time it was used. Also the throttle would most likely need to be above an idle to keep from stalling if I was pushing on the go pedal. So for me to risk all that so I can start it once maybe twice to bring it up to the shop or load it on the trailer is an acceptable risk in my book. My atv will start in any gear and never once has it caused a problem, I would be much more worried about bypassing the pto interlock. This tractor never had a seat safety, I could ghost walk next to it with cruse set and the rotary cutter running full speed! Not that I ever would! Also this all was written in a joking manner I try and work safe and keep all the factory safety in place.

 

[Coyote machine]

I stalled my DK40se HST out in the woods, and when I went to restart it the dash range light is blinking L. I can't seem to find N, it stays in L (and blinks) no mater where I put the shift lever. It has been acting up as far as the dash and the lever get out of sync but I can always find N somewhere along the shifting range. It has never blinked before. The worst part is that it's 1/2 mile in the woods and they are calling for on and off rain all week! Does anyone know how to bypass the neutral safety so I can get it up to the garage to make the repairs? The worst part is I asked my dealer to look at it last spring and it never acted up while they had it! Then when it went in this spring I asked them to check it again and again it worked perfectly for them!

I'm wondering if when it stalled it was in L and even though you are able to move the range selector lever the transmission is actually still stuck in L? Can you possibly move the tractor slightly, enough to be able to release it from being in low range; for instance with a come along and nearby tree, or similar?
I have had some issues with the range selector and finding neutral, and as I write this I recall there is a way to reset it by using the key switch in a certain sequence, I just can't recall where that info lies at the moment. I'll see what I can do to find it via a search...

Here's a link to some parts of the problem explained.
(I believe the switch reset fix is detailed in the shop manual, so I may take a trip to my barn to find it for you if I can't on the net).

RECOGNISE that the neutral switch IS tied into the CRUISE Control Module, as the link and thread will detail. This may be part of why your dealer didn't find the issue, or they may be unaware of the connection in the circuit. Think about it; it makes sense that the cruise circuit would be involved since it needs to 'read' what 'gear' the tractor is in to work, or to lockout cruise engagement, as required, based on position of the range selector lever and PTO switch, etc.
Here's the link for now:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...02554-dk40se-hst-neutral-safety-switch-4.html

I'll be back with more shortly, hopefully. :thumbsup:

 

[Coyote machine]

I'm back, and I found the instructions for: "Functions for setting the range shift sensor and turning on the lamps, HST tractors ONLY.
This is almost all of the text in the manual; I left out basic items like having a fully charged battery and working ignition relay, etc.
Beginning at the top of page 11-36, in the electrical section of the July 2008 edition of the Kioti Service manual, is the section: Engine Starting Function.

Then: Conditions for Setting:

This entails two conditions, and it seems the brake pedal(s) MUST both be engaged while performing the following: 1. PTO is OFF. 2. Range selector must provide required voltage, (value) to indicate it is in NEUTRAL position.


Then, the 'H' lamp flashes when placing the CRUISE switch from neutral to ON and then to OFF position. (The H lamp will continue to flash while in setting mode).

NOW the SENSOR SETTING procedure:

When moving the range shift selector between the ranges, each will FLASH (on the dash indicator).
When each lamp flashes, move the CRUISE CONTROL from ON to NEUTRAL position. The corresponding lamp comes ON for 1 second to indicate the completion of the setting. My add: (Go through each position of the range selector, from L to H, including BOTH neutral positions).
Once complete, the sensor will operate normally, once the KEY switch is turned from ON to OFF and then ON again, after having completed the set sequence.

This may very well fix your issue and get you literally out of the woods and on the way back to Grandma's house.:licking:
Hopefully it will. Let us know....

 

[ritcheyvs]

I am not familiar with your tractor but,
when you disconnected your range switch what does that do to your dash lights?
How many wires on that switch connector and there colors, you should be able to use a jumper between terminals or to ground to activate your dash lights and make it possible to start your tractor, or price the range switch and connect it to the wiring and activate it by hand.
None of which is a safe or recommended way to run your tractor.

This "switch" is not like the neutral safety switch on a car. It is a potentiometer, like the volume control on an old analog radio. One lead is ground, one lead is 5v, and the third lead is the wiper. Neutral is indicated by one of several voltages that should be seen when the range selector is in a neutral position between ranges. I believe this "switch" is physically on the range select lever. The "switch" is connected to the cruise unit (a small electronic box) which provides the ground to the starter relay only when all the safety checks are OK.

 

[Apsterbobed]

Coyote Machine, thanks for all that info, I haven't read the thred you posted yet but I will take a look, I did know that the cruse and range switch were connected somehow. As far as being in neutral, it definitely is or was. I had shifted up to medium to run to the brush pile, when I got back to where I was working I forgot to drop back to low and stalled because I was up in medium. But I was working up hill so I put it in neutral and let the tractor roll back 2 or 3 feet before trying to restarting it. When I get out there I will try the sensor reset first then jumping the starter, sofar no rain bur I know it will as soon as I get out there!

 

[k0ua]

The starter relay is the first relay on the left on the tractors firewall as you stand by the radiator and look back at the operators station. The Black/blue wire is the wire that the cruise module throws a ground on when all safety parameters have been met. The key switch throws a 12 volts from the start position of the key on the other side of the relay coil. The black/blue wire is considered the ground side. When the relay energizes its main contacts it throws voltage toward the starter solenoid up on the starter to begin cranking the engine. If no ground is thrown by the cruise module then the key switch throwing 12 volts to the high side of the starter relay coil will not make the relay energize. SO, you COULD take an alligator clip (jumper wire) with one side clipped on a ground and the other side clipped on the black/blue wire connection (remove a little insulation if you have to) Then go try to engage the starter and the engine should crank. You do this all at your own risk, and I take no responsibility if you mess up. But if nothing else works, and you have to get the tractor out of the woods. this is one (not the only) way to do it. It may be a bit safer than applying power to the starter solenoid stud with a screwdriver. Or not. Good luck.