Tractor ran fine, restarted normally, then died & won't start

[davesill]

It's a New Holland TC30, diesel. Bushhogged for an hour and a half and saw the temperature was creeping up so I stopped and cleared the seeds and leaves that were clogging it. It started right back up but died 20 seconds later as if the key had been turned off. Put everything in neutral and turned the key. The dash lights came on, but it didn't crank at all. Not even a click. Replaced the OEM 2006 battery last weekend so that should be good.

Any suggestions?

 

[RustyA]

So now that it died it's a no-crank correct? Make sure to switch is turned completely off, seat sensor is plugged in, etc. If that's all okay check electrical connections you had apart to replace battery. If they are clean and tight check ground cable from battery to frame and positive connections at starter?

 

[RustyA]

pto switch. Spell corrected

 

[davesill]

So now that it died it's a no-crank correct? Make sure [pto] switch is turned completely off, seat sensor is plugged in, etc. If that's all okay check electrical connections you had apart to replace battery. If they are clean and tight check ground cable from battery to frame and positive connections at starter?

Thanks, Rusty. Yeah, it doesn't crank at all. I'll check those in a bit. I did check the battery connections and they're good.

 

[SylvainG]

Do you hear a 'click' when you put the switch in the start position? If you don't, then it could be the starting relay. Try shorting the starter (flat head screwdriver between its 12V terminal and its ignition terminal). If it starts, then it very well could be that relay.

My Kioti did the same thing earlier this year. Mechanic told me to try this and it started. Told me then to swap the shutoff coil relay and starting relay (both are the same on mine) and see if would start and in my case, it did. He changed the relay and it has started fine since then.

Edit: Of course, that was after I made sure all safety switches were not the issue.

 

[Industrial Toys]

You DID disengage the PTO right? Sounds like a safety circuit.

 

[davesill]

Do you hear a 'click' when you put the switch in the start position? If you don't, then it could be the starting relay. Try shorting the starter (flat head screwdriver between its 12V terminal and its ignition terminal). If it starts, then it very well could be that relay.

My Kioti did the same thing earlier this year. Mechanic told me to try this and it started. Told me then to swap the shutoff coil relay and starting relay (both are the same on mine) and see if would start and in my case, it did. He changed the relay and it has started fine since then.

Edit: Of course, that was after I made sure all safety switches were not the issue.

No, it makes no click. I can try that, but I don't think that would cause the running tractor to die.

The seat switch makes more sense, but once it's stopped, PTO is disengaged, and front and rear transmissions are in neutral, it should crank. It doesn't. I tried bypassing the seat switch to no effect.

PTO and transmission switches would explain why it won't start, but not why it died in the first place.

I'm struggling to find a single explanation for both the shutdown and the failure to crank.

 

[Industrial Toys]

May be two unrelated things entirely. Anyone who has troubleshooted enough stuff knows of what I speak! lol

I have hit a key with a knee or stalled a tractor that wouldn't immediately start without taking out of gear and turning off the PTO. Just sayin.

So, it does still sound like a solenoid issue or safety circuit. I have had fuses for safety circuits blow for NO APPARENT REASON AT ALL.

I fixed my old JD 770 now owned by a neighbor, last summer. Tractor died. Solenoid fuse blew. New fuse only helped for a while. Solenoid was shorting out, probably drawing more current the hotter it got. Had to replace solenoid. All well now.

 

[m7040]

I would check starter with a cable from a battery and if ok then look for why it is not getting current when turning the key. Isolate the lock out switches one at the time until you find the faulty one

 

[jezreel]

I can’t wait to find out what happened.

 

[davesill]

Called the dealer I bought it from and they suggested checking the seat switch, transmission switches, and PTO switch as well as the fuses.

I'm more of a tractor owner than a tractor mechanic, but I'll take another stab at it tomorrow.

 

[Dozernut]

Do you get a click when you turn the key on? If not it could be the stop solenoid. No click could signify that the stop solenoid is not functioning. Easy to check, find the stop solenoid, usually on top of the engine (look in owners manual) and you will find a round device with a rod coming out of it, a couple of wires and hooked to some linkage. The key will activate an electric charge which causes the solenoid to push the rod and the linkage out allowing the tractor to start. You can check the solenoid by moving the plunger by hand, very easy to do!

If it is the stop solenoid the tractor should start. To stop the motor reverse the position of the plunger to shut the tractor off.

 

[davesill]

Found the problem. As the dealer tech suggested, I found a blown 5A fuse.

Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[Thomas]

Gotta like when there was quick fix.

 

[davesill]

Unfortunately the replacement fuse didn't last very long. So, is it likely something is shorting out?

 

[SylvainG]

What is the fuse for?

 

[WranglerX]

And the offending fuse does what?...

Dale

 

[SylvainG]

A 5A fuse in my tractor protects the engine stop solenoid relay and pre-heat controller. Burning this fuse will certainly stop the engine...

 

[davesill]

Unfortunately, I haven't found my manual, so I'm not sure. I found schematics here: New Holland Tc30 Wiring Schematic - Style Guru: Fashion, Glitz, Glamour, Style unplugged There are two large jpegs. Not sure how to read them, though. (And that page is a bizarre collection of stuff.)

I did crawl all over looking for wiring issues and I found that the parking brake switch wires were disconnected and dangling. I plugged them back in and it ran OK for a while, and when it died one of the wires was disconnected again. Gonna try taping them up to see if that helps, but not sure why, after all these years, those connections are coming apart now.

 

[SylvainG]

It doesn't say on the fuse box what the fuses are for???