Snow Tractor won’t start tonight.

[Electronics tech]

A bit late to the dance, but this thread brings up an issue that I have long had a gripe about.

The availability of free owner/user manuals. If you open any user manual today, the first 15-30 pages are all warnings and cautions.

All tractor, truck, car manufacturers should take a page from the firearms industry. For safety reasons alone, most all have downloadable PDF versions of owner manuals, and if not, you can normally write to them and get a free printed copy. It does not matter if you bought a gun new or used.

I just do not understand why tractor and other manufacturers do not do the same. It's a no brainer in my estimation. Scanning and saving PDF files is a simple chore, and in today's environment, nearly 100% of all documentation printed for newer equipment starts out in some digital format before going to a paper printer.

Having to go to some third party site and pay money for something that the manufacturer should provide for free is crazy.

I do have the original owner manual for my tractor, but luckily I found and downloaded a free PDF version and I use that more often than not.

Yeah, if they had anything free and downloadable, it'd probably be just 15 pages of safety rules that you already know.

 

[Electronics tech]

One thing you could try is to create a wire with a momentary switch between the 2 ends. A clamp on one end. Attach clamp side to + on battery. A spade on the other end. Disconnect the positive starter SOLENOID wire. Should be able to pull out the positive solenoid spade and attach the new wire to directly to the solenoid. Sit on tractor push in clutch turn key one notch and hit the momentary switch. This bypasses all the safety switches. See if it starts. Also test original positive solenoid wire for 12 volts when key turned on to start (second position). Even if it tests at +12 volts, it may not start if current is too low to the solenoid (bad safety switch May test normal, bad wire, bad ignition switch May test normal).

You must have read my post on the previous page. Copycat! It's okay. Mine's easier to understand.

 

[HAR]

You get an owner's and/or operator's manual when you buy a piece of equipment. If the dealer doesn't provide that document then you shouldn't buy the equipment from them. I have manuals for everything I own. I also have the shop manuals for my tractors.

That very well may work if you buy your new/used tractor from a dealer, but what about the guy who purchases a used tractor from some Craigslist "John Doe" who happens to be selling but cannot find the manual?

 

[Jagnut]

Ran into a "no start" situation last season. Snowy season was fast approaching and I had the front snow blower already mounted on my NH TC30. Living in the "snow belt" with 1000 feet of driveway I was getting a little panicky.
After checking the usual suspects, such as battery, ground connections e.t.c., I was not able to pinpoint a possible safety switch that could be causing the problem, so my attention focused on a little black box the size of a deck of cards on the firewall. A label reads "SAFETY CONTROLLER". None of the dealers I contacted had any way of diagnosing this black box, but they'd be happy to sell me a new one to the tune of close to five hundred bucks, and of course, if a new one would not cure the problem, I'd be stuck with an expensive purchase that I didn't need.
I ended up checking to see which post on the back of the "ignition" switch was hot in the "RUN" position and in the "START" position. Then I spliced in a wire from the first one to the fuel shut off solenoid and another one from the second one to the starter relay. Everything works now like an old fashioned tractor without all the government mandated safeties.
For resale and to protect myself from lawsuits, I'd like to get it working like it should, however,dealers I contacted are not able to check the function of the SAFETY CONTROLLER, and New Holland does not respond to my inquiries.

 

[Hayloft]

Glad to hear things are getting worked out!
The cooler filling will be a non-issue. As far as block heaters, my preference is the freeze type plug type. Kats and ZeroStart are well known manufacturers, and provide many OEM heaters. I ordered mine from the tractor manufacturer, because it was only a few dollars more than aftermarket. Most of them will be around 400 watts, but you will need to know the freeze plug diameter and depth that the element can go into the block. There may be a specific freeze plug location that the tractor mfg. recommends for installation.

Yep I agree with the freeze plug style block heater. I used those up in Fairbanks and worked well for me. Good luck.

 

[TorqueEmTight]

2016 2555HST Cab.

I plowed snow for about 2 hours this morning with no issues. When I was finished, I locked the brakes and after I turned her off, I topped the fuel up (from 3/4 to all the way full).

I came back to her about 5 hours later and now she won’t even turn over!

I have 12.9 volts at the battery, and about the same at the starter. I put a JumpPack on the battery and still won’t turn over.

All the lights, radio, and heater blower work just fine.

I pulled every fuse I could find and they were all good.

It has been about 16 degrees here but she started this morning.

Any suggestions or troubleshooting is appreciated!!!

I am a mechanic (50 years). I don't know about the "new" tractors and all the "safety" pull-this, step-on-that which I read others warning you about. My personal tractor is a Ford 8N, none of that stuff on it to fight with and if there was, I'd disconnect it or wire around it. Ok, voltage is good at 12.9 volts. Did you try measuring voltage as you went to START? There will be a voltage drop if the electric system is sending power to the starter. Also, a voltage measurement at the small wire to the starter solenoid (volt gauge positive to the wire and negative to a good ground point). When you go to START you should get full battery voltage (12 volt). No 12 volt = something preventing power such as defective ignition switch or some interlock preventing power from reaching it. This is all mechanic 101 stuff and those of us who work on cars/tractors and the like just do it by memory and feel. But this should get you started anyway. Get back to me. Ken.

 

[chinawall]

Cables tight?

 

[Ed Stoller]

2016 2555HST Cab.

I plowed snow for about 2 hours this morning with no issues. When I was finished, I locked the brakes and after I turned her off, I topped the fuel up (from 3/4 to all the way full).

I came back to her about 5 hours later and now she won’t even turn over!

I have 12.9 volts at the battery, and about the same at the starter. I put a JumpPack on the battery and still won’t turn over.

All the lights, radio, and heater blower work just fine.

I pulled every fuse I could find and they were all good.

It has been about 16 degrees here but she started this morning.

Any suggestions or troubleshooting is appreciated!!!

If you have a corroded cable connection, it will have a high resistance which will limit the current to the starter motor. The next time it does this check ground cable connection to see if it is warm or hot. If it is, take the connection apart, clean all the metal and re-assemble very tight.

 

[whitehair]

2016 2555HST Cab.

I plowed snow for about 2 hours this morning with no issues. When I was finished, I locked the brakes and after I turned her off, I topped the fuel up (from 3/4 to all the way full).

I came back to her about 5 hours later and now she won’t even turn over!

I have 12.9 volts at the battery, and about the same at the starter. I put a JumpPack on the battery and still won’t turn over.

All the lights, radio, and heater blower work just fine.

I pulled every fuse I could find and they were all good.

It has been about 16 degrees here but she started this morning.

Any suggestions or troubleshooting is appreciated!!!

Sounds like one of your safety micro switches got full of snow and froze into an ice cube

 

[workinonit]

That very well may work if you buy your new/used tractor from a dealer, but what about the guy who purchases a used tractor from some Craigslist "John Doe" who happens to be selling but cannot find the manual?

Manuals are available online. I bought my shop manuals online. Generally operator's manuals or owner's manuals can be found free of charge. I certainly don't think it's the manufacturers responsibility to provide manuals for used equipment. When I sold my tractor I provided all of the manuals to the guy that bought it. He paid me for the shop manuals.