Wiring - Power, from the battery on...

[Reg]

OK, so I'm not exactly NEW to this problem on various junk cars I and my off spring have had over the decades, but I need SPECIFICS on the Kukje power wiring.
This is a 42 HP Large frame machine from 2005/06.

It is "as if" I have a poor battery connection or a weak battery.
i.e. sometimes it starts fine, other times the lights come on a bit dim but brighten up a bit once the glow plugs switch off, then NOTHING once I turn the key to start.

I have cleaned up the terminals and even replaced the battery itself, no luck.

So I chased the ground wire to the front right hand side of the frame - looks good, though I haven't yet taken it off and wire brushed it, etc.

Now to the positive (RED) wire - ANY details on where it goes to (presumably) the fuse block, starter solenoid, etc would be SO APPRECIATED !

 

[K5lwq]

The red cable should go to the starter solenoid. Sometimes the cables can corrode under the insulation and not be able to carry much current.

Cleaning the grounds is a great idea and more often than not the root of many wiring issues.

I would start with a voltage drop test to determine that you have enough current to the starter. There is some good videos out there that explain the process if you have never done voltage drop test.

 

[Reg]

Thanks,

Yep I get that in any circuit the highest resistance has the highest voltage drop across it (-:

Back to it today and HOPING for a breakthrough.

 

[oldnslo]

I added a 2nd ground cable bolted directly to the engine block. This helped with starting before I installed a new battery. Original Ground point on my 2400 is sheet metal by the radiator which seemed a little questionable for the higher amps when starting.

On mine battery + goes straight to the starter which has solenoid built or mounted on it.

 

[jaxs]

OK, so I'm not exactly NEW to this problem on various junk cars I and my off spring have had over the decades, but I need SPECIFICS on the Kukje power wiring.
This is a 42 HP Large frame machine from 2005/06.

It is "as if" I have a poor battery connection or a weak battery.
i.e. sometimes it starts fine, other times the lights come on a bit dim but brighten up a bit once the glow plugs switch off, then NOTHING once I turn the key to start.

I have cleaned up the terminals and even replaced the battery itself, no luck.

So I chased the ground wire to the front right hand side of the frame - looks good, though I haven't yet taken it off and wire brushed it, etc.

Now to the positive (RED) wire - ANY details on where it goes to (presumably) the fuse block, starter solenoid, etc would be SO APPRECIATED !

You say you are an old hand then say this and this? Surly you jest by saying you can't follow the red cable from battery to termination point and/or don't know what the part red cable connects to is called. I don't intend to come across hateful but this smells like laser cat toy.

 

[Reg]

I can "follow it" but it would help a little bit if I knew in advance where I am hoping to find it.

i.e. it could go to the fuse block first or to the starter solenoid. or to somewhere else - - I jest but only slightly, the damned tractor is kinda deep in the woods right now
so squirming around under it ain't easy. Going under it if necessary from the correct side the first time - Yeah, that would be nice.

Looking for a map - BTW does this thing even HAVE a starter solenoid, or is it built into the starter itself ?
Seems that is on the left side kinda high and close to where I routed the new steering hose through the firewall a couple of weeks ago - so it COULD BE that I disturbed something that was already marginal.

 

[Reg]

Almost by happenstance I got into the fuse block. I think there was something in my head about a shutdown relay.... maybe, maybe not.

Anyway, the CURRENT item being fixed is a broken off fuse blade - it will be HARD to get the bit(s) out given that the loader is on until this is fixed and I want to NOT just jam a new fuse in there.

This may not be the ONLY problem - I get that (-:

 

[Reg]

Kinda ODD !

The fuse was physically BROKEN, i.e. a whole blade was missing.

Here's the odd part; After much dismantling to get a good view of the fuse's socket I determined that there were no bits of fuse blade in there.

HOWEVER ! Putting a new fuse in there led to some random clicking - sometimes.
Pressing on that fuse sometimes gets rid of the clicking, sometimes doesn't, letting go of the fuse entirely makes the clicking come back.
EVENTUALLY I noticed that the 4-way flasher was sometimes working although it should not have been (according to the switch) .
Didn't notice this for a while because I had my head buried in the gap between the loader frame and the tractor.
BTW, it is fuse #8 so in retrospect that makes sense.
Wiggling wires at the back of the fuse block was "inconclusive"

So a short, an open, maybe both or neither.
I think I'm chasing more than one fault here - just need to isolate and repair ONE of them, then move on if necessary (-:

Tip:
To see INTO the fuse block I unscrewed the two 10 mm head bolts holding it in the bracket, then unbolted the bracket (and side foot window) and was able to free the fuse block from its bracket and turn it towards me.
That sentence probably only makes sense to someone who has to do it and is wondering how. (-:

 

[Reg]

Bahh, humbug !

It turns out that I suffered a "repair person induced failure", i.e. I screwed up and chased my own tail for a while.

In retrospect I had put the 4-way flashers on as a quick check to see if there was any power getting to the fuse block - they weren't working at that time, but I left them "ON".

Then I went about removing/checking/re-seating all the fuses.

At some point the broken 4-way flasher fuse made contact and the flashers worked but only kinda/sorta (poor connection, fairly high current).

By then I had removed the shutdown relay fuse, checked it and and put it back in the wrong place, i.e. an unused socket.

Once I cleared up my own mess all worked fine.

However, the next day I had a similar failure but I went straight to that 15A fuse and re-seated it - everything started up fine again.

CONCLUSION: Corroded fuse blades, corroded fuse holder. I'll make up a 400 grit paper "file" and clean them all up.