Subject: [Shop-talk] Tractor Won't Start

From: "Richard Gallagher" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 30 May 2012 20:23:13 -0600

Hi guys,

>From Great Falls, Montana:  I need help with my John Deere 950 utility
tractor (about 22 hp but with gears a very good tractor).  We have 30 acres
and need the tractor to help maintain it.  Last couple of weeks after work
(yes, I do have a rgeular job and thank you God for the rain last weekend)
I fertilized about 25 acres for hay and the tractor worked great.  Now the
battrey went dead (maybe--see below).  I purchased a replacement commerical
battrey from NAPA and the darn thing still won't start.  With the new
battrey hooked up the lights work but the starter turns a couple of cranks
and then the solinoid just clicks.  I've got an electrical problem.  Now I
am not sure that the old commercial battrey went dead but it is now
gone--all I know is that it would not take a charge from the charger.  My
guess is that it died and in the process of trying to charge it I messed up
something--voltage regulator???  The starter still wants to crank but is
there a short???

Your advice would be greatly appreciated.

Rich Gallagher
_______________________________________________

[email-masked]
Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
Suggested annual donation  $12.96
Archive: http://www.team.net/archive
Forums: http://www.team.net/forums
Unsubscribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]

---

From: "Randall" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 30 May 2012 19:37:56 -0700

> With the new
> and then the solinoid just clicks.  I've got an electrical problem.

What happens to the lights, if you leave them on?

First thing I would try is to immediately (after the solenoid just clicks)
feel all along the battery cables, to ground and to the starter.  If
anything is hot, you've just found a bad connection.

Then a voltmeter (DMM) to check the voltage at various points while trying
to crank the engine.  Might need a helper or some clip leads to manage both
at the same time.

Last time I had a somewhat similar problem, the starter itself was shorted
internally.  It would still crank, kind of, but was drawing many times more
current than it should.  One of the brush wires had gotten tangled in the
armature.  But in that case, one of the battery cables smoked.

-- Randall 

[email-masked]

---

From: "Eric J Russell" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 30 May 2012 22:54:33 -0400

First thing is to make sure all electrical connections in the battery to 
starter circuit are 100%. Don't assume they are OK because they look good 
and feel tight - remove, clean & resecure each one. This includes any ground 
connections - if there is a braided strap around the engine mounts for 
example.

Eric Russell
Mebane, NC

----- Original Message ----- 
> With the new battrey hooked up the lights work but the starter turns a 
> couple of cranks
> and then the solinoid just clicks. 

[email-masked]

---

From: Jeff Scarbrough <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 31 May 2012 06:55:43 -0400

We have a couple of 950's at work - nice tractor.

What everybody else said, but especially Eric.  You need to check and
clean all the connections.

If you have a /real/ set of jumper cables, like 4/0 or bigger, you
could go straight from the battery to the starter and see if it turns
that way.  Be careful with them while you're doing that...make your
last connection at the starter.  If one jumper from + battery to +
starter doesn't get it going, then add the other from - battery to a
ground at the starter. Make the last connection at the starter.

The reason to make the last connection at the starter is to avoid
making a spark within the cloud of hydrogen gas above the battery.

Did the store do any test on your old battery?

Jeff Scarbrough
Corrosion Acres, Ga.

On Wed, May 30, 2012 at 10:23 PM, Richard Gallagher <[email-masked]>
wrote:
> Unsubscribe/Manage:
http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]
_______________________________________________

[email-masked]

---

From: "Richard Gallagher" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 31 May 2012 20:27:43 -0600

Thank you all for your suggestions.  I tried the "rea" jumper cables to the
starter and it started right up.  Then I tried the positive battery cable to
the battrey which goes directly to the starter and not starter action.  So
I'll get a new positive cable tomorrow and I think that willl fix it.  P.S.
I also wacked the starter a couple of time with a hammer as suggested but
that wasn't the problem.
Thanks again for all of your help.
Rich Gallagher

-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked]
[mailto:[email-masked]] On Behalf Of Jeff Scarbrough
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2012 4:56 AM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Tractor Won't Start

What everybody else said, but especially Eric.  You need to check and clean
all the connections.

If you have a /real/ set of jumper cables, like 4/0 or bigger, you could go
straight from the battery to the starter and see if it turns that way.  Be
careful with them while you're doing that...make your last connection at the
starter.  If one jumper from + battery to + starter doesn't get it going,
then add the other from - battery to a ground at the starter. Make the last
connection at the starter.

The reason to make the last connection at the starter is to avoid making a
spark within the cloud of hydrogen gas above the battery.

Jeff Scarbrough
Corrosion Acres, Ga.

On Wed, May 30, 2012 at 10:23 PM, Richard Gallagher <[email-masked]>
wrote:
> tractor (about 22 hp but with gears a very good tractor).  We have 30 
> acres and need the tractor to help maintain it.  Last couple of weeks 
> after work (yes, I do have a rgeular job and thank you God for the 
> rain last weekend) I fertilized about 25 acres for hay and the tractor 
> worked great.  Now the battrey went dead (maybe--see below).  I 
> purchased a replacement commerical battrey from NAPA and the darn 
> thing still won't start.  With the new battrey hooked up the lights 
> work but the starter turns a couple of cranks and then the solinoid 
> just clicks.  I've got an electrical problem.  Now I am not sure that 
> the old commercial battrey went dead but it is now gone--all I know is 
> that it would not take a charge from the charger.  My guess is that it 
> died and in the process of trying to charge it I messed up 
there a short???
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html Suggested annual donation  
> $12.96

[email-masked]
http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]

[email-masked]