[Shop-talk] Tractor Won't Start

[Randall]

> 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.

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