ERROR CODE 08 AND WARRANTY PROCESS

[Superduper]

Hello,

I have 2 questions today:

(1) Anyone have any experience with error code 08 on a JD3120 tractor? Code just started happening. Don't observe anything particularly amiss with tractor but don't want to take any chances on messing it up by continuing to use it. If it's something simple, then I would prefer to correct it myself rather than send it back for warranty claim (see below).

(2) Tractor is well within warranty but dealer is 60 miles away and I don't have a trailer to transport it with. I figure renting a trailer plus the gas to go there and back will probably run close to $100, excluding my time and trouble for the transport, and then I'll need to do it all over again when the tractor is fixed. When they dropped off my tractor, they wanted $200 for delivery. What is your experience with JD dealer when processing warranty? Will they pick-up or provide on-site warranty service, or is it strictly warranty at the dealership only? Do they charge if picking up or servicing on site? Oh yes, I should say that the tractor is only a few months old and hasn't even eclipsed 10 hours of use yet.

Thanks for your time.

 

[JD3520]

Err 08
Throttle Sensor.
Voltage signal out-of-range or not calibrated.
No anti-stall function; Loss of performance.
Contact your John Deere dealer.

You might try disconnecting your battery cables for 15 minutes and then connecting them again. Also check for a loose, broken, or gounded out wires. I have not personally had this probelm on my 3520 but another TBN'er solved his cruise control problem by disconnecting the battery and the tractor "reconized" the input when he connected the battery back up.

Hope this helps.

 

[rvtech]

IMHO, the dealer will probably charge for pick up and delivery. My 2305 has a dealer installed decal that says transportation under warranty is not included. Mine had to go back 1 time for a new radiator under warranty and I simply asked if they would include the transportation because of other issues I was having. (promised backhoe brackets were not available) My dealer did not charge for transportation this 1 time.

Though I am not a Deere dealer, I have some understanding of how warranty works. I normally would not expect my dealer to transport my subcut for free. I realize in many cases warranty work is costing the dealer money. I'm quite certain they will not be reinbursed by the manufacturer for transportation.

 

[Superduper]

You might try disconnecting your battery cables for 15 minutes and then connecting them again. Also check for a loose, broken, or gounded out wires. I have not personally had this probelm on my 3520 but another TBN'er solved his cruise control problem by disconnecting the battery and the tractor "reconized" the input when he connected the battery back up.

Thanks for the input. This weekend, I'll try doing the battery thing. When the code occurs, I can get rid of it by shutting off and restarting the motor. But as soon as I try to move the tractor, it comes back on. I think I'll also disconnect the connector at the throttle sensor and clean/treat it with oxidation remover. If that doesn't work, depending upon the cost, I may replace the throttle sensor as it may be more cost effective than going the warranty path. Sure could use a service manual though because on automobiles, there is a procedure for adjusting the throttle position sensor when it is replaced.

 

[Willl]

Yes, they will hit you with a service charge if they come out to you. Regardless of warranty.

 

[RogerH]

This could be real easy to fix if the sensor has not crept too far out of range.

First out of curiosity, do you see this error happening more with the throttle pulled back or pushed forward all the way, or does it not make a difference?

Try the following to recalibrate the throttle sensor:
1. Turn on the key switch (tractor doesn't have to be running).
2. Pull the throttle lever all the way back.
3. Disconnect the connector at the throttle sensor for a few seconds.
4. Plug the connector back in.
5. Wait a few seconds then push the throttle lever all the way up.
6. Wait a few seconds and you are done.

If successful, you should not see anymore error codes. Let us know how it works.

 

[3720_Owner]

Yes, they will hit you with a service charge if they come out to you. Regardless of warranty.

May not always be true. The 300CX on my 3720 started leaking at one of the cylinders. Called the dealer and explained I did not have a good way of getting it to them. They "guessed" it may be the seal on the cylinder and sent a tech with the seal repair kit to my farm. Turns out it was a pin hole leak on the back side of the cylinder so the tech headed back to the dealer and picked up a new cylinder. A couple of hours later he was back, put it on in 10 minutes and thanked me for being a good customer. I felt bad that I made him spend 4 hours on the road going back and forth to get parts, but he would not take a tip, just said it was part of job. Didn't charge me a thing for any part of the repair. Glad I found this dealer. Doubt I will look anywhere else when it comes to buying the tiller, PHD, landscaping rake, gator, and any other toys ... I mean important farming tools.

Steven

 

[Willl]

May not always be true.

True, and I should of stated it differently.

They can if they choose to, according to the warranty contract.

 

[Superduper]

This could be real easy to fix if the sensor has not crept too far out of range.

First out of curiosity, do you see this error happening more with the throttle pulled back or pushed forward all the way, or does it not make a difference?

Try the following to recalibrate the throttle sensor:
1. Turn on the key switch (tractor doesn't have to be running).
2. Pull the throttle lever all the way back.
3. Disconnect the connector at the throttle sensor for a few seconds.
4. Plug the connector back in.
5. Wait a few seconds then push the throttle lever all the way up.
6. Wait a few seconds and you are done.

If successful, you should not see anymore error codes. Let us know how it works.

Hello guys. Thanks for all the tips. Before calling dealer for assistance, I will try all suggestions. I believe that it should be an easy adjustment however, I AM disappointed that it should require adjustment at all, let alone replacement at 10 hours. On cars, the throttle position sensor is basically a rheostat that is adjusted at idle speed. Using a voltmeter, the sensor is rotated on a pivot until a desired voltage (i.e. .5v) is reached, depending upon the specifications for that vehicle. This voltage will be the baseline for the computer, and the computer uses this voltage as feedback to determine the amount of fuel that needs to be injected. Any reading outside of the normal parameters will cause computer to set an error code. The problem in this case is that without a service manual, the specifications and measuring procedures is unknown. So regardless of how easy a procedure this might be, I might not be able to do it without the specs. I'm guessing the service manual will set me back $150 or so but I will probably have to take that plunge as I venture I'll be doing more future work on the tractor. BTW, RogerH, there doesn't seem to be anything specific that will cause the code, at least not that I've noticed. The throttle could be at idle, or it could be up. I've seen it happen at soon as I tap the brakes. I've seen it happen when the tires slip, which occurs rather easily in loose soil, and I've seen it happen as soon as I hit the HST pedals. There is no particular pattern. I will post any fix as soon as I have one. Those of you who are interested can subscribe to this thread as it might take some time. I've got the week all lined up with work and the forecast for the weather is not good.

Well, went ahead and ordered Technical service manual on CD. With tax and shipping, comes to around $75. The printed version is $130 before tax/shipping. Once I get the manual, I'll be able to adjust the sensor, and if that doesn't work, then the sensor is $69 part. Will advise once it is fixed.

 

[Keoke]

Superduper, good idea to spend the bucks on the manual instead of a tow.
No biggie, but the throttle sensor in not a rheostat, it is instead a potentiometer. Rheostat have only two wires and pot's have three wires.
As you say 5v (reference voltage) is dropped across a fixed resistor and a tracker contact hooked to throttle is moved across the resistor sending a variable voltage to computer. Full throttle will give around a 5v signal half throttle about 2.5 volts.
Also, pots can be used as rheostat's (two wires) but not the other way around.

good luck,

 

[Superduper]

TRACTOR FIXED. Sorry for the long time to post fix. Anyhow, dealer wanted $200 to pickup and another $200 to return tractor when finished. I figure $400 out the door for a warranty repair on a factory defect was not a very good deal so I sprung for the factory repair manual instead.

So... Got out and braved the weather today and worked on it. The problem was the throttle position sensor feedback voltage was not posting correctly. The factory specification for the throttle position sensor voltage at idle was .6v - 1.2volts. The Deere computer has the ability to display sensor readings in real time and a voltmeter is not even required. In fact, in order to use a voltmeter, a seperate breakout box needs to be purchased. I opted to use the dash display option. At idle setting, it initially read 0 volts, definitely no good. I wiggled the connector for the TPS and got .6v. Hmm, perhaps the connector has an intermittent? Anyhow, while the voltage at .6 volts was just barely in range, I could see how the voltage could drop below that minimum voltage threshold during operation and trip the error code. I decided to adjust the TPS to provide .9v during idle, the mid point of the low speed range. To do this, you merely loosen the two nuts holding the sensor in place and rotate the sensor to where it will post the correct voltage -- lock down the nuts and done. Restarted the motor and operated it for a bit and no more code. At this point, it appears to be fixed and it costed me a little under $100 for the service manual, a far better deal than the $400 the dealer wanted.

By the way, if you own a newer deere tractor, it would be of value to you to get yourself a copy of this manual. I ordered mine in electronic version which is basically a large pdf file but it saved me like $40 or $50 over the printed version. The manual is loaded with information for do it yourselfers that you can't otherwise obtain. Many of the service, such as the simple adjustment above wouldn't be doable without the manual. The built in sensor feedback display embedded within the deere on board computer can't be accessed without the passcodes in the manual. The passcode is entered by alternately pressing the left and right turn signals in a particular sequence. Interestingly, it appears from the manual that if your tractor does not have motionmatch (it is an option), it could probably be activated merely by installing the motionmatch switch into the harness and programming the computer to recognize that the switch is installed. The manual tells you how to program the computer to recognize that the switch is installed. This seems logical because modern day vehicle computers often have capabilities that are inherent but disabled. Since no real cost is associated with enabling the option (other than the switch), it is a highly profitable "option" to offer. I have not tried installing the switch or even looking at the harness to see if a connector is available to install the switch but someday, I might check just to verify my suspicion.

 

[dirtworksequip]

superduper, the wiring harness contains all connectors for any options available. MotionMatch would be one of the empty connectors.

 

[Keoke]

Superduper, smart move on getting the manual, great job on the repair.

cheers,

 

[ddivinia]

A problem at 10 hours - my dealer would take care of it under warranty. 10 hours - it is defective - period.

D.

 

[Superduper]

......A problem at 10 hours - my dealer would take care of it under warranty. 10 hours - it is defective - period......

D.

The dealer has stated that if it is a coverable defect, they would repair it. Sounds like they are afraid to commit to it until they had the opportunity to diagnose it. I can't envision a scenario where the problem would not be covered. I agree that the tractor is defective and am not entirely happy with this. The problem is in "quality control" as it was not adjusted properly prior to being released to the customer, namely me. There are a few other things that I would nit-pick about but seeing how they didn't affect the operability, I didn't make an issue of them.

So in a nutshell, this is more about the lesser of two evils. Pay $400 for the transport roundtrip (dealer says the cost could increase if there are traffic delays) and get it repaired under warranty, or spend $100 for manual and repair it myself. For me, this was the better option. While in principle, the dealer should certainly repair the tractor, insisting on this merely results in less cash in my pocket and is akin to "winning the battle, but losing the war."

 

[ddivinia]

You might want to send a letter to John Deere. Maybe they will pay for the service manual or something. They seem to take things pretty seriously - might hook you up with something.

D.

 

[GATOR445]

Deere dosen't pay to transport your tractor under warranty. If you get your tractor fix and the dealer picks it up and returns it with out charge thank the dealer. because they eat the cost the only time deere pays is if it's some types of lets say recalls.

 

[MikeyB]

If you don't mind, where did you buy your manual? I have a new 3320 and would like to have a manual but haven't had any luck finding one.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Superduper]

If you don't mind, where did you buy your manual? I have a new 3320 and would like to have a manual but haven't had any luck finding one.

Thanks,
Mike

Mike, I bought it directly from Deere. Their website isn't very user friendly and you could get lost in there, but it's buried there somewhere. I purchased it online. The printed copy is nice, but the electronic CD version is cheaper and if you have a good printer, you can print out the section/pages you are working on and not have to worry about soiling the manual with mud or grease.

 

[Superduper]

Deere dosen't pay to transport your tractor under warranty. If you get your tractor fix and the dealer picks it up and returns it with out charge thank the dealer. because they eat the cost the only time deere pays is if it's some types of lets say recalls.

Don't get me wrong, I am not raggin on the dealer as I'm certain they would have fixed it had I brought it in. But let's face it, the tractor is new (months) and only had 8.1 hours at the time. No way could I be happy that I would have to foot a $400 transport bill to offset sloppy prep work, right? Keep in mind that this minor adjustment resulted in error codes and operability problems. If it was delivered in correct operating condition, then there wouldn't even be a $400 transport bill issue -- for a 15 minute adjustment at that. If the sensor was defective, then that would have been understandable as an unexpected defect. However, seeing that it was something that should have been set up properly beforehand, that goes towards workmanship and was/is entirely avoidable. This is not a car that can be easily driven to the dealer, and as such, a service visit is a much bigger deal. Here's where a little extra attention to detail makes for a much happier customer. When I ordered the tractor, I was told they would have to put one together for me and it took two weeks. I am presuming that this meant some pre-delivery prep work on the part of the dealer? In any event, whether the dealer or manufacturer was responsible for the correct set up of the tractor, as far as I am concerned, they are one and the same, as the dealer is, afterall, representing the manufacturer. Perception is reality. I do understand however that other tractor manufacturers have also been known at times to exhibit sloppy workmanship or poor pre-delivery prep work, or other manufacturer idiosyncratic maladies. In truth, I guess if it happened at, say 200 hours instead, I wouldn't be complaining at all. But since I plunked down 20+ very big hard-earned ones, I guess I'm entitled to complain just a little, right?

Now, before it appears that I hate the tractor, let me be clear that I think it is a great tractor. It has done everything I expected and more. If I were to do it over again, I would have ordered the diverter valve option and the larger motor as I like a little more snap. Not that it doesn't do what I want but I grew up in the era where big blocks were king...