Too Safe - L3540 can’t operate - cuts out

[PandDLong]

Something must be wrong in the safety switches - I push on the HST pedal a bit and it cuts out. I try to turn on the PTO (experimenting) and it cuts out.

It runs fine and hydraulics work but it is useless sitting in my shed.

I took apart the seat switch (thought that may be it) and I see that it works by making a connection when the seat is up and breaks it when the seat is down. I thought that would be useful to know but, unfortunately, not to me - as I still can’t figure out what to do next but I am pretty sure my seat switch is not the problem.

Is there a way to just bypass all of the safety switches and rely on operator judgement (at least for the moment so I can clear the snow from my driveway)?

Update: went back out with fresh eyes. Realized I had not taken apart the seat switch but the seat up/down switch. Seat switch is embedded inside the seat. Pounded up and down on the seat and it worked. Seat switch is the problem.

Cleared my driveway so I am good for the moment. Will need to replace seat switch or - ideally - put in a master switch to bypass all the safety’s as they are an annoying point of failure (on both of my pieces of equipment with them).

Anyone do a master switch/bypass?

 

[RjCorazza]

You may be aware, but the up/down seat switch allows unattended PTO operation.
I have permanently bypassed a seat switch on one of my ZD mowers, but never wired a selective disable switch. On one of the tractor forums I read a John Deere owner wired up a nice disabling switch, and I believe it was somewhat documented. Search here for starters.

 

[Fallon]

I used a zip tie to hold down the seat switch on my old L3200. I think it used a 3 wire setup. 1 input, a normally open output & a normally closed output. Don't quote me on that though, it was quite a while ago. Also rather than mess with wiring I realized the zip tie would be a lot easier to install & not permanent.

If that is the case, you must need to jumper the input wire to the one that normally is open when the seat is empty.

It's probably a similar setup in the Grands, but I havent looked. There is no accessibility to that switch on the air ride seat on my L4060HSTC. Between needing to disassemble a lot of stuff rather than flip up the seat & the cab I preventing me from standing I never bothered.

 

[radios1]

the safety's can save your life!. THAT is why they were put there in the first place!..

 

[07wingnut]

Re: Too Safe - L3540 can稚 operate - cuts out

After having watched farmers in my area lose a couple of days in critical haying season over these safety switches not working (it usually happens on weekends) and experiencing a few episodes myself on a BX23, I installed this. The red push button switch will start the engine regardless of safety switches, and the toggle, if switched forward will not allow the safety features to kill the engine.
Safety police, fire away. I'm 70, have farmed all my life with tractors that had no safety switches whatsoever, and I am living still. If manufacturers want to install these things, then make **** good and sure that they are the last thing to fail.
The wiring for these bypasses will be different for each model tractor, so you will need a schematic. Also, do this at your own risk.

 

[timbatrader]

A well designed safety switch can save people but poorly thought out switch that that doesn't allow the machine to do the job it was designed to to do is dangerous. A seat cut out switch that kill the machine every time you go over a bump will cause more problems than it is worth. Somebody needs to come up with a safety system that works without complications to replace the the seat safety switch.
Maybe the weight comes off the seat a buzzer sounds you have 10 seconds to push a cancel button on the dashboard before the cutout stops the engine any other suggestions

the safety's can save your life!. THAT is why they were put there in the first place!..

 

[Jerry/MT]

Re: Too Safe - L3540 can稚 operate - cuts out

the safety's can save your life!. THAT is why they were put there in the first place!..

Yeah but an unreliable safety switch will have owners finding a way to bypass the switch so how does that improve safety?

 

[Chewwy]

. . . Maybe the weight comes off the seat a buzzer sounds you have 10 seconds to push a cancel button on the dashboard before the cutout stops the engine . . .

Don’t need any more complexity. Just more stuff to not work properly.