B6200 dash help

[lanschuetz]

I'm trying to figure out how where the heck fuses and the like are on this new to me (and very cool!) tractor and can't figure it out. Don't yet have the manuals, but quick help appreciated.

Here's the situation: my hazard lights don't work (all others do) and there is no voltage at the bulb sockets. Turning on the hazard light switch does not result in any noise - so I'm guessing that it is either a fuse or the flasher unit.

There are 2 screws in the dash section where the hazard switch is, but removing them does not remove the section. My next guess is that the switch nuts on the light and hazard switches are holding the panel on. Am I looking in this being the right place and is my assumption about the switch nuts correct?

Thanks all - learned a ton here before buying this unit!

 

[DmansPadge]

I can't answer your question directly. But on my '97 B series the only fuses I ever came across were in the engine compartment on the right hand side of the tractor. Have you checked for power on both sides of the switch to make sure it isn't the problem? Normally if the flasher is out... the lights still come on but do not flash.

 

[lanschuetz]

Got further on this problem. Turns out not to be a fuse problem, but rather a broken wire on the back of the hazard switch (and can I say here, getting to anything behind the dash on the b6200 is a nightmare

Touching the broken wire causes the flasher to click, but no bulbs to lights (the bulbs are good). I'm guessing there might be more than 1 wire missing. There seem to be 2 posts on the switch, one of which has 2 wires attached, and then the post with no wires currently attached. I'm in possession of a broken green wire, couldn't find any others.

Since going forward looks to be about as much fun as poking myself in the eye with a stick, options to make the hazard lights work welcome. Just seems like a good idea.

PS: my non-factory muffler fell off (it was rotted at the collar). Someone had previously welded on a new substiture muffler to the end of the curve pointing up. New muffler in the works - still not factory as that is about $130 (ouch). As such I'm kind of grounded for a week. As such I have lots of time to try things.

 

[lanschuetz]

Thought I'd bring this up to date a bit since I've still made no headway, but am really confused now

Based on what is in the WSM, my flasher should have 3 wires going to it:
black (yes!)
Green/white (close, it's green)
White/red (sort of, red/black)

Based on following what should be an incredibly simple circuit in the diagram, taking the red to the green (A to C in manual lingo) should produce lights when the switch is on. No go. Red/black to ground is always 12V however, so there is power, making me think that the fuse must be OK. When I turn the switch on, however, voltage between red and green goes to 0V. More on this below.

So, now that I know that every single wire in the tactor, except the hazard lights is as it should be, let's take some more steps. There is a 12V feed to the horn that I don't have. If I take that to the the green wire at the flasher, the lights come on if the switch is on. That *should* mean that the switch is good. Obviously the lights are good.

The switch has a green wire that I had to solder back on. On the other terminal is green/white + red/white. That doesn't match the manual at all.
The manual says I should have green on one side and green/white on the other. The green wire from the flasher, interestingly, doesn't go right to the switch. Instead it seems to wander off to the lights themselves. But we know this works because of the feed from the horn 12v feed.

So now the magic questions: what's with the red/white (it *may* be red/yellow and faded) on the lug of the flasher switch? Why doesn't the red/black make the lights work by itself?

I've tested all these various things with the driving lights on/off, key switch on/off and the tractor running or not. The results are absolutely consistent.

So - does anyone know why my B6200 wiring deviates so far from the circuit and wiring diagrams on the hazard circuit but no-where else? What's the function of the red/white (red/yellow?) wire? And, of course, there remains the tale of the fuses I've never been able to find.

In summary, what I think I know is the following:
There is voltage to the flasher circuit that is always on (as it should be).
The light bulbs work.
The switch works (based on the alternate feed).
The fuse must be good (there is voltage from red/black to ground)
The flasher is unknown, but probably not the problem.

How can a circuit so simple be so good at defying my debugging efforts

 

[lanschuetz]

Thought I'd bring this up to date a bit since I've still made no headway, but am really confused now

(snip)

How can a circuit so simple be so good at defying my debugging efforts

Ok, I've got them working now and figured I'd share what's up in case it ever happens to anyone else.

I always believed I had voltage to the supply side of the flasher, but that turns out to be where the problem lay. A simple meter would always show 12 volts, but even direct to the flasher lights I could not get a bulb to light up. These flasher bulbs seem to require a huge amount of current to wake up.

I finally, out of sheer luck, found the inline fuses today. They are way out in the front of the tractor, *under* the air cleaner. They do get dust in them... I pulled both of them, the first one killing the entire tractor. Took several tries to keep enough grime out to get it back working. Finally, after the same treatment on the other one, I miraculously had flashers working.

So I was right all along that the circuit seemed fine, just missed a low current problem from a dirty fuse connection. Sigh. OTOH, I now know a *LOT* more about the wiring on my machine. Yee-hah!

 

[B2400]

Congratulations on your triumph over evil dirt!!! Sometimes it's amazing how confounding problems can be solved so simply. Then again, simple appearing problems can turn into a nightmare!!! It does make you feel good when you resolve those issues!