electrical failure yesterday on Cub 7260

   / electrical failure yesterday on Cub 7260 #1  

electrycmonk

Silver Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2018
Messages
210
Location
Near Denton, TX
Tractor
Satoh 370 diesel & Cub Cadet 7260 Diesel 4WD standard
Tractor data:
~2000 m/y Cub Cadet 7260 4WD manual shifter w/ 417 FEL & Ford 917 Flail mower

Yesterday (Saturday noonish) while building a special pallet for the transfer tank I was prepping for 1st mowing of the back yard.
Fluid levels = good
Battery = good (very recently desulfated)
Zirk fitting = just finished lubing them all

(Saturday late afternoon ~5:30PM) Sat down, turned ignition to on, glow plug light and fuel pumps came on like normal, glow plugs go off, turn key and everything "clicks off" hard and fast.

Okay. That's wierd. Goes to get multimeter...
1) Battery 12.8V at posts = Good news
2) Check fuse block on fire wall & 2 big ones next to starter in wireloom = all check good & no heat or burn marks
3) disassemble dash and unplug it
4) disconnected all wire "quick connects" and inspected, all solid & clean (no obvious corrosion)
5) removed rubber boots from ignition wires to test for voltage at terminals. All 3 showed voltage yesterday, I forgot the numbers but, will update /edit this post with these numbers later today.
- BLK/what stripe. =
- white w/red stripe =
- white w/blue stripe =

(Time now 2:30 Sunday)
I want to post this *now* and get outside and see what I can in mid day light... So here is the rest of what I did this morning.....

(Sunday morning started about 9AM)
Searched forum found these threads & read most the wisdom. FWIW I did sart reading from page 1 in all of them - posting from my phone.
Here 1st:









(Sunday about Noon)
Going to look for my previously downloaded & printed off factory service manual for wiring diagram that is referenced in thread above for being too blurry to decipher and also having wire colors documented different from their OEM wireloom.

Found manual. Yuppers, mine is also a tad bit pixelated too. I will go hunt later tonight on the NAS for this PDF and any other saved files for the Cub.
 
   / electrical failure yesterday on Cub 7260
  • Thread Starter
#2  
/Facepalm it appears as though the positive clamp on the battery had "just enough internal corrosion" as that "clicking noise" I heard yesterday when it went dead must of been the last spot and it arched over?

As I had the ignition in the "on" position while taking off the terminals (by accident after testing all the contacts on the starter solenoid and the wires for the two control boxes under the steering column).

So after fully cleaning all surfaces of the battery posts AND replacing the battery clamp bolts and seriously scrubbing and brushing the lead clamp of all oxidation.... It is back to normal.

Just because it *looked* clean.... Does not mean the iside of the contact surfaces are just as clean!

What a dork I can be, eh?
 
   / electrical failure yesterday on Cub 7260 #3  
I have seen that situation B4 in other environments.
All voltage (volts) read OK but no joy.
Iffy connections often will allow LOW current and voltage readings but when it comes to (high) amperage that iffy connection fails to deliver.
Most often corrosion is the culprit but it also can be simply a lose fitting.
We experienced that phenomena often on older aircraft that had sat around outdoors for periods of time.

Recently my wife's car suffered from a similar problem that turned out to simply be a lose battery ground clamp that took 6 years to pop up its ugly nose.
When I did a under hood check I was able to remove the ground clamp with my fingers.
Unfortunately it still did cost me a new battery as the OEM one had sat flat for too long from inactivity during Covid 'stay at home' period and cold weather.
LOL, while essentially a factory defect I doubt that I could have made a claim but having delivered 6 years of service I really could not complain.
 
   / electrical failure yesterday on Cub 7260 #4  
You learn best by personal experience!
I have no issue with checking battery voltage, but the issue is always voltage under a load, which often varies greatly from non-load voltage.
Nest is to always check all connections. When you find one corroded, don’t be surprised to find others the same way. Also as you are checking all connections for corrosion, double check tightness of them.
These are the basics that for some reason often get overlooked and are what end up biting your bottom.
Glad you got it figured out and are back up running.
 
   / electrical failure yesterday on Cub 7260 #5  
Did you put any anti corrosive grease on battery terminal?.... Helps to prevent this sort of thing in future....

Dale
 
   / electrical failure yesterday on Cub 7260 #6  
I use a battery load tester on both the connections as well as the battery as a VOM aka multimeter on battery posts can give you a false sense of security when voltage is 12 + but will not operate starter motor. Have encountered same problem you have described and gone through all the same diagnostics so can empathize with your frustration.
 
   / electrical failure yesterday on Cub 7260
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Did you put any anti corrosive grease on battery terminal?.... Helps to prevent this sort of thing in future....

Dale
Normally. Yes. I ran out a couple months back. We have 5 +\- vehicles in the household and 2 riding mowers as well as the cub. Getting ready to sell/pass on at least one of the old riding mowers....
The battery clamps and other terminals is a normal alert that I check on everyone when I pop the hood.
 

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