Engine wont start

[chsdiyer]

The last few times I've gone to start the tractor it's seemed to be hesitant to start when i turned the key, but also it seems the sound i hear when the glow plugs are engaging doesn't seem to be happening initially and after about a minute i'll hear them go. i used to hear a click when the light went off, but I haven't heard that in a while, maybe it happens before the glow plug sound starts and I miss it (is it time based?) Now when i go to turn the key the after waiting a min or two, all i hear is a rapid clicking like it's trying to start but it never turns over. I thought it might be the battery, but even with a new battery still no luck. Has anyone had a similar issue or any ideas where to troubleshoot?

 

[seville009]

Make sure all of the battery/starter wiring is clean and tight, along with any grounds.

 

[chsdiyer]

thanks! Initially i thought it might be a dead battery but the lights would come on. I tried to jump it with my truck, and at one point when going to start it, i did see some sparks fly from where the battery is grounded to the frame, so maybe there is simply a poor connection somewhere.

 

[Roadworthy]

I'll expand on Seville a bit. Remove cables from battery. Clean cable connectors well. Inspect for corrosion. Sometimes this can be difficult to spot. Clean battery terminals. Replace cables on battery and tighten securely. If you can move them on the terminal they're not tight. Follow ground lead to frame. Clean and tighten. If you still have a problem we can troubleshoot from there.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Definitely clean the spot where you saw the sparks.... that's a faulty ground. Then check all the safety switches.... hydro pedals have one, the brake pedal, seat switch, PTO switch.

 

[newbury]

If you are going to remove cables, clean terminals etc. it might be worthwhile to slather the connections with silicon paste.
A little dab will do you.
/edit Taking a look at practical uses of silicone paste

 

[Avenger]

I had this exact same problem several months ago. After getting a little distraught thinking of all the possible things, all the horror stories I've heard about, I calmed myself down, and started thinking logically. Start with the basics and start troubleshooting. It's clearly electrical, lets start at the battery. If the battery is good, check the connections. And this is where I found the loose ground. The wire from the battery to the frame had loosened up a bit, allowing a small gap to form. Dirt and grime got between the cable and the frame, and after a bit of vibration, or whatever, the cable lost it's good connection.

I removed the cable from the frame. Cleaned it well, even grabbed the wire wheel to take the paint off. Added a dab of dielectric grease, and tightened it down. I probably should have used some thread locker, but mixing with the grease maybe wouldnt work, so I left it out. I then dabbed a bit of grease on the top of the connection to keep moisture and grime from building up. Tractor didn't have any more issues... well, until the battery quit taking a charge, but thats another story.

Hope this helps.

If it wasnt the ground to frame connection, my next steps would be fuses, then looking for shorts, etc.

 

[chsdiyer]

Ding ding ding...all who said, "check the grounds ya big dummy", you were right. The bolt to the frame was tight, but i took it off, got a wire brush and cleaned the frame and the terminal connector. It was pretty dirty on the underside of it. Bolted it back down and it started back up. Clicked a few times before it turned over, but thank goodness it did, the grass was getting a little out of control. Thanks again for all the input!!

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Glad you got it fixed! ..... and it was very simple!

 

[chsdiyer]

me too. Interestingly enough and possibly not related, but before, the last several times i've been on it, the PTO knob was real hard to get to engage. I would push in and turn the knob and it would start up, but then as soon as i let go, it would turn off...seems to be working fine now. The glow plugs were still slow/hesitant to start up