Failed to start...

[prs]

First plowable snow of the season, family coming to swap gifts, so driveway needs plowed. 16 degrees F, battery tender "tending", pull the choke on the 4700, turn the gas on, turn the key, the dash lights up, but no starter. The electronic control board is totally dark. Bounce on seat to see if seat switch is stuck, nope. Pull brake lever several times, no joy. Flip the battery disconnect switch several times, no help. Test meter at starter motor solenoid is 12.6V. Remove negative battery cable, remover positibe cable, clean terminals and clamps; reinstall positive and negative and it starts right up. The terminals did not appear corroded or dirty. Did the electronic control box need to be re-booted or such? Does it not "like" the Deltran battery tender? Any way, the driveway was cleared right of snow and ice. Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

prs

 

[MountainBuck]

Seems like you mean 4500Z when you say 4700. Also assuming you mean "Tractor Control Module (TCM)" when you say "electronic control board."

On page 78 of the https://cdn.venturepro.com/d/mid/0910109 manual it states:

"If the system voltage drops below a preset value when the key switch is off, or if the power unit sits unused for more than 15 days, the TCM will automatically go to ‘Sleep’ mode and enter a reduced power state. To ‘Wake’ the TCM, turn the battery disconnect switch off for 10 seconds and then back on."

The Deltran Battery Tender faqs say that it won't damage any car electronics so I would assume that it was just more that 15 days since you had it running and the battery needed to be disconnected for a longer period of time than what you cycled until you removed the battery cables.

 

[prs]

I think you have nailed it. I had forgotten about the 15 second part of cycing the disconnect. Probably was not thinking clearly at 15 degrees. Dang! It is 15F again right now at 11:13PM. Come to think of it, it was two weeks ago last Wednesday that I have last used the "Z".

prs