Ford 1520 - Electrical problem?

[gocatgo]

Hello all, my Ford 1520 (1989 vintage, diesel, 4WD, Hydrostatic trans) has been pretty dependable for years but now is giving me a problem that has me stumped. I "think" it started about a year ago, with a few infrequent episodes. For a cold start I turned the key to the left for the glowplugs, all lights came on as they should. But when I turned the key to the right to start, there was an audible "click" from under the hood and no more lights, and no cranking. I had recently installed a new battery (the other one was way past due) so I checked/tightened the battery cables and she started right up. Intermittently the same scenario would occur, then I would check/bang around on the cables and it would start, but most of the time had trouble free starts.
So, last week it did the same thing again. This time no amount of messing with the battery cable connections (which had never appeared loose to me anyway) seemed to matter. However, I was able to successfully jump start the tractor and it ran fine. I put a new battery on it, no difference.
Was this something that has been trying to fail for almost a year and has now given up the ghost? Battery cables? Alternator? Electrical components are magic to me, so I have no idea. I'm fairly handy and have done most of my own work on this tractor, and am hoping this is something that I can repair.

Thanks in advance for any ideas and/or suggestions!

 

[kthompson]

I am not sure by one of lines, "I put a new battery on it, no difference." Did you put a new battery in and it worked fine or had the same problem?

How often are you using the tractor? Often enough the battery should be fine on charge? If not very often and long enough to fully charge the battery may be your problem there. But I suspect you have issue with battery cables with maybe glazing on the inside of the clamps on the cables them self if moving and banging on them works.
At same time you could have some that is drawing low amps and over time is weakening your battery. Had issue with my pickup that caused me and shop to think old battery and brand new one was bad, cd ejector on player was not cutting over and when pickup was off it kept trying to eject a cd which was none in the player but it killed my battery between weekend of use. So you may need to test to see if any current is being drawn. If you can check amp draw when tractor is turned off it should be zero.

 

[gocatgo]

After installing the new battery there is no lights and no cranking. When I was troubleshooting it last week I used a file to rough up the inside of the battery cable clamps, and always use dielectric grease when I connect them. The tractor gets used sporadically, but I have been keeping a battery tender on it most of the time. I just went ahead and changed the battery to eliminate that as a problem.

 

[banjodunn]

G'day check the other ends of your battery cables i.e where they bolt to the frame/engine and where they bolt to the starter also check any other leads coming off the positive side should have a lead somewhere going off into the fuse box

Jon

 

[kencunningham]

Do a voltage drop test on the starter and ground wires, you can google that to see how its done if you don't know how. Also i would look at the solenoid the next time it acts up, put it in neutral and jump the solenoid terminals.

 

[PaulT1966]

G'day check the other ends of your battery cables i.e where they bolt to the frame/engine and where they bolt to the starter also check any other leads coming off the positive side should have a lead somewhere going off into the fuse box

Jon

I'll second this, I was chasing a similar gremlin on a 1510. Ground cable was rotted inside the tractor end connector.

 

[gocatgo]

I'll second this, I was chasing a similar gremlin on a 1510. Ground cable was rotted inside the tractor end connector.

I am able to jump start the tractor - would I be able to do this if a cable was bad?

 

[gocatgo]

I'll also check the voltage drop on the starter, and look at the solenoid. Google is my friend!!
Thanks for the suggestions, all.

 

[gocatgo]

I'll second this, I was chasing a similar gremlin on a 1510. Ground cable was rotted inside the tractor end connector.

Do a voltage drop test on the starter and ground wires, you can google that to see how its done if you don't know how. Also i would look at the solenoid the next time it acts up, put it in neutral and jump the solenoid terminals.

G'day check the other ends of your battery cables i.e where they bolt to the frame/engine and where they bolt to the starter also check any other leads coming off the positive side should have a lead somewhere going off into the fuse box

Jon

The ground cable is the flat braided kind - it does look a little ratty. I will check both cable connections for sure.

 

[jimmysisson]

Battery cables are not expensive. New ones would eliminate that as a problem.
Jim