Ignition switch? Probs?

[Seandaddy]

Hi all!! I'm a Brand new member, as of today, so don't let me down :>] my kubota b7100d ran perfectly last week. This week, hardly turned over. I thought it was a dead battery so I emergency charged it to start, it started after the 3rd time, and ran perfectly for the day.

Today I got the same type of reaction. First it won't turn over so I put the battery charger back up on it. It reads negative but goes fully charged within 2minutes. With the cables still connected, I turn the key to preheat the fuel and the battery charger pegs to the negative. I turn the key back to center and the charger pegs to positive within 10 seconds. Turning the key to start sends the needle back to negative. Wires and fuses seem to be fine. I'm guessing that it's the ignition switch at the dash panel, but this is my 1st tractor as well as my 1st diesel so I'm hoping for some help with my diagnosis and maybe a lead on where to get the correct part. I live next to San Diego, CA.

Thanks for the help. Happy to be a member!

 

[Topher265]

What year is your tractor, and how old is the battery. Do you keep a float charger on the battery when the tractor is not in use?

 

[cycle_gator]

Hi all!! I'm a Brand new member, as of today, so don't let me down :>] my kubota b7100d ran perfectly last week. This week, hardly turned over. I thought it was a dead battery so I emergency charged it to start, it started after the 3rd time, and ran perfectly for the day.

Today I got the same type of reaction. First it won't turn over so I put the battery charger back up on it. It reads negative but goes fully charged within 2minutes. With the cables still connected, I turn the key to preheat the fuel and the battery charger pegs to the negative. I turn the key back to center and the charger pegs to positive within 10 seconds. Turning the key to start sends the needle back to negative. Wires and fuses seem to be fine. I'm guessing that it's the ignition switch at the dash panel, but this is my 1st tractor as well as my 1st diesel so I'm hoping for some help with my diagnosis and maybe a lead on where to get the correct part. I live next to San Diego, CA.

Thanks for the help. Happy to be a member!

Welcome to TBN. I would also be suspicious of the battery. A dead short in the switch would be not be unheard of but pretty unusual. The normal thing is they will simply fail to make contact. The volt meter pegging at negative suggests a short, but that short might be internal to the battery. Which is a fairly normal failure for a battery subjected lots of vibration.

 

[Coyote machine]

More info needed as to hours on tractor and if known hours on battery.
Are the ground cable and positive cable clean and tight at both battery posts AND where they connect to the frame and starter solenoid?
Can you remove the battery and get it load tested locally?
Don't suspect ig switch yet until you verify battery condition.

 

[Seandaddy]

OK! This is great! I gotta say,I didn't expect any replies, especially in such short order! You guys ROCK!

Ok so; there's no way to tell how many hours are on the tractor or the parts, except for the ones that are obviously NEW. As usual, the battery was not marked with it's in service date, so it could be 2, it could be 10... I'll just have to take it in and get it checked. Of. course, I was TOLD it was a newer battery... Same thing I would have said if I didn't know. :>\. BBW right?

My guess is that the tractor is an '85, but that's just a spitball off of what the seller told me. It belonged to his granddad and sat for at least 7 years in the elements. Lost lots of identifiers...

I will get back to you all when I have done my checking. Again, you guys ROCK!

 

[PatMc]

I was having intermittent ignition problems and found a short in the connection block (bad spade) by the steering column. It would start when the wire was just right, and then go to poop when it moved out of place. It wasn't the battery at all.

 

[Roadworthy]

Let's start with the basics. Remove cables from battery. Clean cable ends and battery terminals. Replace cables onto battery and tighten. If you can move them they're not tight. Follow ground lead to frame. Clean and tighten. Charge battery and try to start. If you still have trouble and battery goes flat but full charge only takes a few minutes you're only putting a surface charge onto a bad battery. Have it load tested.