John Deere 2520 died, won't start

[tmshort]

2011 JD 2520

I was out tilling today, going along no problems and the tractor just died.

When I turn the key on, nothing on the dash comes on. No glow plug light. No fuel pump noise.
Fuses are all fine.
Battery is good - just replaced last fall, all the connections are clean and tight.
Lights still work.

When I pull the connectors at the solenoid and fuel pump, I detect no voltage.

I pulled the connectors for the safety stuff, bypassed them with no change.

I am at a loss. What is the next step in troubleshooting?

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[07wingnut]

Take your volt meter and measure between the negative battery terminal (not the cable end) and a good ground on the tractor. If you have voltage, your ground connection from battery to frame is fubar. Needs to be cleaned up and retightened.

 

[tmshort]

Thanks.
I have checked the battery connections and ground, all is good there.

 

[Tx Jim]

tmshort
Did you clean/tighten battery cable where it attaches to tractor frame? Have you load tested battery? I've seen battery cables corrode inside insulation a considerable distance therefore loosing good connection. Have you attempted to start engine utilizing another vehicle & jumper cables?

 

[Roadworthy]

Saying you just replace the battery last fall does not make it good, just relatively new. Check the voltage with the key turned off and again with the key turned on. Readings should be the same, somewhere around 12.6 volts. If it's much lower than that you could have a dud or the charging system could be at fault.

 

[tmshort]

Closing the loop, as I hate finding these threads and no solution.
Long story short: it was a $%^@#*$&^ing fuse!

Initially I pulled all the fuses and they looked OK.
I pulled all kinds of stuff apart, undid wiring harnesses, etc. Found some rodent damage which I fixed (park brake indicator, but I knew this already).
Reluctantly, I bought the downloadable shop manual ... it was cheaper than a load and trip to the dealer, and I needed the tractor back online sooner.

The manual is great for troubleshooting. After I went through the steps, it didn't make sense - so I checked fuse F3 again and tested with a meter ... it was blown. Replaced it and all is good. Initially I was worried there was a short somewhere that caused it, but I ran the tractor for 2h yesterday (tilling, hauling with FEL, running the chipper, etc) and had no further issues.

Fuse F3 is the one labeled "timer" on the box. It is a small blade fuse.

So there you have it. Next time, I will be more meticulous about checking fuses!!

 

[farmeratheart]

Closing the loop, as I hate finding these threads and no solution.
Long story short: it was a $%^@#*$&^ing fuse!

Initially I pulled all the fuses and they looked OK.
I pulled all kinds of stuff apart, undid wiring harnesses, etc. Found some rodent damage which I fixed (park brake indicator, but I knew this already).
Reluctantly, I bought the downloadable shop manual ... it was cheaper than a load and trip to the dealer, and I needed the tractor back online sooner.

The manual is great for troubleshooting. After I went through the steps, it didn't make sense - so I checked fuse F3 again and tested with a meter ... it was blown. Replaced it and all is good. Initially I was worried there was a short somewhere that caused it, but I ran the tractor for 2h yesterday (tilling, hauling with FEL, running the chipper, etc) and had no further issues.

Fuse F3 is the one labeled "timer" on the box. It is a small blade fuse.

So there you have it. Next time, I will be more meticulous about checking fuses!!

Thank you for "closing the loop". I was waiting with more than casual interest since my 2008 2520 will probably do this to me someday and I need to be prepared. You are correct in that the shop manual for this model is very good.

Frank

 

[Captain Dunsel]

I am having this exact same problem. Key on, no gauges, no crank, no lights or flashers. Brand new battery, switch tests fine, fuses all good. Power to the fuse block. Wondering if it isn't a ground problem?

 

[Tx Jim]

Over many yrs being associated with operating/repairing farm tractors & equipment I've frequently witnessed poor battery ground cable to frame electrical continuity due to poor connection or corroded ground cable inside of insulation.
KISS=keep it simple SENOR'

 

[jd2210newbie]

I had a similar problem on my jd2210. Seemlngly starter not strong enough. I think I caused the problem by using FE loader to lift some heavy stuff out of balance. It put the tractor into a twist. Due to that twist the gnd connection thru the frame was less effective. In the end I installed another gnd cable in parallel that ran directly to the starter frame. Now it spins right up. It sounds simple but it took me few days to figure it out.