LS Tractor Won't Start After Hooking Up Bush Hog

[Cheaney]

My Kubota L4330HST did not start last week after hooking up equipment.
No click. No error on digital dash.
I Checked the usual things:
Checked safety switches ( seat switch, gear selector, clutch pedal switch, HST pedal, PTO switch).
Battery voltage. OK.
Cleaned battery terminals.
Checked fuses. All OK.
The Kubota has a power cable to the starter and a single wire to the solenoid to start.
A multimeter showed power to the starter cable AND the post on the starter.
When I went to check voltage to the solenoid wire I found that it was loose.
It is a push on spade connector. Testing it showed voltage when trying to start.
The solenoid wire had vibrated loose.
Problem solved.

 

[Gord Baker]

Glad you are back in business. I always check the simple things first. A learning experience.

 

[semibogus]

Not sure what to do here, hooked up the LS brush hog and when I turn the key it does nothing.

Brake is on. PTO switch is off. Ran fine when I boxed the road, went to bush hog and this is where I am stuck.

Anybody know what went wrong, or what it could be?

Try a bit of wd 40 on the spring at the engine end of the PTO switch cable. Just a guess as I got caught the same way. The spring returns the PTO to disengaged. It gets dirt rust or whatever and does not return properly.

 

[johneking]

Here's my "two cents worth" -- obviously -- "something changed"!
IF it was working fine when you box bladed your drive and the only difference is hooking up to your Bush Hog and now you can't get it running and have tried everything safety switch wise with no luck -- disconnect the Bush Hog and start over.
I ALWAYS go back to the last thing done/happened/changed etc. to correct an issue.

 

[spankyscamp]

Remove starter and use sand paper and sand the mating surface of the starter and mounting surface, for a good ground. Also while you have the starter out, see if it turns over OK with jumper cables.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Problems with cranking:
First try to crank with the headlights on and a helper. If the headlights dim when you try to crank, there is a battery or ground issue. Make sure the battery is in good condition, and the ground and power cable to the starter are good.

Second, check the solenoid it self. there is a copper disc on some of them which makes the actual contact. It is supposed to rotate, every time the solenoid engages. The fact that you try to crank many times, and then it started several, means it could have rotated to the clean spot, and made good contact, and has now moved to the bad sector.

Third things can be bad internally with the starter motor. I had a truck which intermittently would start, or not with no real pattern. Turned out to be one broken wire on the commutator. Depending on where the motor came to rest, and whether the brushes were on that sector of the commutator, it would either start or not. Got it resoldered on, and worked just fine for years until I sold the truck.

 

[RVGuy]

If you hear a click when you turn the key, clean the battery terminals and cable ends. Check the ground cable from the battery to the chassis. Make sure it is seurely connected. Measure the continuity of the battery cables (while disconnected from the battery from battery connector to where it connects. Sometrimes the cable will corrode away under the outer rubber jacket and not have enough actual wire to carry the current needed to drive the starter.
I recently had a similar issue and it turned out to be the ground cable to battery terminal was just bit loose on the battery. I cleaned the terminal and connector, reinstalled it, and the tractor started right off.

 

[TractorGunn]

New developments:

I was finishing up mowing one of my fields, when I heard a loud clang on the bush mower, looked back, and the shaft cover had moved away from the gear box, and the mower was wobbling pretty badly. I hit absolutely nothing but grass.

So anyhow I shut off the mower and parked it.

Went back out to lift the mower (had a call from work) so I could look under it. Had to tap the starter again to get it to start.

When I went to lower the deck (3 point) it would not lower.

Gotta say things are getting frustrating. I have 24 hours on this rig.

 

[N7HEVN]

Congratulations! You appear to be the proud owner of a big blue colored lemon...

 

[Eagle1]

New developments:

I was finishing up mowing one of my fields, when I heard a loud clang on the bush mower, looked back, and the shaft cover had moved away from the gear box, and the mower was wobbling pretty badly. I hit absolutely nothing but grass.

So anyhow I shut off the mower and parked it.

Went back out to lift the mower (had a call from work) so I could look under it. Had to tap the starter again to get it to start.

When I went to lower the deck (3 point) it would not lower.

Gotta say things are getting frustrating. I have 24 hours on this rig.

Check drop control knob below the seat. Now if you are like me something is jammed into linkage or or 3 point arms. I'm not gentle with the brush hog and no flat mowing, just real brush, rocks and what ever else I find