My TC - 29 sparked and then went dark....no start ??

[V1Rotate]

If you take the battery back to where you bought it, they can test it to see if it is good or bad.
Another possibility is that one of you battery cables is bad. I have see them where they look good on the outside but they will be corroded on the inside part where the cable goes into the terminal clamp.

 

[V1Rotate]

Brin
Another thing you can try is to put your voltmeter on the battery and it should read about 12 volts.
Next, if you can get the engine started, check the voltage again. This time it should read about 13.8 volts.
That would indicate that the alternator is charging the battery properly.

 

[kirkawilson]

Bob, my Ford 1920 threw sparks out the side of the engine one time during starting. The electrical wiring (jump cable) from the starter solenoid to the starter had shorted and charred. Look for char marks near-or-on your larger electrical wiring and that is likely the spark source. Maybe your battery ground wire to the frame has loosened? Or, some insulation has rubbed off of your wiring? Good luck.

 

[DieselMonk]

My bet are either the battery cables at both ends, or the battery itself. The battery having 12.5V is a bit down. It also could be that the battery cables are corroded inside so maybe loosen the cable from the clamp and retighten it. The copper inside the cable should not be black. If it's black it's no good either.
I don't think the wire is shorting out, as that should pop the main fuse. I am thinking along from the positive post to and around the starter solenoid and from the negative post to the frame. But before I'd check all that out and go through all that work, I would put a known working battery in it and see if the tractor starts.

 

[brin]

My bet are either the battery cables at both ends, or the battery itself. The battery having 12.5V is a bit down. It also could be that the battery cables are corroded inside so maybe loosen the cable from the clamp and retighten it. The copper inside the cable should not be black. If it's black it's no good either.
I don't think the wire is shorting out, as that should pop the main fuse. I am thinking along from the positive post to and around the starter solenoid and from the negative post to the frame. But before I'd check all that out and go through all that work, I would put a known working battery in it and see if the tractor starts.

Thanks so much....Could I use a battery pack( Power pack used to Jump dead car batteries )..and disconnect my cables from the existing battery and use the jumper cables from the battery pack to connect to the tractor cables and try it that way...?

 

[jimmysisson]

The fact that it improved after an hour's charging makes me question the battery too. I would not recommend swapping in anything but a known good battery - not a quick-start device.
Also, did you ever remove, clean, and reattach the battery cables or replace them? Poor connections can mimic a weak battery.
To troubleshoot you want to eliminate possible problems in order of likelihood. Each test shortens the list of suspects until the true cause reveals itself. If all goes well.
Jim

 

[brin]

I am embarrassed...but remember I said right up front , I know nothing of electrical....

It was a bad battery ground connection at the negative battery terminal..it was loose...geeez...It seemed tight but it wasn't ...once I had eliminated all else I just cranked it all down with a wrench and presto it starts every time...Sorry to bother all you folks ...I have learned some about electrical now so that is a good thing...thanks again all..

 

[jinman]

Bob, this is sounding more and more like a poor connection to the battery terminal. Since you put the starter on the terminal, it is conducting directly to the outside of the terminal. The battery terminal is on the inside where it may be dirty. Try this. Remove the terminal and put a jumper cable from the battery to the outside of the terminal as you did with your charger. If it starts, then it must be dirty inside the terminal.

 

[brin]

OK Jim, Thanks , I will try that and clean up the inside of both terminals ....I'd hate to have it start fine here and then stop on me out in the field somewhere.

 

[V1Rotate]

Glad you got it fixed.