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

[brin]

I tried to start my TC - 29 this AM and everything was in neutral , I turned the key and all dash lights lit up including the glow plug light and then a spark from somewhere up front...a snapping spark sound and all went dead....I had used the tractor a week ago and all was fine...The battery is a month old and is showing 12.5 volts....I checked all the fuses ..they look fine...

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated....The real bad thing is the tractor has my lawn tractors trapped...I can't cut the grass until I get the TC started and out of the way....Unhappy wife...= unhappy life...

 

[brin]

:confused3:

 

[V1Rotate]

Bad ignition switch?

 

[brin]

Bad ignition switch?

I wonder how I can be sure without buying one...I'd sure like to know for sure...I have no lights on dash or head lights....but battery is new and showing 12.5 v it popped when I first tried to start it...like something electrical shorted , then nothing all dark. Thanks I am not good at electrical stuff at all...

 

[V1Rotate]

I"m not an expert but as you know there are some guys here who are. I"m sure they will help you.

 

[brin]

I"m not an expert but as you know there are some guys here who are. I"m sure they will help you.

Thanks V1 - They are probably all BBQing right now....LOL...I can't blame them....I wish I knew more ...a lot more about electrical stuff - thanks again

 

[jinman]

The first thing I'd do is take the battery terminals off and clean them and the battery itself. Put everything back together and give it a go. Springtime humidity is good for causing terminals to corrode. The crackling sound and going dead while fuses are good is a sure sign of a dirty or poor connection. The battery is the first place to start. A good battery can't do good work through dirty terminals.

 

[brin]

The first thing I'd do is take the battery terminals off and clean them and the battery itself. Put everything back together and give it a go. Springtime humidity is good for causing terminals to corrode. The crackling sound and going dead while fuses are good is a sure sign of a dirty or poor connection. The battery is the first place to start. A good battery can't do good work through dirty terminals.

Thanks Jim, I cleaned the terminals with my battery tool but the battery is new and there was no corrosion but I cleaned them anyway...still no start...no lights and no power anywhere after the first attempted start and I heard the pop and the dash lights went out...that was it and here I sit...See I made a poem out of it...

 

[jinman]

Did you check the main fuse down near the starter? It's in a rubber cover and should be 40 amps, I believe. The 'spat' could have been something related to the glow plugs since they draw a bunch of current. If the 40 amp fuse is blown, you need to really try to find the problem, maybe the ignition switch as suggested.

 

[brin]

Jim - I checked the main fuse by the starter, on my TC 29 it is 30 amp...it was fine but I replaced it anyway...I am at a loss....

 

[jinman]

I'd look at the ignition switch at this point. I suspect it is fried.

 

[brin]

OK - thanks Jim...

 

[JimRB]

You get out your multimeter and you read the voltage at the ignition switch. Then read the voltage on the wire that feeds the starter solenoid. Of course voltage is not amperage so ok voltage may not indicate enough current to make work happen. Usually voltage will drop a lot with bad connections. No idiot lights suggests the positive feed to ignition switch might be bad. Still could be a bad ignition switch but you know nothing without getting a reading from the supply wire.

You need to figure out what failed and why. Here is a 101 course with some slightly higher follow up courses. Automotive Electrical 101 – Part 1 | Auto Repair Facts

 

[brin]

Thanks much Jim RB....I am beginning the course , I have started reading, it is making my head hurt but I will get through this and figure this out or I will never be able to cut my grass again...my other tractor is trapped...Thanks again..

 

[LarryD]

This troubleshooting page is from an older ('03) model but it may help with the ignition switch.
Sorry for the upside down orientation can't seem to get my PDF converter to save it right.

 

[brin]

This troubleshooting page is from an older ('03) model but it may help with the ignition switch.
Sorry for the upside down orientation can't seem to get my PDF converter to save it right.

Thanks Larry, I printed the page so I can take it to the tractor with me...will help a lot...

 

[brin]

This troubleshooting page is from an older ('03) model but it may help with the ignition switch.
Sorry for the upside down orientation can't seem to get my PDF converter to save it right.

Thanks Larry, I printed the page so I can take it to the tractor with me...will help a lot...

 

[brin]

OK - Here is my update....I got it started & moved out of the garage so I could get my lawn tractor out and mow the lawn....but....still won't start...I have something going on with or around the battery...See if you guys can figure this out...I checked all the things mention by everyone in this thread,,thanks and it all checked OK...so...

As a last ditch attempt this AM I put my charger on the battery on the quick start setting and the tractor dash lights lit up and it started on the 2nd try...the first try it popped on the positive battery cable and did not start on the 2nd try it popped a little but started...When I finished mowing with my little tractor ...I tried to start the TC -29..the dash lights came on and I turned the key....and it clicked a few times like it is low on voltage...??? Even though the battery is one year old ( Auto Zone ) if that...and reads 12.5v...could the battery be bad ? could it be a cable >? And what about the spark at the positive terminal and the charger alligator clip. ?

Any thoughts appreciated

 

[murphy1244]

Bad ground wire. Check your main ground and start from there.

 

[brin]

Bad ground wire. Check your main ground and start from there.

Murph....I know nothing about this electrical stuff...but do you think it could also be a bad battery I got from Auto Zone....it can't be more than a yr. old and I am having a hard time understanding how it can be anything but a bad battery if the tractor would not start with just the battery but when I connected the charger set on Quick Start ..it started....granted it still sparked and crackled at the positive terminal but it did start...Then when I tried to start it after an hour or so without the charger...all the dash lights came on and it just clicked when I turned the key then all went dark....It is sitting outside right now and if I went out and put the charger back on quick start it would fire right up...I don't want to put it back inside until I fix it since it blocks all the rest of our tractors...?????:confused3: