New starter, now no power at ignition key.

[bdoug]

My girlfriend's grandfather has a Farmtrac 360 DTC that suffered damage to the left floor plate by the clutch pedal. He bent it back out, verified the clutch safety switch was working, and on trying to start it back up, the starter smoked and perished. He replaced the starter, but now cannot get ANY response whatsoever with the battery connected. When the key is put in the run position, there is no horn, light, gauge, dash light, nothing! I pulled every fuse, relay, and wiring harness and can't find the issue.

I am not certain the starter was wired correctly before I started working on it. Can anyone share a picture of the starter solenoid and the wires that need to be connected? I'm a pretty competent mechanic, but I've never worked on a tractor. I don't see a ground for the starter, and assume it grounds where it bolts on the frame. I have the positive battery cable, an alternator wire, and another, unidentified wire connected at the top of the starter solenoid, the black spade connector wire on its terminal, and then the starter motor wire on the bottom of the solenoid.

I have checked all the fuses in the block with the continuity setting on my multimeter. They are good. I checked the battery, it is sitting pretty at 12.6 volts. I checked all the relays on the firewall with jumper wires. They all click like they are good.

We noticed that when the battery was connected, the fuel stop solenoid opened, stayed open, and got very hot. It perished, and we replaced it. Now, the solenoid doesn't click, and it's still dead at the ignition switch.

Any ideas?
Thanks!

 

[boggen]

not a clue about your tractor, and talking out my rear. maybe something will ring a bell.

the ignition switch itself is bad?

a wiring harness plug is corroded / came on plugged.

from frame of tractor to "large cable on starter" are you reading same as when you measure across posts of the battery?

have you checked all your ground connections between battery and frame? some times corrosion happens or comes loose.

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have you bench tested the starter? to make sure it is in working order?
there is a solenoid on the starter is it in working order?

youtube "bench test starter" you should some DIY ways to test the start out and solenoid.

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how did you check the fuses?
trick question there.

parasitic draw on battery?
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I have the positive battery cable, an alternator wire, and another, unidentified wire connected at the top of the starter solenoid, the black spade connector wire on its terminal, and then the starter motor wire on the bottom of the solenoid.

the unidentified wire would be going between starter and ignition switch. find out were that unidentified wire runs and how it makes it way to the ignition switch.

is there a starter relay mounted some place? relay may not be in fusebox/relay box. but mounted some place perhaps?

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if things got hot, did wires melt inside of wiring harness? and causing a short inside wiring harness. perhaps not a short between positive and neg, but between to positive cables going to different things.

cables themselves do go bad.... recent ford truck 2000yr. had corrosion at positive battery terminal. then had corrosion further inside cable itself. that i had to cut out.

 

[bdoug]

Thanks for taking time to reply!

The ignition switch was replaced and working about a year ago. I did a continuity test at the starter switch itself, and all positions seem to work. I have taken all the wiring harness connector apart, nothing looks or smells like it got hot.

I read 12.6 volts everywhere I touched from the battery posts themselves, to the positive starter cable, even when reaching as far as the brackets for the bucket.

I bench tested the starter (dropped a bolt down onto the flywheel housing, but luckily was able to reach it with a magnet). The motor worked, but I didn't test the solenoid. I'll check that next.

I pulled each fuse out and checked them visually and with my multimeter at the contacts. (continuity)

I can't tell which relays do what, but they all work on the bench.

I will go back and check cables and harnesses for resistance.

Thanks again!

Doug.

 

[boggen]

call up a local dealer and see if you can get a copy of the wiring diagram for tractor. *shrugs* they might give you a copy for free or a couple bucks.

is there any seat sensors, or any transmission sensors, or like, that would keep tractor from starting?

have you tried jumping tractor with another vehicle? batteries can read good, but bad on actual load. most stores will do a free load test on a battery. load testers costs around 20 bucks. my own cheapie just has a little heating element inside, that places load on battery when button is pressed.

When the key is put in the run position, there is no horn, light, gauge, dash light, nothing! I pulled every fuse, relay, and wiring harness and can't find the issue.

find out what is going on with above.