Tractor died, slow blow fuse blown... what to look for?

[PoppaRob]

Hi all! You have been a great help to me in the past, time to test your skills again!

I was running my Masseyfurgessen GC2310TLB and shut it off to load some weeds into the bucket. WHen i turned the Key i heard a "CLUNK" and then nothing. I checked the safety switches which sometime get stuck and they were fine. I started tracing the wiring and came across a slow blow 40A fuse which was blown. The fuse is between the starter and the switch. could it be a bad starter motor and what should i look for? had replaced the starter last year. do the cheaper ones not last very long?

Thanks for your thoughts.
After thought.... the replacement came with a starte and motor i think. i wonder if i can piull the old one off and replace that? Again, i would need to know hwo to check if the starter werr bad?

 

[Chewwy]

Hi all! You have been a great help to me in the past, time to test your skills again!

I was running my Masseyfurgessen GC2310TLB and shut it off to load some weeds into the bucket. WHen i turned the Key i heard a "CLUNK" and then nothing. I checked the safety switches which sometime get stuck and they were fine. I started tracing the wiring and came across a slow blow 40A fuse which was blown. The fuse is between the starter and the switch. could it be a bad starter motor and what should i look for? had replaced the starter last year. do the cheaper ones not last very long?

Thanks for your thoughts.
After thought.... the replacement came with a starte and motor i think. i wonder if i can piull the old one off and replace that? Again, i would need to know hwo to check if the starter werr bad?

Not familiar with your exact machine. If the blown fuse is between the starter and the switch it supplies current to the solenoid, not the starter itself. Likely an internal short in the solenoid. Suggest replacing it.

 

[PoppaRob]

I have the original starter. So if i check the ohms of the current starter and it is near 0 then it is what is bad? I have the original one. If i check that, and it is something more, then maybe i can use the old selenoid?

 

[Chewwy]

I have the original starter. So if i check the ohms of the current starter and it is near 0 then it is what is bad? I have the original one. If i check that, and it is something more, then maybe i can use the old selenoid?

You could try swapping the old solenoid if you want. Solenoids seem to fail much more often than the starter motor itself.

The clunk you heard would the solenoid moving the starter drive into engagement with the flywheel. Likely the internal contacts in the solenoid are not making good enough contact to energize the starter motor itself.

If the solenoid can be disassembled, you may be able to burnish the contacts to improve the connection to the starter motor. It may get you going, but in my experience is likely to not be a long term fix.

 

[ruffdog]

Is the fuse in the 12v supply line going from the battery post on the starter to the switch or is it the solenoid wire FROM the switch?

 

[JC-jetro]

I would make sure the tractor is neutral if it is geard. I would jump the starter directly with another vehicle or charger/starter that is rated. I would directly jump the soleniod to see if it picks up and close contact to start the starter. Reading zero ohm means the winding on the solenoid might be shorted out. You should read some resistance that indicates winding in the solenoid is intact and makes continuity.

 

[PoppaRob]

Is the fuse in the 12v supply line going from the battery post on the starter to the switch or is it the solenoid wire FROM the switch?

between the switch and the selenoid.

 

[Chewwy]

Is the fuse in the 12v supply line going from the battery post on the starter to the switch or is it the solenoid wire FROM the switch?

I’ve never seen a fuse in the supply line from the battery to the starter. 40 A would never work in that circuit.

 

[Mike1955]

I would make sure the tractor is neutral if it is geard. I would jump the starter directly with another vehicle or charger/starter that is rated. I would directly jump the soleniod to see if it picks up and close contact to start the starter. Reading zero ohm means the winding on the solenoid might be shorted out. You should read some resistance that indicates winding in the solenoid is intact and makes continuity.

Those windings probably don’t have enough resistance to read.

 

[ruffdog]

I’ve never seen a fuse in the supply line from the battery to the starter. 40 A would never work in that circuit.

No, I was talking about a smaller red wire going from the starter + to the switch, not the battery cable lead to the starter from the battery.