XJ2025H lighting issue

[LandofCheese]

First off I want to say hello from WI, long time lurker, I have gotten a lot of info from this site from all you guys/gals over the years. Now Im hoping to get a little more help.

Ok for my question....

Last fall I picked up a gently used XJ2025h for a great price (came with MMM, box blade, rear hyd ports, and rear filled fluid. Guy only sold it cause he was moving from 3 to 40 acres) so far ive only had 2 issues, one the oil dipstick keeps popping out, and two the issue im really posting this thread for is that I have no working turn signals/hazzards. I didnt notice till I had the tractor home.

All other lights work, headlights,running lights of ROPS, dash lights, rear work light all work. The dash responds to the left/right/hazards appropriately. As in it looks like it should be working to the bulbs on the ROPS.

Bulbs are good, all connections appear good (both under dash and socket). I don't know where to go from here, because literally eveything else works and appears like it should be working.

Im looking for pointers on where I can go from here, while im not new to tractors or working on machines and am new to something this new! I just wanna make sure im not missing something super obvious.

Thanks guys,

 

[tomplum]

Welcome to the forum, man from Cheeseland. First on the dipstick. One of our members has a video on that : Keep your dipstick where it belongs... on your LS tractor - YouTube I've had the dipstick come out once, so I put a shoestring bungie from the stick to the frame. I also don't idle below 1100 or so and the shaking some have isn't there for me.

Secondly if you don't have power at the ROPS mounted sockets, this is a quick list from the troubleshooting section.
The fuse block is accessible from the panel behind the ignition switch. 3 knobs and 1 screw for the throttle.
Blown #4 20-amp fuse • Replace 20-amp fuse • Faulty combination light switch• Test switch, replace if necessary • Faulty flasher unit• Test flasher unit, replace if necessary • Hazard light bulbs failure• Replace bulbs as necessary • Improper ground• Check ground location, for clean contact area . Keep us in the loop.

 

[LandofCheese]

Thank you Tomplum,

I have been avoiding super low idle because of that very reason, and find that as you say anything above 1100rpm is much much smoother, is there a dealer replacement to fix this dipstick issue? and if not its no biggy. I will likely do something like you have done.

I've been very busy lately and haven't been able to look at the tractor lightning issue since I asked my question. I'm hoping to get at it and fix it this weekend. (it's suppose to be near 50!) anything special I should need other than a multi-meter?

 

[tomplum]

The first 50 degree weekend. A good feeling for sure. It is likely a matter of just getting into it. A multimeter would be a good thing. Don't forget about charcoal for the grill....

 

[LandofCheese]

it was a GREAT weekend weather wise, now back to cold again but it was a nice sunny break for once, and i did do some grilling haha.

now for my electrical issue. I am stumped....

OK so I went though everything, blew out all the connectors and checked everything. It is good all the way through. All switches and relays are working as they should. I tested the sockets and they are getting 12v, 0v, 12v, 0v just like they should be. Both bulbs looked perfectly OK, but I went to the store anyway and got two new ones and put them in.... still nothing, I rummaged though the garage and found some other bulbs that I know are good. STILL nothing. I check check and re-check that the socket is getting power it is, 12v, 0v, 12v, 0v....... at this point I have no idea what to do.... the bulbs are a B9 base, nothing seems out of place and the socket is getting power as it should.... :mur:ullinghair::mur:

If anyone has any ideas I'm ALL EARS!!!!

 

[jdom84]

it was a GREAT weekend weather wise, now back to cold again but it was a nice sunny break for once, and i did do some grilling haha.

now for my electrical issue. I am stumped....

OK so I went though everything, blew out all the connectors and checked everything. It is good all the way through. All switches and relays are working as they should. I tested the sockets and they are getting 12v, 0v, 12v, 0v just like they should be. Both bulbs looked perfectly OK, but I went to the store anyway and got two new ones and put them in.... still nothing, I rummaged though the garage and found some other bulbs that I know are good. STILL nothing. I check check and re-check that the socket is getting power it is, 12v, 0v, 12v, 0v....... at this point I have no idea what to do.... the bulbs are a B9 base, nothing seems out of place and the socket is getting power as it should.... :mur:ullinghair::mur:

If anyone has any ideas I'm ALL EARS!!!!

The sockets are getting power but the bulb isn't lighting? Unless the terminals are severely corroded, I don't see how that is even possible...

 

[3Lfarms]

I take it you are using a volt meter. Try a test light with a filament. It is possible to have voltage and almost no current. A bad connection can let voltage through but not enough amperage to light a bulb.

 

[LandofCheese]

*Smacks forehead* yes I am using a volt meter. I'm ashamed to say I totaly flaked on checking the amperage part of the electical equation... I will dig out my test light and report back. Thank you for reminding me to check for amps 3Lfarms!

 

[tomplum]

Is it possible the bulbs are wrong or installed 180 off? I'm not sure what a B9 base is myself. A ground unhooked somewhere?

 

[LandofCheese]

Took out the test light. Lights up nice and bright on off on off. And im sorry about the b9 base thing I was mistaken, its a basic auto bulb, 12v 21w. Put the bulbs back in after my test still nothing. To say I am at a loss is an understatement. .... I feel I need a young priest, an old priest, and a whole lot of luck to get this voodoo figured out.

 

[tomplum]

Do we know that this is the proper bulb? I can come up with an OEM part number. Or I could take the cover of mine and have a look tomorrow if you wish for the actual bulb number. These are the emergency flasher / TS bulbs? BTW I've seen the double filament 1157 bulbs get jammed in backwards before .

 

[3Lfarms]

If you have power, then the ground must be at fault.

 

[LandofCheese]

The bulb sets into the base properly and, it seems to be the right wattage so I would have to assume that it is correct.

As for the ground. I don't see how that it can be bad, as I have been putting the ground test leads to the socket wall.

It doesn't look like the lights would want to be disassembled, much more than I have them, so i'm a little hesitant to start really dissecting them.

 

[LandofCheese]

A short video showing that i'm not making this up

LS xj2025h Hazards lighting issue - YouTube

 

[Peter 315]

Looks like the wrong bulb, looks loose in the socket:confused3:

 

[George2615]

I have seen bulb contacts where the pins are too far down in the socket. Usually due to a weak spring that would keep them in contact with the pin (or pins) on the bulb. I have used a soldering gun to add a dab more solder to the bulb pins.

Double check your bulb filaments with an ohm meter. Bulbs that look good may not be.
As mentioned, check the bulb to make sure it is correctly inserted in the socket. Some sockets are loose enough to allow the bulb to be inserted 180 deg. off. If 180 deg off the bulb won't go down in the socket far enough to make contact.

As per your video, if the test light flashes using the outer shell as ground and the bulb is good then the pins are not making contact when the bulb is installed.

If the bulbs you are trying to install are LED's they may not work. In the vid it appears they are standard incandescent.

 

[tomplum]

So I popped the lens on mine. Single terminal bulb. When the bulb is in position, the metal base protrudes ~ 3/16" from the body. When the LH signal is activated- the RH lamp lights solid and visa versa. Maybe this will help. From the video, it looks like the bulb pushes in further on yours, which could indicate a funky socket. The other thing I can offer is, you're in Wisconsin man- get some insulation in the shop

 

[LandofCheese]

UPDATE:

I have been working on this lighting issue on and off for the past 3 weeks, thank you all for your help and ideas, I tried all of them, multiple times. But in the end I was still left with non working Hazard flashers.
I ignored the tractor for about a week out of frustration. I decided that it just wasn't meant to be.

Now I've tested the factory bulbs and the new bulbs I got several times, they do indeed work just fine, just not when you put them in the socket (I've added solder to the tips at this point still nothing) and everything in the socket worked when just testing it. hence my great frustration. I'm cleaning up/organizing the tool box when I see an old bulb from an old truck of mine, just for the heck of it I put it in the socket. I can not describe the face I made when the bulb started blinking, something like a mixture of WTF, confusion and happiness would be a close image. I take it out and put it back in, yup working, I try it in the other socket yup that one works there too. I go and get the factory and new bulbs and try them... nothing.....

again the factory and the new bulbs I got DO WORK, just not when I put them in those sockets, the base for the random old bulb I had is THE EXACT SAME. I checked, even measured with a caliper. same size same wattage the SAME SAME SAME! just way older! At this point I'm beside myself. I go and raid another bulb from my old pickup and yup put the 2 bulbs in and there they go blinking away, just like they should be.

It honestly doesn't make ANY sense and as I'm typing this I know you guys are going to think i'm off my rocker but honest to god, they work great now, no problems. I have no idea why that is, but atm I'm too afraid to really try and figure it out. I'm just THRILLED that they are working now.

Just in time too! they are calling for 12-24 inches of snow over this weekend, why old man winter why? So I will get to put them to good use when I'm by the street.

Thank you again EVERYONE, all the ideas you gave me I tried! Nothing about that issue made sense, and I truly appreciate the ideas you sent my way. I will get a video of my Hazards working and show some other lighting improvements I've made on the tractor soon.

(tom, it is mostly insulated, just not in that corner and above the garage door yet, I ran out of time to get that done before winter came sadly, and have been swamped with other projects, but 85% of it is and MAN does it make a difference!)

 

[Doofy]

There are just some things that defy logic. Glad they are working.

 

[tomplum]

Apparently you live in that haunted part of Wisconsin where magically lights appear, then disappear. Snow is just plain wrong for April...