M9000 Starting Issue

Anthony C · Jun 15, 2019

My tractor was running great when I drove it last and hasn’t been having any issues until the other day. I went to start it and the starter makes a single click then it won’t do anything, I have to unhook the battery to reset it.

I have tried 2 different batteries and it did the same thing. I have taken the starter off and tested it and it seemed to work fine (it spun and moved forward).
The voltage is the same at the battery and the starter (over 12 volts). The battery posts and cables are tight and clean.

So if y’all have anymore ideas i can try I would love to hear them

SidecarFlip · Jun 15, 2019

First off' clean the battery posts and clamps, make them shiny. Then take the ground cable off the grounding lug which is behind the battery on the right side (facing forward) and sandpaper the lug and terminal and reattach with a toothed lockwasher.

Just because you have voltage at the starter terminals don't mean the amperage is getting there. I'd have the starter checked by a competent starter shop (not a discount parts place) to make sure the starter isn't suspect. Just because it spins don't mean it's good. Starters for M9's are pretty cheap on Flea Bay and expensive at the dealer. I own a couple, not starters, M9's.

Don't understand your comment about removing a battery cable to reset the starter. No need to do that that I know of. Sounds like a terminal corrosion issue to me and or a suspect battery. Did you load test the battery? Carbon pile load testers are cheap and will tell you right away if the battery is marginal. I run 1050 CCA flooded cell batteries in both mine with a knife cutoff switch on the negative post so when they sit, I break the circuit. That way there is no chance of parasitic discharge.

Anthony C · Jun 15, 2019

No I didn’t get the battery load tested, just tested by the local autozone. But the other battery I tried is pretty much brand new and it did the same thing.

The resetting I was talking about is because when I turn the key to run all of my electrical comes on as normal (radio, oil pressure light, etc.) then I turn the key to start it and it clicks once then everything goes off and I can’t get it to click or any of my electrical to come back on until I unhook the battery and hook it back up.

russell.still.5 · Jun 15, 2019

A friends M9000 did the same thing. It was the ignition switch.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Anthony C · Jun 15, 2019

Well I tried to start the tractor by jumping the starter using a screwdriver and it did the same thing so I would think that would eliminate the ignition switch but I’m not positive

007kubotaguy · Jun 15, 2019

Hello
You either have a bad battery cable which is very unlikely or a bad battery connection. As mentioned check both ends. Most importantly the ground to the chassis. Easy way to check things take know good battery put jumper cables directly to the starter And a good ground.
Good Luck Lance

North Idaho Wolfman · Jun 15, 2019

When you're jumping the starter, are you jumping it from the top large terminal to the small spade terminal?

If your not, then you could have a bad solenoid on the starter, and when they stick they need power removed to reset them.

Other options could be a bad starter relay.

Anthony C · Jun 16, 2019

007kubotaguy said:
Hello
You either have a bad battery cable which is very unlikely or a bad battery connection. As mentioned check both ends. Most importantly the ground to the chassis. Easy way to check things take know good battery put jumper cables directly to the starter And a good ground.
Good Luck Lance

Ok thank you I’ll give that a shot

Anthony C · Jun 16, 2019

North Idaho Wolfman said:
When you're jumping the starter, are you jumping it from the top large terminal to the small spade terminal?

If your not, then you could have a bad solenoid on the starter, and when they stick they need power removed to reset them.

Other options could be a bad starter relay.

Yes, from the large positive terminal to the spade terminal is how I had it. And the only relays I could find were in the very front of the tractor on the left. One was 65 amp and the other three were 30 amp, is one of those the starter relay?

russell.still.5 · Jun 16, 2019

Anthony C said:
Well I tried to start the tractor by jumping the starter using a screwdriver and it did the same thing so I would think that would eliminate the ignition switch but I’m not positive

Not necessarily. The ignition switch has to hold the fuel stop solenoid open. Doesn’t matter if you have a pull cord on it, if the engine isn’t getting fuel it’s not going to run. It could be the fuel stop solenoid as well.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

SidecarFlip · Jun 16, 2019

Follow my post number 2 and eliminate all the high resistance connections first. Not like I don't know, I own 2 M9's.

Could be the switch though I've never had an issue with either of mine and it's not the fuel cut solenoid because the solenoid has nothing to do with the engine turning over.

Your idiot lights going dim / out tells me you have a bad connection (high resistance), so clean the battery terminals and the ground lug behind the battery (like I told you in post 2 first) and then proceed to other suspect components.

North Idaho Wolfman · Jun 16, 2019

Anthony C said:
Yes, from the large positive terminal to the spade terminal is how I had it. And the only relays I could find were in the very front of the tractor on the left. One was 65 amp and the other three were 30 amp, is one of those the starter relay?

The starter relay is under the dash panel:

Anthony C · Jun 16, 2019

Alright so first off, thank you to everyone who helped me out. I ended up taking off my negative battery cable cutting off the ring terminal, stripped the wire and reattached the terminal. I also put dialectic grease on both battery terminals and where the negative cable attaches for the ground. It started right up and also my fuel gauge started working again which hasn’t worked in months.

SidecarFlip · Jun 16, 2019

For some reason Kubota sees fit to put the ground lug directly behind the battery and it's really not a good place. I routinely clean mine and use di-electric grease on all the battery terminals and lugs. Canned the split lockwasher and replaced it with a toothed lock washer that bites into the lug.
Use it in the push to secure connections too. I just replaced my negative battery terminal on one if my M's. The cables are stranded so what I did was strip the insulation back and heated the stranded wire with a torch and applied electrical solder to make it a solid wire before I secured it in the new battery clamp.

Have this neat little tool I bought at Harbor Freight that cleans the battery terminals inside and the posts outside. Think it was less than 5 bucks and makes them nice and shiny.

Tx Jim · Jun 17, 2019

SidecarFlip said:
Follow my post number 2 and eliminate all the high resistance connections first. Not like I don't know, I own 2 M9's.

Could be the switch though I've never had an issue with either of mine and it's not the fuel cut solenoid because the solenoid has nothing to do with the engine turning over.

Your idiot lights going dim / out tells me you have a bad connection (high resistance), so clean the battery terminals and the ground lug behind the battery (like I told you in post 2 first) and then proceed to other suspect components.

Ditto bad battery connection or bad battery. Faulty fuel control solenoid isn't responsible for engine not turning over when ign switch is turned to "S".

Search

M9000 Starting Issue

Anthony C

New member

SidecarFlip

Banned

Anthony C

New member

russell.still.5

New member

Anthony C

New member

007kubotaguy

Active member

North Idaho Wolfman

Moderator

Anthony C

New member

Anthony C

New member

russell.still.5

New member

SidecarFlip

Banned

North Idaho Wolfman

Moderator

Attachments

Anthony C

New member

SidecarFlip

Banned

Tx Jim

Well-known member