GF1800 will not start

[JH88]

Hey everyone. First off this is my first time posting here, so hello. Second off I’m not to mechanically inclined so hopefully you can bear with me.

I use a GF1800 for 3acres of mowing, and just recently it will not start. I’ve already checked the battery and that is fully charged. When I get on the mower I depress the the pedal, turn the key to allow the glow plugs to warm up. The fuel pump cycles, when putting the key to the start position there is nothing. No noise at all. There is also no noise form the starter, it doesn’t even try to engage. I’ve been reading that some others have had an issue with the “fusible link” right before the starter. I’ve also noticed that the fusible link is getting very hot while attempting to start the mower. Do any of you have any experience with this issue at all? Or any other insight into the fusible link or other potential issues I can track down?

Sorry if this is confusion . I apologize in advance. Thank you in advance as well

 

[mudog88]

Do you get a click when attempting the starter? Also, check all your fuses and that all safety switches are met.

 

[JH88]

There is no clicking when attempting to start. I will double check switches and fuses as well. Thank you.

 

[RCW]

It does glow the plugs, and you hear the lift pump?

How old is the battery? Fully charged doesn't always mean it has the juice to turn the starter.

If it does glow the plugs and the lift pump runs, I think your safety switches are okay, allowing it to turn over.....not 100% on that. I'm thinking an open switch will prevent the lift pump from running. Again, not 100%....

Leads me back to the battery.....might be worth load testing before chasing a bunch of other stuff.

One thing to try is put the PTO in gear....now you know you have a safety switch "problem," see if the it glows the plugs and lift pump runs....

 

[JH88]

I believe it is glowing the plugs and I can here the pump running. Battery is 6 months old. I did have a tester on it and it was reading 12.2 initially, when turning key it would drop to 11.9

I will try the PTO and see it they cycle

 

[Jim L.]

I’ve also noticed that the fusible link is getting very hot while attempting to start the mower.

Current going though it with resistance is what makes it hot. Suggest disconnect the fusible link and check the connections (four). If those look OK then it may be time for a new fusible link. Feeling which end gets hot first with a short start burst may help narrow it down. If first hot in the middle of the fusible link then the link is damaged.

 

[JH88]

Current going though it with resistance is what makes it hot. Suggest disconnect the fusible link and check the connections (four). If those look OK then it may be time for a new fusible link. Feeling which end gets hot first with a short start burst may help narrow it down. If first hot in the middle of the fusible link then the link is damaged.

It seems to get hot right in the middle of the link and connections look to be in fairly decent shape. I called my local kubotta dealer and they have one on hold for me. I’ll try the new one tonight. Thank you for this information.

 

[MilkyWay]

It seems to get hot right in the middle of the link and connections look to be in fairly decent shape. I called my local kubotta dealer and they have one on hold for me. I***8217;ll try the new one tonight. Thank you for this information.

Hi JH88 and welcome to the forum!
I don't know a lot about fusible links but I can tell you one thing and suggest one more thing. If the fusible link is getting hot, that means it is not "burned open". If it was burned open it would not allow current to pass through, and it would not heat up. Further, get a voltmeter, set it to read DC volts, say up to twenty or so and put your test leads on each end of the fusible link. You may have to figure something out to access the electrical points that are the two ends of the link. Next, while you hold the test leads in place, have a helper try to start the engine and while the key is in the start position and the fusible link is hot, read the voltage dropped across it. If you have a digital meter, then you may read a negative voltage but that is not important. Someone on the site may have an idea how much voltage drop there should be for normal operation, but I would think no more than 1.5 to 2.0 volts. Check this and keep us posted. Good luck.

EDIT: I thought more about the fusible link; correct me if I'm wrong. It is called a FUSEible link because it represents a open or closed circuit component. It is either good or bad. As long as it passes current, it is good. I don't think it can change in any way unless and until it burns/blows and opens the circuit it is designed to protect.

 

[vic gerbasi]

I too had a similar problem-- make sure to check both ends of the cables from the battery they do corrode in time that was my problem but pretty easy fix

 

[Jim L.]

I thought more about the fusible link; correct me if I'm wrong. It is called a FUSEible link because it represents a open or closed circuit component. It is either good or bad. As long as it passes current, it is good. I don't think it can change in any way unless and until it burns/blows and opens the circuit it is designed to protect.

There is a middle condition when the conductor has cracked or has partially melted. The insulation will hold the middle conductor in contact. Hard to detect using an ordinary ohmmeter. A load test will show a voltage drop.

Happens more often with stressed solid conductors which is why new houses must use Arc Fault type circuit breakers in bedroom circuits to prevent house fires. But it is not unusual to need to replace a fusible link.

 

[MilkyWay]

There is a middle condition when the conductor has cracked or has partially melted. The insulation will hold the middle conductor in contact. Hard to detect using an ordinary ohmmeter. A load test will show a voltage drop../..

Thanks JimL; Yep, makes sense. Do you know what the load induced, nominal voltage drop would be across a typical link if no circuit abnormality exists? Would you expect even a volt?

 

[Jim L.]

Voltage drop across a good fusible link would be none, at least what can be measured with cheap voltmeters.

Some voltage drop across each conductor termination at its mating surface. Such as the infamous battery ground point.

Current is what turns over the starter. Adding resistance in series with the low resistance starter drops the current available to the starter.

Absent a graphing ammeter, most of us have to get a helper to crank while we measure resistance indirectly by looking at voltage at each junction caused by starting current.

 

[kuboman]

For the fuse-able link to get warm indicates it is ok. It also indicates that you have a high amp draw down stream from the link meaning you may have a starter that has seized or bad solenoid.you should be able to by-pass the whole starting circuit and apply power directly to the starter and see if it will turn.

 

[kuboman]

Did you find the problem/solution?

 

[JH88]

Sorry for not replying back in a while, had some other things come up that had to be dealt with.

The fusible link was bad, picked up a new one at my local kubota dealer and it worked perfectly, I still have an issue with the charging system somewhere. The battery light stays lit on the dash. I read other sites that it can be the dynamo or the voltage regulator. I have to check them and see if they are pulling the right voltage. Has anyone else had this issue with the charging system? Also where are they located. Again sorry for the ignorance I'm no mechanic.