L4701 Dead as a Doornail

[Cottonmather0]

I was using my tractor - 2018 L4701 HST - to mow last weekend. I turned it off at lunchtime and when I came back it would not start and is completely unresponsive when the key is turned. No lights, no clicks, no nothing.

I checked the battery and it reads 12.6.

Looked at both fuses and they appear fine.

Discussed the matter with the service manager at the dealership and he concurred that if the battery and fuses are good, then the next step is to suspect the ignition…. But I installed a new key switch and that didn’t fix the problem. Still dead and unresponsive.

Does anyone have any other ideas on what to try before I call to have it towed off to the shop?

This is not the first time this has happened, but every other time It has started right back up a few minutes later.

 

[jyoutz]

Most tractors won’t start with the pto engaged. I would check the pto switch. Did you disengage it before shutting down?

 

[Cottonmather0]

Most tractors won’t start with the pto engaged. I would check the pto switch. Did you disengage it before shutting down?

Sorry, forgot to mention that. Yes, PTO is off. One of the first things I checked.

But even then, it will normally click and light up if you try to start it with the PTO, which isn’t what is happening here.

 

[fried1765]

I was using my tractor - 2018 L4701 HST - to mow last weekend. I turned it off at lunchtime and when I came back it would not start and is completely unresponsive when the key is turned. No lights, no clicks, no nothing.

I checked the battery and it reads 12.6.

Looked at both fuses and they appear fine.

Discussed the matter with the service manager at the dealership and he concurred that if the battery and fuses are good, then the next step is to suspect the ignition…. But I installed a new key switch and that didn’t fix the problem. Still dead and unresponsive.

Does anyone have any other ideas on what to try before I call to have it towed off to the shop?

This is not the first time this has happened, but every other time It has started right back up a few minutes later.

Neutral position of rocker pedal?

 

[lugbolt]

put your dvom on the battery.

now go turn the key on and watch the voltage. What's it do? If it doesn't change at the battery posts, put your dvom probes on the battery CABLES (not the post) and read it. If it's lower, you have a connection issue. If it's ok, possibly a wiring problem somewhere. Or a big fuse (slow-blow). You can't really see a blown slow-blow, I usually have to probe or ohm them to verify.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

put your dvom on the battery.

now go turn the key on and watch the voltage. What's it do? If it doesn't change at the battery posts, put your dvom probes on the battery CABLES (not the post) and read it. If it's lower, you have a connection issue. If it's ok, possibly a wiring problem somewhere. Or a big fuse (slow-blow). You can't really see a blown slow-blow, I usually have to probe or ohm them to verify.

What he said. All of it.

You have classic bad connection symptoms. Could be something else, but this is the place to start. Check all cables, all connections.

Don't just look at the connections - you can't tell anything that way. Take them apart, and since you have them apart, clean them thoroughly. Check the cables. They can get corrosion inside the jacket and carry just enough juice to fool a meter, but won't carry enough to actually do any work. Test lights are good. Don't ONLY rely on a meter. Yes, those are good too. Both belong on your tool belt.

On the cables, push them, shove them, twist them. Get rough with them. If it's nearly broken, you want to break it, so you know where your problem is. If you feel a crunchy feeling, that's probably corrosion inside.

Bypass them with a jumper of some kind to see if that's your problem. You can even use your regular jumper cables - this is temporary to identify the problem. It doesn't matter if it's sloppy looking.

Try that and see where you stand.

 

[Roadworthy]

It does sound like a defective connection somewhere. That could be it or your computer could have died or need reset - if there's a reset button somewhere.