Tractor has no electrical power

[flyguy210]

‘01 L4300DT has ran great for 5 years. Had to replace the battery about two months ago with a NAPA battery because the old one would not hold a charge.

Tractor ran great from that point until two weeks ago. I would turn the key to start and the dash lights would shut off and the tractor wouldn’t start. After a few more times, no lights would come on at all. Starter would not turn over at all.

checked voltage to starter and it was same as the battery voltage. Checked voltage to alternator and t was also same battery voltage. Charged battery fully. Checked all the fuses and the 40A fuse on the starter. All were good. Checked the switch and even changed it out for a new one. Cleaned the frame ground from the negative battery terminal and the terminal itself.

After all of this, and the tractor still will not start at all. It’s weird too, sometimes the dash lights come on after it sit awhile and sometimes the lights don’t come on at all. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

1st thing I'd do, replace BOTH battery cables. Just because you see 'voltage' doesn't mean you have the CURRENT to do stuff, like light lights and spin starters.

'telltale' test for this is to take a known GOOD spare battery and use jumper cables TO the starter and see if it spins. NO spin...bad starter, probably. It spins....NOT the starter.probably bad primary battery cables.

 

[Pau7220]

1st thing I'd do, replace BOTH battery cables.

Great diagnosis… throw parts at it.
Voltage drop test will find a bad cable in less than a minute.

Try this first.
Second line on the board is the most important… “always test circuits under load”.
Report back with your findings.

 

[Tx Jim]

X2 on checking voltage while attempting to engage starter. I suggest to clean/tighten ALL FOUR(4) battery cable connections. Battery ground cable to frame connection has a long history of OVERLOOKED failures.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re:
Great diagnosis… throw parts at it.
Voltage drop test will find a bad cable in less than a minute.

well... he did that, gets SAME voltage at starter as the battery
which everyone KNOWS is not possible ( due to IIR losses)

I did make the assumption he'd NOT replaced the battery cables in the 20 year old tractor ,based upon his his list of replacements and symptoms.

 

[Pawnee]

‘01 L4300DT has ran great for 5 years. Had to replace the battery about two months ago with a NAPA battery because the old one would not hold a charge.

Tractor ran great from that point until two weeks ago. I would turn the key to start and the dash lights would shut off and the tractor wouldn’t start. After a few more times, no lights would come on at all. Starter would not turn over at all.

checked voltage to starter and it was same as the battery voltage. Checked voltage to alternator and t was also same battery voltage. Charged battery fully. Checked all the fuses and the 40A fuse on the starter. All were good. Checked the switch and even changed it out for a new one. Cleaned the frame ground from the negative battery terminal and the terminal itself.

After all of this, and the tractor still will not start at all. It’s weird too, sometimes the dash lights come on after it sit awhile and sometimes the lights don’t come on at all. Any advice would be appreciated.

checked voltage to starter and it was same as the battery voltage
If you had +12 on the starter with a good starter ground, the starter would be turning over the engine.

sometimes the dash lights come on after it sit awhile and sometimes the lights don’t come on at all
This is a common symptom of a poor / intermittent connection.

Since your last service was to replace the battery - look there first. The cable ends may not be as good as they were when new and may not be making a good connection to the cable.

Jay's idea has merit.
Cables are cheap in the grand scheme of things - you don't have to get Kubota ones. Changing them will include cleaning connections at all 4 ends.

The voltage drop test is good too but easier to do on a white board than on a dirty old tractor.

 

[flyguy210]

Great diagnosis… throw parts at it.
Voltage drop test will find a bad cable in less than a minute.

Try this first.
Second line on the board is the most important… “always test circuits under load”.
Report back with your findings.

Did the test. Red lead on positive battery terminal and black lead on solenoid stud from the battery. With ignition switch off, meter reads 0.12 volts. With the ignition switch to start, meter reads 12.7 volts. 12.7 is also what the battery reads by itself.

The battery discharge light and oil pressure lights come on dimly. When I tried to energize the glow plug relay, that light does not come on. Meter also reads 12.7V when switched to energize glow plugs.

 

[flyguy210]

X2 on checking voltage while attempting to engage starter. I suggest to clean/tighten ALL FOUR(4) battery cable connections. Battery ground cable to frame connection has a long history of OVERLOOKED failures.

I cleaned the battery terminals, the wire and lug that connects to the frame for the negative cable. Only one I haven’t cleaned is the solenoid lug. I’ll try that next.

 

[Pawnee]

Did the test. Red lead on positive battery terminal and black lead on solenoid stud from the battery. With ignition switch off, meter reads 0.12 volts. With the ignition switch to start, meter reads 12.7 volts. 12.7 is also what the battery reads by itself.

The battery discharge light and oil pressure lights come on dimly. When I tried to energize the glow plug relay, that light does not come on. Meter also reads 12.7V when switched to energize glow plugs.

This really narrows it down.
You have a high resistance connection in the path between your 2 meter leads where resistance should approach zero.

 

[DrankTheOrangeKoolaid]

Did the test. Red lead on positive battery terminal and black lead on solenoid stud from the battery. With ignition switch off, meter reads 0.12 volts. With the ignition switch to start, meter reads 12.7 volts. 12.7 is also what the battery reads by itself.

The battery discharge light and oil pressure lights come on dimly. When I tried to energize the glow plug relay, that light does not come on. Meter also reads 12.7V when switched to energize glow plugs.

I think you found your problem, your positive battery cable. It is either the connection at one end or the other, or the cable is bad.

0.12 volts is a significant drop for a no load situation and dropping 12.7V under load means next to nothing is getting to your starter or glow plugs.

 

[Pau7220]

well... he did that,

No he didn’t……(not yet)

With the ignition switch to start, meter reads 12.7 volts. 12.7 is also what the battery reads by itself.

Now he did….. And he found the problem… Good job flyguy!
Very high resistance in the B+ circuit.

And this…. https://www.orangetractortalks.com/...on-panel-and-will-not-start.55954/post-523878

 

[flyguy210]

I ended up replacing both battery cables with Kubota OEM cord and grounding strap. Tractor fired right up.