Kubota ZD1211 - won't start

GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
11,419
4,908
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
curious...
is this K318162320 really the OPC 'controller' ??
dang it's $432 CDN ,plus 13% taxes....

If it just takes the 4 switches to turn on the relay, I can make the 'guts' for about $20,another $5 to bulletproof it.
 

texaskubota

Member

Equipment
ZD1211
Feb 28, 2023
40
0
6
Texas
curious...
is this K318162320 really the OPC 'controller' ??
dang it's $432 CDN ,plus 13% taxes....

If it just takes the 4 switches to turn on the relay, I can make the 'guts' for about $20,another $5 to bulletproof it.
Man, looks like you found it before I did. How did you find it? I had to Google and went down a rabbit hole to find it.

That's what I pulled out earlier and was a pain to retreive. Has that odd markings/numbers and assumed it likely wasn't a part number. Didn't dig deeper because I didn't see the elusive B/R wire


But I guess we can confirm that is the controller. Says NOTHING about it in the manual. Infact, it shows it (behind the relays), but says nothing anywhere

Shady
 

GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
11,419
4,908
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
So if the dash lights 'follow' the switches ( light up) then the switches are OK.
If you jumper the starter relay and the starter spins, the relay is good.

on the OPC connector, if you jumper the B/R wire(pin 1 of connector) from the starter relay to pin 6 ( red/wht), relay should click. Pin 6 has 12 volts live from battery through 20 amp fuse.

question.. do YOU have to be in the seat to start the engine ?? I don't with my BX23S.
 

texaskubota

Member

Equipment
ZD1211
Feb 28, 2023
40
0
6
Texas
So if the dash lights 'follow' the switches ( light up) then the switches are OK.
If you jumper the starter relay and the starter spins, the relay is good.

on the OPC connector, if you jumper the B/R wire(pin 1 of connector) from the starter relay to pin 6 ( red/wht), relay should click. Pin 6 has 12 volts live from battery through 20 amp fuse.

question.. do YOU have to be in the seat to start the engine ?? I don't with my BX23S.
Yup, has to be sat in.

I'm going to give your method a whirl, but first I am going to undo the grounds and give them and the frame a good cleaning.

I know, I should have done that from the start regardless of how they look. But reading about the relays, switches, and ignition switch also being common culprits, I got sidetracked.

If it is infact a bad ground, and that easy, don't worry, I paid for it!
 

Pawnee

Well-known member

Equipment
L2501
Jul 1, 2021
351
306
63
Ontario Canada
Ok, not the grounds. Removed, sanded, wire brushed. No success.
Didn't solve the problem but now you have nice clean grounds.
Troubleshooting goes like that sometimes, you improve some things that aren't bad enough to make it go again but when you eventually find the root cause it starts like a new one!
 

texaskubota

Member

Equipment
ZD1211
Feb 28, 2023
40
0
6
Texas
Didn't solve the problem but now you have nice clean grounds.
Troubleshooting goes like that sometimes, you improve some things that aren't bad enough to make it go again but when you eventually find the root cause it starts like a new one!
Yeah it's one more thing to check off with confidence. Into RC? I've lost a few
 

texaskubota

Member

Equipment
ZD1211
Feb 28, 2023
40
0
6
Texas
Ok reporting back.

1. My damn multimeter probe broke off at the joint. So that made me question all my previous testing! Guess I've used it a lot.

Anyway.....had a spare so...

2. Tested the power to the starter relay. Nothing!

3. Tested the pin 1 to pin 6 jump. No go. So then tested to see if pin 6 is seeing any power (controller arms in neutral, parking brake set, seat bypassed). NOTHING!

4. I detected 12v at basically all the switches. And with their dash lights responding to movement, I have to believe they're all good. Maybe.

They all dropped a little in when moving ignition to start, except the seat dropped down to 9V on start. Hm. I already have tried jumping the mower with a known GOOD battery.

So in summary,, the OPC pin 6 sees no power and the starter relay sees no power (testing all ignition switch positions)
 

GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
11,419
4,908
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
Pin 6 is fed from a 20 amp fuse which is fed from the 50 amp slow-blo fuse from the battery.
so...
find the 20 amp fuse in the fuse panel, check both side of it( test holes in top of fuse), assuming it's a yellow ATC style.

The50 slo-blo is good, as 'stuff' lights up....
 

texaskubota

Member

Equipment
ZD1211
Feb 28, 2023
40
0
6
Texas
Pin 6 is fed from a 20 amp fuse which is fed from the 50 amp slow-blo fuse from the battery.
so...
find the 20 amp fuse in the fuse panel, check both side of it( test holes in top of fuse), assuming it's a yellow ATC style.

The50 slo-blo is good, as 'stuff' lights up....
20A is good. 0V in all ignition switch positions

All other fuses pass continuity as well
 

GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
11,419
4,908
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
If you've got 12v on the 20 amp fuse and zero on pin 6 of the OPC, the the Red/Wht wire from the fuse to OPC is open or broken.
 

GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
11,419
4,908
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
Using the diagram from post #7, the 20 amp fuse gets it's power from the 50 amp fuse, probably a solid RED wire. The 50A fuse is good, as ign key does turn on some dash lights.....
if there's no voltage on the 20 amp fuse, then the wire (RED ?) from the slow blow fuse or ign switch is bad.

I don't know where the 'splice' is, but that Red wire only goes to 3 places... slowblow fuse, ign sw and 20A fuse. It shouldn't be too hard to find,follow and fix...
 

texaskubota

Member

Equipment
ZD1211
Feb 28, 2023
40
0
6
Texas
Using the diagram from post #7, the 20 amp fuse gets it's power from the 50 amp fuse, probably a solid RED wire. The 50A fuse is good, as ign key does turn on some dash lights.....
if there's no voltage on the 20 amp fuse, then the wire (RED ?) from the slow blow fuse or ign switch is bad.

I don't know where the 'splice' is, but that Red wire only goes to 3 places... slowblow fuse, ign sw and 20A fuse. It shouldn't be too hard to find,follow and fix...
Well, it just got interesting.

On the fuse/relay/OPC harness.....there's a plug that connects to another plug that connects to the display dash (meter panel)....and I noticed the plug from the harness had a r/w wire. I slightly tug on it and it comes straight out.

I believe the starter diagram is ignoring that entire harness goes through the display dash (which after thinking, it obviously does because it detects all the switches)
 

GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
11,419
4,908
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
sigh... really need to look at the entire wiring diagram in the WSM, electrical section...
that 20amp fuse 'output side' goes to Stop Solenoid, then the OPC and the 'meter panel' .

It IS live though , connected directly to the 50 slow blow fuse and the 'starter switch', so both sides of that fuse ( yellow ?) will show 12 volts all the time....
 

texaskubota

Member

Equipment
ZD1211
Feb 28, 2023
40
0
6
Texas
sigh... really need to look at the entire wiring diagram in the WSM, electrical section...
that 20amp fuse 'output side' goes to Stop Solenoid, then the OPC and the 'meter panel' .

It IS live though , connected directly to the 50 slow blow fuse and the 'starter switch', so both sides of that fuse ( yellow ?) will show 12 volts all the time....
I stripped the R/W a little to expose some wire and put it back in the plug with hopes to make decent contact. Still no start or power no matter how many times I seat it back in the plug

As it is now, the 20Amp is showing no voltage no matter what
 

texaskubota

Member

Equipment
ZD1211
Feb 28, 2023
40
0
6
Texas
I see it taps into the stop solenoid relay. Can't tell if that would have an effect in startup

If it's worth anything, I can confirm continuity from the power at ignition to the 20AMP
 

GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
11,419
4,908
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
ok.simple test..
according to the wsm wiring, the live +12 from 50 amp fuse goes to both the 20 amp fuse and a 15 amp.
the 15 goes to the 'regulator'.
please confirm it as +12 volt. I think 15 amp fuse are blue ?

this long distance diagnosis is difficult ! but easier than the 2 feet of snow I have to deal with come sunrise tomorrow......