B8200 tractor gone dead

[Azza]

Owned this faithful workhorse for over 20 years. Pre ignition key operated dash glow coil playing up. 'Repairman installed button to get started until I purchased new one. Coil left dangling. Button loose so being able to start tractorintermittent. Decided to tighten nut behind dash holding the button. Spanner must have bridged + and - as loud noise and all electrics dead. Two fuses under air filter not blown and ok. Cannot locate any fuse on battery to starter cable. Advice appreciated as to what to look for and check.

 

[kubotasam]

Look for a fusable link. It is a short piece of wire designed to melt without harm. Works just like a fuse. On Kubota tractor usually located near the starter motor.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

The fusible link will be down by the starter on a 1/4 thick red wire.

 

[Azza]

Look for a fusable link. It is a short piece of wire designed to melt without harm. Works just like a fuse. On Kubota tractor usually located near the starter motor. View attachment 97009

Your assistance is appreciated. I had taken the link apart and the male and female terminals looked ok . The male terminals had little holes in them. Tried to pull the terminals out to check inside the link but couldn't. Could not see any blackening inside the link plastic and the wire loop seems intact. Which part of the fusible link fuses? Can it be repaired?

 

[ve9aa]

You need to check the link with an Ohmmeter. "Looking" at it will seldom do you any good.
What's this pushbutton all about? Your glow coil burn out and that was used to bypass it? (do I have that right?)

Did you realize that coil performs multiple functions?

Not only does it provide a visual clue that you have current flow (by heating up and glowing orange so you can see it) but it also voltage drops so you don't burn out your glow plugs with the full battery voltage.

You will have more work to do.

 

[Azza]

You need to check the link with an Ohmmeter. "Looking" at it will seldom do you any good.
What's this pushbutton all about? Your glow coil burn out and that was used to bypass it? (do I have that right?)

Did you realize that coil performs multiple functions?

Not only does it provide a visual clue that you have current flow (by heating up and glowing orange so you can see it) but it also voltage drops so you don't burn out your glow plugs with the full battery voltage.

You will have more work to do.

Had the fusible link checked and its ok. so are the two fuses under the air cleaner. What do I look for next? Is there any other fuse that causes total loss of current if it shorts? You say coil voltage drops. Initial issue was that coil was working intermittently and then not glowing at all. T he repair guy installed a button as temporary measure to substitute for the coil so that I could use tractor. I was while tightening the nut behind dash that holds button when short occurred. Before that while I was tinkering the supposedly faulty coil lit up glowing much stronger than I'd ever seen it which tells me that it the initial problem was noy a faulty coil but a bad connection. After coming alive the coil shorted when it touched metal and snapped in two. I pulled the two parts and twisted them together . I started the tractor and thought all was ok. Then decided to tighten the nut that holds push button in place. When it shorted there was a loud noise and everything went dead

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Had the fusible link checked and its ok. so are the two fuses under the air cleaner. What do I look for next? Is there any other fuse that causes total loss of current if it shorts? You say coil voltage drops. Initial issue was that coil was working intermittently and then not glowing at all. T he repair guy installed a button as temporary measure to substitute for the coil so that I could use tractor. I was while tightening the nut behind dash that holds button when short occurred. Before that while I was tinkering the supposedly faulty coil lit up glowing much stronger than I'd ever seen it which tells me that it the initial problem was noy a faulty coil but a bad connection. After coming alive the coil shorted when it touched metal and snapped in two. I pulled the two parts and twisted them together . I started the tractor and thought all was ok. Then decided to tighten the nut that holds push button in place. When it shorted there was a loud noise and everything went dead

Do you have a test light?
That's a simplest thing to use to check for power.
You would just start at the battery and work your way around till you don't see power any longer.
If there is power out of the fusible link then you would check the main switch and so on.

 

[Azza]

Do you have a test light?
That's a simplest thing to use to check for power.
You would just start at the battery and work your way around till you don't see power any longer.
If there is power out of the fusible link then you would check the main switch and so on.

Tested from battery and have power to past fusiible link. Still no dash lights and seems no power at start switch. Can a short blow a start switch ? Disconnected the auxiliary button that was installed as temporary fix

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Tested from battery and have power to past fusiible link. Still no dash lights and seems no power at start switch. Can a short blow a start switch ? Disconnected the auxiliary button that was installed as temporary fix

Yes that's possible, especially an old switch

 

[Azza]

Yes that's possible, especially an old switch

Im working on the assumption that even if ignition switch is faulty test light will still indicate if theres power in the wires connecting to it

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Im working on the assumption that even if ignition switch is faulty test light will still indicate if theres power in the wires connecting to it

Yes if it's fried there will be power in and no power out.

 

[Azza]

Yes if it's fried there will be power in and no power out.

Theres power to the fusable link but none at the thick red single wire under the fuel tank heading towards dash. No power to any point rear of ignition switch.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Theres power to the fusable link but none at the thick red single wire under the fuel tank heading towards dash. No power to any point rear of ignition switch.

Sounds like there is a break in that wire, chase it from the fusible link till you find the break.

 

[Azza]

Sounds like there is a break in that wire, chase it from the fusible link till you find the break.

Had the fusible link tested and was told it was ok. Was not. Test light indicated had power in but not out. I tried to pull the out wire out to see what problem was. Very tight but managed to prize it out a bit and power flowing in and out. I surmise that pulling at the wire was enough to scrape dirt / oxidization away. Fingers crossed and thumbs up for your advice

 

[Azza]

Had the fusible link tested and was told it was ok. Was not. Test light indicated had power in but not out. I tried to pull the out wire out to see what problem was. Very tight but managed to prize it out a bit and power flowing in and out. I surmise that pulling at the wire was enough to scrape dirt / oxidization away. Fingers crossed and thumbs up for your advice

 

[Azza]

The auxiliary button that was installed to get tractor started was never much good and now not functioning at all . I decided to remove it and reconnect the glow coil indicator to see if it' still works.. Two wires, from glow coil; one with red stripe still attached and goes to connector marked 17 at back of ignition switch. trying to figure out where the other black with white stripe wire connects to. when i hold it against connector marked as 30 coil starts smoking, so i'm presuming it's still ok. Anyhow need to know where on ignition switch to connect the loose white stripe wire to.