BX1830 - all electrical fail
- Thread starter fishinroc25
- Start date
fishinroc25
Member
Equipment
Kubota BX1830 w/loader, custom front plow, 3-pt trailer hitch, Carry All
Thanks, but unless there are fuses hidden somewhere else they are all good. I keep going back to the fuse block hoping that a fuse is blown and that’s been my problem the whole time.. unfortunately it doesn’t work that way.
I’m making the assumption that the ACC terminal is part of the main fuse block. I did dissemble the ignition switch to verify all connections were good and no damage. Obviously it would be fine because I can start & run the tractor, but I am grabbing straws to what the cause is to my lighting and gauge issues are.
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So you have voltage, meaning 12 volts from ACC terminal of the IGN switch to ground?
fishinroc25
Member
Equipment
Kubota BX1830 w/loader, custom front plow, 3-pt trailer hitch, Carry All
90% sure I have checked voltage coming from each of the outputs from my fuse block. I say that because I have gone through so many areas trying to find a bad ground, loose wire, broken wire, etc, I’m loosing track of what I haven’t tested yet. I will definitely test to ensure there is power coming from the terminal - that is a very good question!!
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Ok, I think you need to slow down and go back to the start.
Forget what has been done so far as you aren't quite sure........
Easiest things first
Pull all fuses individually and check each one individually and refit, go to next fuse, same again.
Set multimeter to DC approx 20 volt scale, using multimeter, test from the fuse top (tiny hole in top of fuse) to ground to establish you have 12 volts, both sides of fuses (with IGN on)
Then turn IGN switch to ON, check from ACC/ON terminal to ground for 12 volts.
I am guessing that you are measuring the 12V from the connector to a bare metal location on the tractor - that is what I typically do. Since you have indicated that you are measuring 12V everywhere that you have checked, I am guessing that your tractor has a grounding issue. When you check the voltage try measuring between the ground pin of the connector and the +12V pin of the connector. Since you have so many electrical failures it must be a main connection. I would suggest starting with the headlight connection and isolate whether it is a ground or voltage problem - as suggested earlier in post #13 using small electrical(alligator) clips connect the one jumper wire from the +12V pin of the connector to the + side of the headlight and connect the negative side of the headlight directly to the negative battery terminal with the other jumper wire - if that headlight lights with the switch on then there is a ground problem. If the headlight still doesn't light you can try using small electrical(alligator) clips connect the one jumper wire from the negative pin of the connector to the negative side of the headlight and connect the positive side of the headlight directly to the positive battery terminal with the other jumper wire. The headlight should light in one of the two configurations - if not there are multiple problems.
One simple thing to verify that the battery cables are not limiting current because of high resistance because of corrosion inside the battery clamps is to use a good set of jumper cables from the battery negative post to the chassis and the battery positive post to where the positive battery cable is connected. I doubt that this will work as you have a few things working correctly.
One simple thing to verify that the battery cables are not limiting current because of high resistance because of corrosion inside the battery clamps is to use a good set of jumper cables from the battery negative post to the chassis and the battery positive post to where the positive battery cable is connected. I doubt that this will work as you have a few things working correctly.
fishinroc25
Member
Equipment
Kubota BX1830 w/loader, custom front plow, 3-pt trailer hitch, Carry All
Thanks 100 td and tthorkil. I’m going to take both your suggestions and see what I can come up with. You are right 100 td, I need to scrap what I have done so far and start over, I have been messing with this issue on & off since fall (when time permitted). I do know that all grounds are good, I spent one evening just redoing ground connections! Thanks again. I’ll give some updates this upcoming weekend when I actually get the opportunity to work on it again.
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100 td is giving you very good advice.
Start over.
What have you added to the tractor. LED lights, radio, electrical solenoid valve for grapple, linear actuator for snow blower.
Post a photo of your fuse box so comparisons can be made to slightly different models of tractors' WSMs
Dave
Start over.
What have you added to the tractor. LED lights, radio, electrical solenoid valve for grapple, linear actuator for snow blower.
Post a photo of your fuse box so comparisons can be made to slightly different models of tractors' WSMs
Dave
fishinroc25
Member
Equipment
Kubota BX1830 w/loader, custom front plow, 3-pt trailer hitch, Carry All
Thanks responding Dave. The only addition I have made to the tractor was replacing the standard bulbs with LED, but once I began having issues, I changed everything back to the original bulbs. This weekend, I’m going to be testing the suggestions that 100td and tthorkil made! Attached is the pic of my fuse box.
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fishinroc25
Member
Equipment
Kubota BX1830 w/loader, custom front plow, 3-pt trailer hitch, Carry All
Hi all!
So, I was finally able to spend some time on my BX electrical issues. I think I have learned and fixed the culprits....
1) I think a couple of the wires on my fuse block were loose, I was pulling all the fuses (for the exaggerated millionth time) and saw wires wiggling when re-inserting the fuses... hmmm. I secured the wires and fuse block so nothing can move around anymore.
2) Even though my battery was “good”when it was tested by a local battery/alternator speciality shop, it’s NOT good. I replaced it with the battery from my camper and bam all is working great!! I will be buying a replacement battery for my tractor now!
The long and short of this very long story line, it was a typical simple two part fix! The good part is, all my ground connections are cleaned & now perfect and basically every other electrical connection has been cleaned and re-secured.
BIG THANK YOU to all of you that commented offering up suggestions.
I enjoy this forum, it’s a great resource!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
So, I was finally able to spend some time on my BX electrical issues. I think I have learned and fixed the culprits....
1) I think a couple of the wires on my fuse block were loose, I was pulling all the fuses (for the exaggerated millionth time) and saw wires wiggling when re-inserting the fuses... hmmm. I secured the wires and fuse block so nothing can move around anymore.
2) Even though my battery was “good”when it was tested by a local battery/alternator speciality shop, it’s NOT good. I replaced it with the battery from my camper and bam all is working great!! I will be buying a replacement battery for my tractor now!
The long and short of this very long story line, it was a typical simple two part fix! The good part is, all my ground connections are cleaned & now perfect and basically every other electrical connection has been cleaned and re-secured.
BIG THANK YOU to all of you that commented offering up suggestions.
I enjoy this forum, it’s a great resource!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Glad you found the problem and especially thank you for providing the final chapter.
The modern methods of battery testing came into being because of the dangers of doing a serious load test on a battery with untrained personnel.
Now everyone has these expensive multi meter type testers.
My sister in law has a Mercedes SUV. Her husband wants it to be 100% reliable as she travels a lot. One warmer day, in their driveway, it would not start.
I went over and got it going and she took it to the Mercedes dealer with the instruction "fix it," and then call me as they were going on vacation.
A few days later I called to see if the vehicle was fixed. I was told nothing wrong with it. I said change the battery and I don't care what your tester shows you. He took exception to my instruction and called my brother on vacation to argue a new battery was not necessary and a waste of money. My brother said stop arguing and do as you were told.
I insisted on being given the old battery.
At my shop I charged it fully. It was an expensive Mercedes labeled 900 CCA battery.
Once fully charged I put my 500 amp carbon pile tester on it and loaded it to 1/2 the CCA. Very quickly the voltage dropped too low.
The SUV has never failed to start since with its new battery.
I know on forums a lot of owners with suspect batteries are told to go and have the free test. I do not think they are as accurate as claimed.
Carbon pile load testers are often on sale for less than $100.
If you own a number of vehicles, I think you will find a serious high current draw load test far more informative of your battery's condition.
There are 100 amp load testers. Unless you are testing garden tractor or motorcycle batteries, they do not adequately test a tractor battery.
Dave
The modern methods of battery testing came into being because of the dangers of doing a serious load test on a battery with untrained personnel.
Now everyone has these expensive multi meter type testers.
My sister in law has a Mercedes SUV. Her husband wants it to be 100% reliable as she travels a lot. One warmer day, in their driveway, it would not start.
I went over and got it going and she took it to the Mercedes dealer with the instruction "fix it," and then call me as they were going on vacation.
A few days later I called to see if the vehicle was fixed. I was told nothing wrong with it. I said change the battery and I don't care what your tester shows you. He took exception to my instruction and called my brother on vacation to argue a new battery was not necessary and a waste of money. My brother said stop arguing and do as you were told.
I insisted on being given the old battery.
At my shop I charged it fully. It was an expensive Mercedes labeled 900 CCA battery.
Once fully charged I put my 500 amp carbon pile tester on it and loaded it to 1/2 the CCA. Very quickly the voltage dropped too low.
The SUV has never failed to start since with its new battery.
I know on forums a lot of owners with suspect batteries are told to go and have the free test. I do not think they are as accurate as claimed.
Carbon pile load testers are often on sale for less than $100.
If you own a number of vehicles, I think you will find a serious high current draw load test far more informative of your battery's condition.
There are 100 amp load testers. Unless you are testing garden tractor or motorcycle batteries, they do not adequately test a tractor battery.
Dave
Dave, speaking of testing, I took the alternator off of my Dodge Dakota to O'Reillys Auto Parts and had it tested. Two individuals tested it a total of 3 times. I had my doubts, so I went to NAPA. They took it to the back room and tested it (they said) 3 times. All those test indicated it was charging fine, but my Scan Gauge showed 11.7 most of the time.
Decided the least expensive part to replace, since on Dodge the voltage regulator is in the PCM, was the alt. New one make it all work fine.
Decided the least expensive part to replace, since on Dodge the voltage regulator is in the PCM, was the alt. New one make it all work fine.
Good story. I have not been in the back rooms to see how they test alternators especially ones where the regulator is not internal.
I was standing at the counter of a NAPA like place and a taxi driver and his brother came in carrying a battery.
The kid behind the counter whipped out his trusty new age tester.
Then he started looking at the display first upright then sideways... finally he proclaimed the battery good and printed out something,
He had absolutely no clue what he was doing and for certain the taxi driver's car would not start the next time.
Dave