BX2230 intermittent starting issue

[bowmaar]

Hello! I have a BX2230 that starts intermittently, tends to be worse in the summer / hotter weather. I have replaced the following:
- new starter
- new battery
- new battery cables (positive and negative)
- new key switch / ignition
- cleaned all ground connections

Is there anything else that could be causing this? When I put the meter on it during starting, I'm getting ~ 11.5V to the starter when key is turned to "start" position. Starter tries to engage w/ gear, but guessing not enough voltage to fully engage? Usually will start eventually after waiting several hours between tries.

 

[Russell King]

Try to “jump” the starter positive cable to the solenoid spade terminal and see if the starter will reliably engage and crank the engine.

Be careful so the tractor doesn’t start and possibly run over you. Safest is to have key in off position and the rear wheels jacked up off the ground and in 2WD. But most people just have the key off and use a screwdriver or something similar to short them together. You can install a wire with a push button starter switch to make it easier and safer to test this.

If it reliably cranks the engine, that indicates that not enough power is getting to the spade terminal from the battery. That is probably due to safety switches dropping off the voltage or the amperage getting through that wire (black with white stripe?). You can add a helper relay at the starter or try to clean/repair/replace the safety switches on your tractor.

 

[bowmaar]

Thanks Russell! I started going through each safety switch and found 2 of them had been bypassed by the previous owner. The Neutral Safety Switch seemed to be the one that may have been causing the issue, after cleaning that switch it has started several times in a row now. I'll keep an eye on it and likely will replace the switch when I get time. I appreciate the input!