Starter not engaging

[1lakeman2]

I have a L2850, 1987 or 86 year. I have had to turn the switch several times to get the starter to engage. Sometimes tapping on side of starter helps. This doesn’t work now. Have a new starter on it now. Same result I’m jumping the power from my truck as the battery was weak. I get a click and sometimes the starter tries to engage. But doesn’t spin flywheel. Flywheel turns ok when starter is off. Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[GreensvilleJay]

'jumping' ? Where ?? at the battery or at the starter ?? BIG difference.
Be real handy to post the wiring diagram for it.
Ok, I found one...maybe..
Simple test.. With known GOOD battery hooked up AT starter, jumper +12 to the 'control lug' on the starter. That should power the starter and turn the engine. if it does, then starter is good.

Jumping at the battery leads can prove you've got bad battery cables. if they're more than +-5 years old they can be rotten in the core. Can have a 'surface charge' but will not pass AMPS through.

 

[1lakeman2]

'jumping' ? Where ?? at the battery or at the starter ?? BIG difference.
Be real handy to post the wiring diagram for it.

I’m jumping at the battery leads

 

[1lakeman2]

I’m jumping at the battery leads
[/QUOTE
Also I have had tractor for about 10 years. Always had this problem. One starter burnt up first time I tried it. This is the fourth one I put on. All had the same problem. I think it’s voltage but don’t know where to look for a problem

 

[GreensvilleJay]

bad battery leads, replace BOTH and be sure to clean all connections

 

[Dave_eng]

Ja

'jumping' ? Where ?? at the battery or at the starter ?? BIG difference.
Be real handy to post the wiring diagram for it.
Ok, I found one...maybe..
Simple test.. With known GOOD battery hooked up AT starter, jumper +12 to the 'control lug' on the starter. That should power the starter and turn the engine. if it does, then starter is good.

Jumping at the battery leads can prove you've got bad battery cables. if they're more than +-5 years old they can be rotten in the core. Can have a 'surface charge' but will not pass AMPS through.

Jay
This may be of help for you.

There is no starter relay so any resistance in the safety switch is going to affect the current reaching the starter solenoid pull in coil.

Dave

 

[DustyRusty]

Remove the cables from the battery and clean both ends of the terminals on both positive and negative, and then see if it will start with your battery. Might be both bad contacts and a weak battery. If the battery has a full charge and you still are having difficulty, then the cables have high resistance in them as a result of corrosion that has traveled down the copper wires under the insulation causing high resistance to current flow. New cables are not that expensive. Also, make a mark where the positive side of the battery is placed, and also make sure to mark which cable is the positive cable so there are no mix-ups like the last person that had a battery problem posted on the forums. In his case, someone installed a red cable for the ground, which should be a black cable. The last thing is that your jumper cables might not be of sufficient wire size to carry enough current to the vehicle being jumped. Good-quality battery cables are not inexpensive. My jumper cables are made from welding cable grade wire. 30' long and will carry enough current to start anything that you hook it up to unless the battery in the vehicle you are connecting to isn't large enough. You can't start a tractor that needs a big battery off a small vehicle battery. It is like fighting a house fire with a garden hose.

 

[1lakeman2]

'jumping' ? Where ?? at the battery or at the starter ?? BIG difference.
Be real handy to post the wiring diagram for it.
Ok, I found one...maybe..
Simple test.. With known GOOD battery hooked up AT starter, jumper +12 to the 'control lug' on the starter. That should power the starter and turn the engine. if it does, then starter is good.

Jumping at the battery leads can prove you've got bad battery cables. if they're more than +-5 years old they can be rotten in the core. Can have a 'surface charge' but will not pass AMPS through.

Ok will try this

 

[1lakeman2]

Ok will try this

Ok tried this. Jumped straight to starter. Did not engage. Brand new starter. Not kubota brand. I will send back for a replacement

 

[Henro]

Ok tried this. Jumped straight to starter. Did not engage. Brand new starter. Not kubota brand. I will send back for a replacement

Just for clarification, how EXACTLY did you jump the started at the starter?

 

[1lakeman2]

Just for clarification, how EXACTLY did you jump the started at the starter?

Jumper cable from a good battery, my truck was running, to hot post on starter with ground on tractor frame, tried to start. Only click

 

[85Hokie]

Jumper cable from a good battery, my truck was running, to hot post on starter with ground on tractor frame, tried to start. Only click

You have narrowed down the problem then = either your jumpers are not quite up to par or the starter/bendix are not engaging.

Before sending the starter back - lay it on the ground and step away and connect last the positive post to a known good battery or jumper cable - bendix should kick out and starter should spin. IF this happens - then look to see if the starter is the exact same as OEM.

Any teeth missing on flywheel? You said engine spin without starter?

 

[1lakeman2]

Just for clarification, how EXACTLY did you jump the started at the starter?

You have narrowed down the problem then = either your jumpers are not quite up to par or the starter/bendix are not engaging.

Before sending the starter back - lay it on the ground and step away and connect last the positive post to a known good battery or jumper cable - bendix should kick out and starter should spin. IF this happens - then look to see if the starter is the exact same as OEM.

Any teeth missing on flywheel? You said engine spin without starter?

No teeth missing, looks like new. Would you ground to the outside frame of starter and the touch the other jumper lead to hot post when I bought the tractor I think it had a aftermarket starter on it then. Don’t know exactly what an OEM looks like

 

[Henro]

No teeth missing, looks like new. Would you ground to the outside frame of starter and the touch the other jumper lead to hot post when I bought the tractor I think it had a aftermarket starter on it then. Don’t know exactly what an OEM looks like

That is what I would do. Doing it that way eliminates every connection and every wire between the battery in the tractor and the starter itself. That way you are checking ONLY the starter...if the tractor starts you know you have a bad connection or cable between the tractor battery and the starter.

Edit: OR a bad battery, but if I remember right, you pretty much have ruled out a bad battery.

 

[1lakeman2]

That is what I would do. Doing it that way eliminates every connection and every wire between the battery in the tractor and the starter itself. That way you are checking ONLY the starter...if the tractor starts you know you have a bad connection or cable between the tractor battery and the starter.

Edit: OR a bad battery, but if I remember right, you pretty much have ruled out a bad battery.

Ok, I took the starter off and hooked up to a good battery, jumped across the terminals and starter bendix engaged. I will put back on tractor in the morning and try jumping again to see if it engages fly wheel and turns Moyer over. I also tested the starter that I took off and it engaged also. When I turned the key on, all lights on dash come on. When I tried to start with the old and new starter, I got clicking and the bendix tried to engage but never turned engine over. Could ignition switch be my problem

 

[Henro]

Ok, I took the starter off and hooked up to a good battery, jumped across the terminals and starter bendix engaged. I will put back on tractor in the morning and try jumping again to see if it engages fly wheel and turns Moyer over. I also tested the starter that I took off and it engaged also. When I turned the key on, all lights on dash come on. When I tried to start with the old and new starter, I got clicking and the bendix tried to engage but never turned engine over. Could ignition switch be my problem

One thing at a time I think.

Put the starter back on. Apply your jumper cables to the starter housing and the positive terminal, and see what happens. The result should point you in the right direction to find the root issue.

Edit: Thinking further, once you have the cables on the positive terminal of the starter and the case, you still need to energize the solenoid that activates the starter. So you need to also put positive voltage on the solenoid terminal to make the starter work. You probably already realize this so this is a "just in case" comment.

 

[GBJeffOH]

I have a L2850, 1987 or 86 year. I have had to turn the switch several times to get the starter to engage. Sometimes tapping on side of starter helps. This doesn’t work now. Have a new starter on it now. Same result I’m jumping the power from my truck as the battery was weak. I get a click and sometimes the starter tries to engage. But doesn’t spin flywheel. Flywheel turns ok when starter is off. Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I think you getting confused on what "jumping the starter is"
It's not using jumper cables off of the truck.
You take a small wire and jump from the small spade terminal on the solenoid on the starter to the Large battery connection on the starter.
NOTE: Some starters have 2 connections on the solenoid one is an input and one is an output.
Make sure you are using the input connection.
Make 100% sure that the tractor in in neutral and brake is set.
If that jump make the starter crank the engine, then your issue is either the Clutch pedal safety switch, the PTO switch, or the main key switch.
If the starter does not crank, have you load tested the tractor battery?
Have you inspected / cleaned / removed and reinstalled both ends of both battery cables?

 

[1lakeman2]

I think you getting confused on what "jumping the starter is"
It's not using jumper cables off of the truck.
You take a small wire and jump from the small spade terminal on the solenoid on the starter to the Large battery connection on the starter.
NOTE: Some starters have 2 connections on the solenoid one is an input and one is an output.
Make sure you are using the input connection.
Make 100% sure that the tractor in in neutral and brake is set.
If that jump make the starter crank the engine, then your issue is either the Clutch pedal safety switch, the PTO switch, or the main key switch.
If the starter does not crank, have you load tested the tractor battery?
Have you inspected / cleaned / removed and reinstalled both ends of both battery cables?

Thanks for the responses. I think I may have left out a few steps, but I think we are all on the same page. I have not load tested the battery yet, will tomorrow. Have not cleaned or tested the the battery cables yet, will tomorrow. I have the battery out of the tractor and on charge, will test that first. how high should the cranking amps be on a new battery if I need one. I have replaced this battery three years ago, but only replace with like kind. I don’t have any idea what was in it originally. I know I have limited space so can I get a higher cranking amp battery in the same location. Thanks

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

My rule is go as high of CCA as the battery package will let you.
You can never have to many CCA's.
Just NO exotic batteries.