Hooked up Battery wrong now wont start

Dchalona

New member

Equipment
L2800
Dec 24, 2016
11
0
0
Hammond
I am trying to figure out how to trouble shoot and get tractor back up and running. the mistake came from being in a hurry and not paying attention. I rectified and changed the one fuse i could see and still no cranking. Just a single clicking noise form the glow plugs, I guess. I have lights and on initial check the battery seemed okay.
I have checked all the fuses and had one blown. It was one of the green ones in the box by the battery. The other fuses look fine.
I believe i need to check:
1)that battery has at least 12.xxV
2)The alternator is okay
3)the Starter is getting proper voltage.

Are there more items to check?
Can you offer guidance on how to check on 2 and 3?
There seems to be a sea of information for cars but not tractors and there seems to be some discrepancies in terms of the actual hardware.

Please help.
 

Tooljunkie

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
L1501,home built carry all, mini plow blade.
May 13, 2014
4,150
27
48
59
Lac Du Bonnet, Manitoba,Canada
Im not familiar with your tractor, but lets start off with why battery was removed and try to determine what nay have failed. If its a fairly new machine,digital dash and computerized engine controls then you may have just caused yourself some major grief.
Lights work,so what happens when key is on?dash lights or indicators on?
For example ,oil light warning.
Is there a fuse link by starter that may have burned?
Turning key on and jumping starter at solenoid start engine?
Be certain its in neutral as you dont want to be running yourself over.
Another thing, if it will run,we need to figure out how to stop engine,as if something is bad, then shutoff wont work either. Emergency shutoff or actuator on injection pump to stop engine.
 

Dchalona

New member

Equipment
L2800
Dec 24, 2016
11
0
0
Hammond
Analog gauges with idiot lights. The reason I changed out was that the original Battery was dead and had to jump it to get it started. Went and changed out battery and in my rush to finish job battery got flipped around.


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coachgeo

Well-known member

Equipment
L225 w/woods Few Mowers & Back Blade, D722 in Motorcycle (Triumph Tiger), LMTV
Nov 16, 2012
2,460
32
48
Southern OH
Did anything smoke orr??? If so you might have burned your fusible link if it had one.

Dang.... Im slow today LOL. Looks like Tool Junkie covered that one already.
 
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Dchalona

New member

Equipment
L2800
Dec 24, 2016
11
0
0
Hammond
I know how to jump on solenoid on my gravely but ant see how to do it on tractor.


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lugbolt

Well-known member

Equipment
ZG127S-54
Oct 15, 2015
4,807
1,575
113
Mid, South, USA
So let's get this straight. Original battery went dead. Then you replaced it, but hooked it up backwards (+ to - and - to +)? Now after fixing that, and replacing a blown fuse, you get nothing? Nothing as in what? Any lights work? Everything work but no cranking? When you turn the key to "on", do you get a loud audible single click?
 

sgtboz

Member

Equipment
Kubota L3800/L3940, BH77/BH90 Backhoes, www.bozhog.com
Sep 11, 2015
197
3
18
51
Oklahoma City, OK
www.bozhog.com
The click might be the fuel shut-off opening up. That would indicate your getting power that far at least. If you have a volt-meter to test across the terminals, you could use it to see if the starter is still good. Sounds like you've taken the right steps so far.

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Dchalona

New member

Equipment
L2800
Dec 24, 2016
11
0
0
Hammond
I have a multi meter. Battery is at 12.2 V and there is matching power on the large lead at bottom of starter. I found that by grounding black lead and touching the large connection with red lead. One item I'm concerned about is CCA of the battery. I read where I could try and jump it again and if that works the battery is bad in the sense of not producing enough CCA. Also there was one piece that the alternator needs to be checked but I don't know how also something about proper voltage drop across starter??? Don't know ugh!


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Greenhead

Member

Equipment
L4400, MX5100
Oct 13, 2014
193
0
16
Fond du Lac, WI
So first things first. Is the battery good and charged? Second, make sure all safety switches are in the correct position (PTO, Clutch in, HST pedal in middle or neutral, etc.).
As far as testing alternators, with motor running remove the positive battery post. If the motor stops the alternator is bad.

I also found this posting.

My wife decided to mow with my kubota L2050 over the summer and couldn't get it to start. I knew the battery was dying and had planned to get another over the weekend. Well, she decided to hook the jumper up to the tractor and reversed the terminals. I got a call during the middle of the day saying that she tried to start it and the battery was smoking. When I got home and checked out what she did, I realized she reversed the positive and negative, cranked the juice up on the battery charger, and tried to start it. After about three hours of trying to figure out what she had done, I found one small, well hidden, nearly impossible to get to fusible link that had burnt out. The insulation was intact, just slightly warped. How did I find the wire?? Luck I guess, I started sniffing around to see if I could smell burnt wired. I smelled what I thought was something burnt and started looking. The link insulation was just a little warped, but when I felt for the wire, it was obviously burnt in half. I cut that little section out, put in a new fuse link, and we were good to go. The tractor runs fine and the battery charger is now well hidden.
 
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Dchalona

New member

Equipment
L2800
Dec 24, 2016
11
0
0
Hammond
Okay. I will, for trouble shooting sake, verify the proper safety checks are applied. But I believe they are done. On the fuse hidden away story. Is there any hint on where to look? I have checked every fuse I can find. The 3 main fuses by the battery. Main was burnt and I replaced. There is a fuse buss by the clutch and I have tested them for continuity all passed.


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Greenhead

Member

Equipment
L4400, MX5100
Oct 13, 2014
193
0
16
Fond du Lac, WI
A fusible link will be an in-line piece of wire not a regular fuse. Look at the wiring for a little rippled area and then you should be able to feel the void in the wire. Google it.
 

Tooljunkie

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L1501,home built carry all, mini plow blade.
May 13, 2014
4,150
27
48
59
Lac Du Bonnet, Manitoba,Canada
Starter generally has 3 connections,one coming in from battery, fuse links connected to power tractor from there.
Next is a small terminal, powered through safety switches to activate starter.
Third terminal goes directly into starter motor.

Now are we chasing a battery or ground issue? Im thinking so.
Only thing is alternator that may have suffered, but its the diodes that caused the short that blew fuses.
Test light used to trace circuits-power to key,key to starter.
 

Dave_eng

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Equipment
M7040, Nuffield 465
Oct 6, 2012
5,108
926
113
Williamstown Ontario Canada
Would you have a wiring diagram you could post for me to study?
From what I can see on Messicks your tractor has a Slow Blow Fuse.
It would be used in lieu of a fusible link in most instances. Have you checked it?

The mention of a Fusible link is an excellent one but they can be hard to recognize.





Go to these two Denso links and try and go through the steps with your multimeter to answer your #2 and #3. Troubleshooting starter and alternator. They have illustrations on where and how to connect your multi meter.
http://densoautoparts.com/sites/default/files/tech-tips/DENSO Starter troubleshooting tips.pdf
http://densoautoparts.com/sites/def...ENSO charging system troubleshooting tips.pdf


I am going to mention "flyback diode." They are finding their way into more and more wiring systems where there are electronic instruments, electronic fuel injection to name two.

To understand what they are put into an electrical wiring system, consider the ignition coil from the 1960's. It has two different coil wraps of fine wire one inside the other. A 12 volt current is sent into one coil and it builds up a magnetic field around the second coil. Interrupting the 12 volt current by opening the ignition points (like opening a switch) The collapsing magnetic field induces or creates a high voltage in the second coil of wire and fires the spark plug.

A coil of wire like one in a starter solenoid can do the same inducing of voltage into itself. weird I know but if you ever kept touching a wire to the terminal of a solenoid and do it quickly, you might get a sharp zap of hundred of volts although you are playing with a 12 volt wire.

This flyback high voltage pulse can damaging other items on the machine. To block it simple diode devices are incorporated into the circuit around the starter solenoid.. These pictures show you what they can look like but not always. Connecting the battery backwards can blow this flyback diode and when you connect the battery properly and turn the key the blown diode cannot send power to the solenoid to engage the starter. I have cut the factory ones apart and soldered in a cheap electronic component but you have to match the polarity of the new diode to the old one.










Dave M7040
 

bxray

Member

Equipment
Bx25d
Dec 1, 2014
712
1
18
Cleveland, ohio
When tryong to crank does the voltage stay or drop?
Bad battery or connection(s).
Maybe ground?
Is there 12 on the solinoid when cranking?
 

Dchalona

New member

Equipment
L2800
Dec 24, 2016
11
0
0
Hammond
Bxray how would I check that drop? Crank and watch the battery? On the starter would I crank while I ground to case while positive lead on hot from battery?


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Tooljunkie

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L1501,home built carry all, mini plow blade.
May 13, 2014
4,150
27
48
59
Lac Du Bonnet, Manitoba,Canada
The best would be at battery post on starter and ground on starter or engine block. Jump battery cable to small post on starter. Should crank. If no crank then likely battery or cable connections are your issue.while watching voltmeter, of course.

Battery and cables and connections at starter and ground at frame all good,while jumping starter,it should crank. Voltmeter should be no lower than 9 to 10 volts. Leave key off for this test.
 
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