Was the tractor previously stored outdoor or in open shed or rural barn? Mouse-eaten wiring is common in those situations.
When I bought my M4700 the seller did not disclose…and I foolishly did not ask “Does everything work as it should?”. Result: I found a week later the battery was not being charged, the low-fuel/no-charge combination warning lamp had been REMOVED by the PO (previous owner) to hide this fact. During the ”pre-buy inspection” (which admittedly was very cursory) the tractor was started (great start) and the FEL and PTO were operated… the tractor moved fwd/backward a few feet and the price settled upon. It was not run sufficiently-long to see if the temp gauge worked…it sat on cold…. and only after I got it home did I realize that gauge was inop.… and only after I put a meter on the alternator output did I realize the seller had hidden the fact it put out only 11-volts. (A clue was given by the seller… likely only to make himself feel “OK” about what he’d hidden…when I asked if he had any Owners or Service Manuals…. and he replied, ”No…all they do is feed mice.”
I HAD asked and it DID look like it was stored under a shed. The paint was sharp and the tractor was very clean and presented well. (It had 392 hrs on it.)
Yes… I did a poor job of ”inspecting” it. But I wanted a clean M4700 and otherwise this tractor met that requirement and I was excited to find one near to my home.
I was able to repair all those deficiencies fairly easily and without much expense. A new alternator from DB Electrical was $79, and Messicks emailed a wiring schematic so I could identify the temp-gauge sensor-wire and splice it. The local K-dealer ordered the fuel low-level/no-charge warning lamp holder/fixture the seller had removed… it was only $11 and was easy to install.
Bottom line for me was a very good result only because I am competent electrically and “ok” mechanically… (I just didn’t follow my own advice to others when pre-buy-inspecting…of hiring a competent inspector who is knowledgeable of the vehicle.)
In your case, it’s pretty obvious you have an electrical issue under the panel and you’re going to have to open ‘er up and make wiring repairs. It doesn’t sound disqualifying if the tractor actually works properly and only has panel-indication-issues. (But. Beware of electrical/indication issues regarding EPA/Emissions systems (if any). It might be possible a seller is attempting to hide Emission-System Indications that the systems are not working properly.)
Thank you for your reply:
The tractor is pre-emission: It has 3300 hours displayed on the dash. Some parts of the dash work properly.
When I first spoke to the dealer, he indicated that the machine worked well with no issues.
Like you , I didn't do a great job inspecting it.
The dealer is reputable.
When I pointed out that the indicators weren't working he was surprised. (He's not a Kubota dealer)
He called me several days later and said that the machine was functioning properly but the indicators weren't working.
Said he's selling below what he has into it so not likely to reduce price to accommodate issue.
I'm pretty handy with electrical but I don't want to buy a tractor and immediately have to start working on it not knowing how deep the rabbit hole might be?
Besides, I've searched the web and nobody has ever posted a resolution to this problem.
If it's a chewed wire, bad ground, fuse or relay I can probably figure it out.
If the cluster needs replaced, I can't even find a used one on the web.
Haven't looked into the price of a new one.
Not sure how to proceed.
