Only a click when I turn the key.

[fruitcakesa]

Hi,
First off, starter and battery are OK.
A little background:
This tractor for the last few years has had a strange starting quirk.
When I would first turn the key, there would be a slow, lag before the starter would spin up and crank.
It always would start eventually.
I know it was not normal but since it started up, I just ignored it.
The problem today:
I went out to start the T1400H yesterday and when I turned the key, I got nothing. Starter would not crank.
It had worked the day before but the battery was low so I charged it for a while and the next day when I tried, I got nothing.
I was able to jump the starter at its terminals so I know it is ok.
I got the ign switch out and wires disconnected from it.
I find when I touch the hot wire to the red/white wire, I hear a click from somewhere in the bowels of the tractor.
It is not clicking at the starter itself.
Is there a starter relay for this tractor?
Where is it and can it be tested?
Can the switch be tested?
Can a bypass be rigged?
I am half-a$$ed at electrical work but I try.
I have a DMM.
Any electrical help is appreciated

 

[85Hokie]

Hi,
First off, starter and battery are OK.
A little background:
This tractor for the last few years has had a strange starting quirk.
When I would first turn the key, there would be a slow, lag before the starter would spin up and crank.
It always would start eventually.
I know it was not normal but since it started up, I just ignored it.
The problem today:
I went out to start the T1400H yesterday and when I turned the key, I got nothing. Starter would not crank.
It had worked the day before but the battery was low so I charged it for a while and the next day when I tried, I got nothing.
I was able to jump the starter at its terminals so I know it is ok.
I got the ign switch out and wires disconnected from it.
I find when I touch the hot wire to the red/white wire, I hear a click from somewhere in the bowels of the tractor.
It is not clicking at the starter itself.
Is there a starter relay for this tractor?
Where is it and can it be tested?
Can the switch be tested?
Can a bypass be rigged?
I am half-a$$ed at electrical work but I try.
I have a DMM.
Any electrical help is appreciated

Batteries can go from "fine" to nada over night - not sure how it happens but.....it can and will!

Jumping a "dead" battery can cause it to charge ....or kill it dead"er".....

you say the battery is "ok" - tell how you arrive at this?

I am gonna go out on a limb and say that you have a battery and or wire problem or both - a bad ground, pour connection at the positive - ground wire on either end will cause ALL that you describe.

get cha a "fresh" battery - then take all the connections you can and "clean" them and hook it all back up - tell us what happens!

 

[davesl708]

Batteries can go from "fine" to nada over night - not sure how it happens but.....it can and will!

Jumping a "dead" battery can cause it to charge ....or kill it dead"er".....

you say the battery is "ok" - tell how you arrive at this?

I am gonna go out on a limb and say that you have a battery and or wire problem or both - a bad ground, pour connection at the positive - ground wire on either end will cause ALL that you describe.

get cha a "fresh" battery - then take all the connections you can and "clean" them and hook it all back up - tell us what happens!

If 85Hokie's steps do not solve the issue there may be resistance built up in the wiring between the ignition and all the safety switches and on to the solenoid.

Measure the voltage received at the starter solenoid. Should be 12v+. If less than 10v you are loosing power and not enough to energize the solenoid.

My BX2200 developed the same symptoms and the solution was to install a relay to jump full voltage from the battery to the solenoid.

 

[fruitcakesa]

Hokie and Dave:
Thanks for the quick replies.
I "assumed" the battery and starter were good since I could get the starter to spin when I grounded the hot lug on the starter.
The battery is of unknown age and I have not dug into the rest of the wiring yet.
The click I hear does not seem to be coming from the starter solenoid. I did get 12+ volts at the lug
Is there a starter relay on this tractor?

 

[davesl708]

Hokie and Dave:
Thanks for the quick replies.
I "assumed" the battery and starter were good since I could get the starter to spin when I grounded the hot lug on the starter.
The battery is of unknown age and I have not dug into the rest of the wiring yet.
The click I hear does not seem to be coming from the starter solenoid. I did get 12+ volts at the lug
Is there a starter relay on this tractor?

I do not know if your machine has a relay already. Mine did not.
Did you get 12v to the starter lug or the solenoid post? The large red wire should be direct to the batter to supply the starter. The solenoid will have a small red wire coming from the ignition switch and should have 12v.
The click you hear could be the fuel shut-off solenoid. Pulled tested and reseated the fuse.

 

[Tooljunkie]

I assume by "grounded" you mean jumpered.
So by making starter crank did tractor start?

Starter cranks slow and then picks up, sign of a bad cable bad ground or loose starter.

 

[fruitcakesa]

Ok, I need to go check which wires I jumped before making anymore assumptions.
I had so much taken off while looking for stuff, I did not try and start it, I only wanted to see if the starter would spin.
I'll check it it tomorrow and get back.

 

[GWD]

I'm with the group that advocates a new battery. You don't mention the age of the battery but that may be a factor.

A battery may show sufficient voltage but the available amps could have deteriorated over the years to not be enough to turn over an engaged starter.

When this happens on one of my tractors I just go to Costco with the measurements of the battery compartment (area) and buy a battery with the highest CCA that will fit.

Also, on a L3650 years ago, it would not start reliably. I removed the ground cable from the frame, bought a longer cable, and attached it to a bolt on the engine block. It started like a champ afterwards.

One trick you can try to see if it might work for your situation is to remove the ground cable from the battery and hook a jumper cable from the bare ground post to the engine block. Make sure the positive cable is clean of corrosion while you're at it.

 

[85Hokie]

" I removed the ground cable from the frame, bought a longer cable, and attached it to a bolt on the engine block. It started like a champ afterwards." GWD

a bad ground or chassis ground will drive you to pull every last strand of hair out of your head..... I don't know what % of wiring on tractors comes back to a "bad ground" - but I do know that it is more common than damn near anything else!

what GWD said is so common and most of the time a perfect fix!

 

[Tooljunkie]

I have to agree on the importance of a proper ground. Have seen too many scenarios that turned out to be a bad ground. Always last to be looked at.