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powermax starting electrical issue.


HerbP

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Just checking in to see if there are any well known trouble spots in the starter circuit. The symptom is, and has been since I bought the tractor, a certain unreliability in the activation of the starter solenoid. One has to turn the key repeatedly to the 'Start' position... Sometimes nothing happens, not a click. Sometimes you hear the 'clunk' of the solenoid and bendix but no starting. Sometimes it cranks and after a few revolutions resets. It has all the signs of a flakey keyswitch... I've checked the connections best I can. Up front, on the intake side of the engine, is a 4 pin connector with 4 thick white wires coming out of it (about 12ga).. When the problem is happening, I get no 12v at the line going to the starter. If I hot-wire the white by putting the keyswitch in the run position and jumpering from the battery positive to the white wire that goes to the starter, it starts reliably and non-flakily... This further supports a worn out or flakey keyswitch... But are there any other trouble-spots on the way to the connector? The PO ran a dedicated 12ga hot from the battery to the console, so presumably this problem has been happening a good long while and this was seen as a fix...
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The starter loop has almost always been a trouble spot on these tractors. The loop passes through both pto switches and the neutral saftey switch before going to the starter. Any of these can give problems but the neutral switch IMO seems to gove the most issues. They often get soaked with moister and fail internally by not passing voltage through them or reducing the voltage to the point you must repeatedly try to induce the starter at the key until the starter engauges. Also the age and wear of the electrical conections often reduces the voltage the actually goes to the starter solinoid so even with no rear componenet failer it can give trouble from a low voltage issue. To trace out the problem start at the starter and trace backwards until you find voltage while holding the key on start. If no component if found completely open where it fails to pass voltage then you likely have just a low voltage issue and installing a relay at the starter should take care of this issue. Adding a relay as the main voltage switch will provide a solid 12 volts to the solinoid for proper starting.
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The wiring schematics for these tractors, would leave a computer logic engineer with a migraine. The variances of types of switches; some normally ON, and others normally OFF, lead to numerous permutations, only known to the interlock interconnect logic module. I would say 1st go to an electronics store (Radio Shack) and buy a shaker can of "Electronic cleaner". Go to an electrical supplier and purchase a tube of contact paste.The next stop on your supply quest is your "She who rules'" cosmetic supply. There you want to "borrow" an emery board (to sand away oxidation) Then go to each switch connection plug, (most have a least one); my seat interlock has two. In some tractors there is a plug that acts as a collection point of wiring that has been consolidated into a harness (don't forget this connection). Disconnect the plug, clean the exposed contacts with the fine side of the emery board, and spray both ends (contacts) with the "cleaner". Apply the paste (to help prevent future oxidation) a little bit goes a long way. reconnect the plug. It's a bit of work, but well worth it. Also check the plunger on the switch. I noticed the other day that the plunger on my PTO interlock had a gully worn into it, this means the switch may not mechanically function since the plunger will not fully depress. One final point for attention is the plug, that is going into the starter. The steps are find, unplug, spray, scrub, apply paste, replug.. Lastly, don't forget to replace the emery board.
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These tractors don't have a seat switch or any switch with a plunger. The transmision switch uses a metal ball to stroke the internals. They don't have any logic module. They do have electrical connections on the switches. But, instead of pulling wires and creating problems start at one end and trace to the problem. Then you know what to fix/replace.
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quote:
Originally posted by GrincheyOne
The wiring schematics for these tractors, would leave a computer logic engineer with a migraine. The variances of types of switches; some normally ON, and others normally OFF, lead to numerous permutations, only known to the interlock interconnect logic module. I would say 1st go to an electronics store (Radio Shack) and buy a shaker can of "Electronic cleaner". Go to an electrical supplier and purchase a tube of contact paste.The next stop on your supply quest is your "She who rules'" cosmetic supply. There you want to "borrow" an emery board (to sand away oxidation) Then go to each switch connection plug, (most have a least one); my seat interlock has two. In some tractors there is a plug that acts as a collection point of wiring that has been consolidated into a harness (don't forget this connection). Disconnect the plug, clean the exposed contacts with the fine side of the emery board, and spray both ends (contacts) with the "cleaner". Apply the paste (to help prevent future oxidation) a little bit goes a long way. reconnect the plug. It's a bit of work, but well worth it. Also check the plunger on the switch. I noticed the other day that the plunger on my PTO interlock had a gully worn into it, this means the switch may not mechanically function since the plunger will not fully depress. One final point for attention is the plug, that is going into the starter. The steps are find, unplug, spray, scrub, apply paste, replug.. Lastly, don't forget to replace the emery board.
Me thinks the Grinchyone has our beloved Powermax's confused with the modern Sunstars! I agree with Dave's advice, trace down the problem and fix it. John U
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i have the same issues and ended up putting in a starter button that jumps the cylinod. i try with the key and if it don't start i just hit the starter button. and it cranks right over.
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