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Ground fault in 7116H


JohnFornaro

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Well, One day, my 7116H wouldn't start.  Not even a click.  The only thing different was that the sun had set the previous evening, and then rose the following morning.  I let it sit for a while, and then got PO'd.  Why wouldn't it start?

The solenoid clicked, and I verified that it worked.

I could hook up the battery directly to the starter and it would work, starting the tractor.  But I couldn't start it from the ignition switch.

I ended up taking the starter off, and cleaning both it, and the engine block, and then refastening it.  It started right up.

Lesson learned was that a ground fault can somehow happen even tho an electrical device is still hooked up properly.  How this happens, I have no idea.

Just thought I'd share.

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Electrical problems can be so mysterious...and SO aggravating to track down.  I had an old Arctic Cat El Tigre many years ago that would not fire.  I tinkered with that thing for hours..pulled the main harness plug and had spark, so ignition was good.  I tracked the problem to the kill circuit.  Switch was good, so I traced the wire.  Turned out that a 2 inch piece of wire was the problem.  Not the whole wire, but a small section of the wire - I traced that using continuity tester.  What in the world??? I'm amazed I discovered the problem.  Replaced the wire and all was well!

I hate electrical problems - they so often aren't straight forward.  Gimme a good ol' fashioned mechanical problem any day...

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I worked at a Yamaha dealership spinning wrenches.  We had a brand new fresh out of the crate bike that had an electrical issue.  We had voltage everywhere but when we tried any of the accessories nothing worked.  We had all the fairings off the bike looking for issues.  Long story short it was a bad fuze.  The fuze would allow voltage to pass but no amperage.  Weirdest thing I've ever seen!!!!!

 

Ken

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A wise electrician once told me that in Electricity class 101 first lesson he learned is.  95% of all electrical problems are a bad ground.  I've seen it and he is right.

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Yahbut:  The starter never left the frame of the engine!  Does corrosion or dirt get in there somehow and ruin the ground?

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On 1/24/2018 at 10:24 AM, JohnFornaro said:

The solenoid clicked, and I verified that it worked.

I could hook up the battery directly to the starter and it would work, starting the tractor.  But I couldn't start it from the ignition switch.

 

 

1 hour ago, JohnFornaro said:

Yahbut:  The starter never left the frame of the engine!  Does corrosion or dirt get in there somehow and ruin the ground?

I would bet one of the connections on the wire between the solenoid and starter was the issue.

Could also have been solenoid was clicking but not pulling in completely.  

I would think last would be the starter to block bolt connection, but it's possible.  

Only way to tell for sure would have to have cleaned one connection at a time and checked result.  

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I'm thinking it was the frame ground.  I methodically checked each connection you mentioned.  I was about at my rope's end, when I checked battery to ig. key to solenoid to free wheeling starter connected to ground!  At that point, I cleaned everything I could, hooked it up and it started.

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