Case 1845C lights and hour meter don't work when running

Bought a 2000 1845C yesterday and was running it today and noticed the fuel gage, lights, and hour meter don't work when the machine is running. When I turn on the key the fuel gage shows full and the oil, hydraulic, and seat belt light come on like they should but when I crank it everything goes out. I've got a call in to the dealer but haven't heard back. He's a reputable dealer and has been a family friend for many many years so I think he'll stand behind it because the fuel gage worked on his lot. Any idea what the problem might be?

Any electrical issue analysis on an 1845C starts at the multi pin connectors that allow disconnect when sliding the cab forward.
I ended up replacing those connectors with Deutsche connectors.

You can disconnect, reconnect, and wiggle them as a test. If the terminals are corroded, you can clean and retention them.

I'll check this evening when I get home. Can I get to them under the seat or do I have to raise the boom and reach in?

Did this machine come with an Operation and Maintenance Manual? It should be in a box either on the underside roof of the cab or mounted on the sheet metal behind the seat or some such place. If you did not get the manual I would insist they provide you with one.

Once you have that manual I would strongly recommend reading it from front cover to back cover at least once! There will be much good information in there that may save you problems and money to make the time spent reading it some of the best investment in time you can make.

If you have that manual look in the section that explains how to slide the cab forward for service or repair work. It should show you where they are located.

thendrix said:

I'll check this evening when I get home. Can I get to them under the seat or do I have to raise the boom and reach in?

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If you do raise the boom arms do not do anything before positioning and securing the support for the boom!

Back wall of cab. Right sight. Behind boom cylinder. Between air cleaner and cab. 3 connectors. Harness from cab bolted to back wall of cab. Engine side bolted to bell housing. Mine are earlier serial numbers. You may have later serial number, ie different harness.

Thanks everybody.
Kshansen, there was no manual with the machine but the dealer is looking for one. He was a Case dealer and actually sold this machine new and said he believes he has a couple put away somewhere. Also, yes sir I agree about the support bar. I've got two little girls to worry about so I don't have time to take those chances.
Heymccall, thanks for the diagram. I'll give it a look in the morning

thendrix,

Is the dealer can't find the manual there are many places online like Ebay that list them. One thing I would watch for is the 1845C was made for many years and I believe they made several changes so I would try to make sure whatever manuals you might buy are applicable to you serial number.

Found one site that looks promising, but have no knowledge of them other than what I see online:
http://case1845c.com/#

They do have a couple sample pages for you to check out. Might even send a specific page if you asked?

Still haven't got around to checking. Getting baby chicks today and Monday so I've been hopping for the last couple of days and will be for a few more. I will check the plugs but I can't help but think if it were there plugs it wouldn't light up without running then go out when running. To me it sounds kinda like a ground issue. I used it for a few minutes today and the lights stayed on and a buzzer sounded for just a second after it cranked but then went out again.

I'll never argue with grounds being the problem. Easy enough to check, find a ground for the lights and see if it's hot or grounded when you're having your problem. I can't believe how reluctant people are to CHECK electricity sometimes, especially the RV story that cost almost $20,000 because of a loose ground wire.

Also check the key switch, that's supposed to be a simple machine, try to start simple with the theories.

Alright. Had a chance to look it over today. Checked all the connectors on the right side and they were all plugged in tight. I pulled them apart and all the prongs and sockets were clean. Then I took the instrument panel off the cage and checked the switch with a test light hoping to find something but no luck. Everything had power with the switch on and after cranking except the ether. There was no power there before or after cranking. I also checked the fuses just because and they were all good. I'm going to call the dealer again tomorrow and see what he says. He was going to ask his mechanics and see what they thought. Anybody else got any suggestions? I did notice a green wire off the alternator that, according to a wiring diagram I found, goes to the alternator light relay. This had me slightly confused though because sometimes when the switch is turned on the alternator light comes on, sometimes it doesn't. Seems to me with this wire off the light shouldn't come on at all or am I wrong?

Got it back from the dealer and they said they found a small skinned place in the ground wire for the instrument cluster. They replaced the wire and everything works now. I'm curious though. If a ground wire had a skinned spot where the wire could touch something, how does that change anything? Unless it's touching a power wire terminal it's still a ground right? What's the difference in grounding at the end of the wire or half way up?

Does sound strange. I'm not seeing how a ground wire could be shorting to ground would cause a problem.
Now if the ground wire was shorting to a hot that was only hot with engine running just maybe it could be tripping a breaker killing the circuit?

I'm going to guess that you got that answer from a service writer and not the guy who actually fixed it. I'd be tempted to ask if I could talk directly with the mechanic stories often get mangled by passing through the chain of command.

You're sorta right. The guy I talked to "operates" the dealership for his son who is also the owner and one of the mechanics. There's a mechanic there named Terry I usually talk to. I'll see if I can catch him next time. Truth be known I think he's a big reason people go there. He's worked for this family in 3 different locations for years and years. They're all good folks to deal with just different people you need to talk to at different times depending on the answers you need.