check engine light on JD110

[othello]

Today it was very cold up here, around 0F and my JD 110 had a bear starting, but in the end she did.
But then she wouldn't drive.
Everything works fine, but no driving.
The "Check Engine" light comes on and that's that.

I once asked the dealer about it and they said I would have to bring the machine in, which would be incredibly troublesome right now, based on where it is parked, no way to get in there easily and pull her out.

So what's the deal with this light (the light shows an open manual, I just call it the check engine light).
I know the light comes on if I don't sit properly and if I push both pedals at the same time, but this time it's something else, hopefully only the cold.

 

[xcmark]

how long did you let it warm up before you moved it? What oil is in it? How long ago was the filter done? How many hours on the machine?

 

[Bob Horrell]

Check the engine speed sensor on the right side of the engine toward the rear. If it is marginal, it will fail when it gets cold. Sometimes when it is cold out you can heat the sensor by blowing on it with a heat gun, or even a hair dryer. If it works when you do that, then you need to replace it - somewhere around a $100 if I remember right.

 

[othello]

I let the machine warm some, but it never became really warm, since I did not know that that might be required.
The type of oil I do not recall off the top of my hat, I assume you are asking what thermal grade, to judge how it would behave in cold weather!?!

The machine has around 1500 hours and it has always started beautifully, better than any other diesel I owned, but I guess at around 0 F things change.

But I am very optimistic from what you guys tell me, I will let her warm longer and check on that sensor when I get back (I am on a flight to London today).
I was just really scared that truly only a dealer could deal with this and as I said, that machine can barely be towed out of that spot, she will have to come out by herself.
I will report back.

 

[cutting edge]

Your dealer needs a kick in the pants.

The "open book" symbol indicates a service code,which at 0 farenhiet, could be for a "plugged" hydraulic filter,which isnt really pligged,just heavily restricted due to the oil being cold/thick.

My suggestion is to put a sheet of cardboard in front of the rad/cooler and tarp the engine and hood.

Start the machine and let it run until every thing comes up to normal temperature and then try it.

 

[huffmanmb]

Check your travel controls

We had the same problem with our two years ago. It was the travel controls they needed to recalibrated. It later turned out that they needed to be replaced, was a common problem from what our dealer explained as they are not seal very well from the elements...

 

[othello]

Ok, I am back on my property, all snowed in and now I really need to get this thing driving, starting was no problem, even though it was quite cold.

Travel controls or the engine speed sensor, these were the two suggestions here.
I do not see the engine speed sensor on the right. There is the injection pump, a spin on oil filter, but no sensor that I can see, how do I find this??

And the travel controls. Do you mean the 2 accelerator pedals? and if yes what would I check there.

Help would now very much appreciated.

 

[othello]

Update!

I called around and found someone to describe the sensor.
I found it!

It's a 3 wire device. It senses flywheel motion and informs the computer when the engine is running.
I pulled the sensor but I don't know how to test it.
It is non adjustable, probably a magnetic sensor but I don't really know.

Does anyone know how to test this device?

 

[fpgm04]

I am not a JD expert but can you advise if your light is flashing a specific code on your 110?

According to the Deere manual for the 110 the light should flash a code as follows …

Diagnostic Trouble Codes
When reading a code, let the code cycle several times to be sure you are at the beginning of the code. A 3 to 4 second off period occurs between each four pulse flash sequence.
Each flash is either long (one second, -) or short (one-half second, •).
Therefore for example a engine speed sensor would be *--* (short, long, long, short)

There are 16 possible codes listed in the manual.
7 of them indicate you will get “No drive in either direction” if they occur, but the code for engine speed sensor is not one of them and indicates only “performance loss”.

The manual also states “if the Machine will not move with engine running” then check these items :
Park brake locked.
Drive pedals depressed at same time.
Operator not on seat.
Transmission oil level low.
Transmission oil cold - allow engine to warm.
Transmission range shift lever in neutral position.
Suction side filter may need replacement.
Drive pedal potentiometer(s) out of adjustment or defective. See your John Deere Dealer.
Fuse installed in fuse block position 12.

Let us know if you have a specific code flashing as that could help trouble shoot the issue.

 

[othello]

Thank you very much, with this type of information I might get somewhere.

I was not aware that the error code is given in Morse code, I was expecting a number displayed.
But now I looked carefully and there is a code, short long short long,

it would be great if you had some info on this!!!

Many of the errors you mentioned would not apply, the machine worked/moved one day and not on the next, much colder day.
No fuse installed itself overnight, I would assume that only errors caused by failed components will apply, as well as possibly filter problems etc.

 

[dporter]

http://manuals.deere.com/cceomview/OMLVU13606_H3/Output/Index.html?tM=GC

should be the your machine. The fault code shows as seat switch. It thinks your not in the seat.

 

[dporter]

Do you have your owners manual?

Flash code (8) indicates seat sensor issue. Not registering maybe?

 

[dporter]

Diagnostic Indicator Fault Codes

When reading a code, let the code cycle several times to be sure you are at the beginning of the code. A 3 to 4 second off period occurs between each four pulse flash sequence.

Each flash is either long (one second, -) or short (one-half second, ·).

If the action given does not clear the fault, contact your John Deere dealer.

CODE FLASH SEQUENCE PROBLEM SOURCE MACHINE RESPONSE ACTION

1 · - · · Forward Pedal Potentiometer No drive in either direction. Contact your John Deere dealer.

2 - - · · Reverse Pedal Potentiometer No drive in either direction. Contact your John Deere dealer.

3 · · - · Throttle Position Potentiometer Performance loss. Check to be sure sensor mounted on throttle linkage under right hand side panel is fully plugged in.

4 · - - · Engine Speed Sensor Performance loss. Check to be sure sensor mounted on right hand side of flywheel housing is fully plugged in.

5 · · · - Ground Speed Sensor Performance loss. Check to be sure sensor mounted on left hand side of rear differential is fully plugged in.

6 - · - - Creeper Directional Switch Performance loss. Check to be sure wire connector mounted under creep direction switch is fully plugged in.

7 - · - · Creeper Drive Control Performance loss. Contact your John Deere dealer.

8 · - · - Off-Seat Command No drive in either direction. Be sure operator is in seat and seat switch is being depressed.

9 - · · · Simultaneous command from Forward and Reverse

No drive in either direction. Indicates both forward and reverse pedals are depressed at same time. Release both pedals.

10 · · - - Proportional Solenoid Valve No drive in either direction. Contact your John Deere dealer.

11 - - - - No Sensor Supply Voltage No drive in either direction. Unplugging engine speed sensor and ground speed sensor may regain transmission power.

12· · · · · · · · · (continuous) Controller Software Failure No drive in either direction. Contact your John Deere dealer.

 

[othello]

This is confusing, the first responder gave the error codes in Morse code.

The next two contributors indicate decimal numbers.

I guess now I need a translation from the morse code on my machine:

short long short long

to the decimal explanations given. Or to an explanation as to what my error code might indicate.

And no, I do not have a manual

 

[fpgm04]

Let me attempt to clarify the confusion.
Obviously the light flashes in Morse style codes. JD’s manuals translate the Morse style code to integer fault code numbers.

To make matters worse, there are several versions of the JD 110 manuals (based on vehicle serial number) which unfortunately translate the Morse style codes to different integer fault code numbers, that is why I did not post all of the explanations from the various manuals on my original reply.
For example while dporter’s manual apparently shows Short-Long-Short-Long as an fault code “8”, 110 manuals’s with serial numbers greater that 710000 shows it as a fault code “10” but it is still flashed as a Short-Long-Short-Long.

The good news in this particular case, is all of the respective 110’s manuals I have seen are pointing to the same fault condition (seat switch) in the condition of Short-Long-Short-Long ,so we don’t need to worry about serial numbers and associated manuals/tables.

In any case, according the JD manuals, Short-Long-Short-Long translates into a JD fault code 8 or 10(depending on manual) which has the following description.
PROBLEM SOURCE : Off-Seat Command
MACHINE RESPONSE : No drive in either direction.
ACTION : Be sure operator is in seat and seat switch is being depressed.

Therefore, it would appear your vehicle controller is not seeing the operator in the seat, and thus it will not allow vehicle movement.
I am not sure what would cause this in cold weather, perhaps some ice forming or snow packed around the seat switch, some faulty wiring connection, or perhaps moisture ingress.

I hope this helps.

 

[othello]

Well, fpgm04, I found the solution, and thank you and the others very much for your assistance.

It was the seat switch.
Apparently the seat was frozen soo hard, that my weight did not activate the switch.
I tried the backhoe position, using the backrest as a seat, and that switch works.
I believe that possibly water entered the seat and in this weather I am sitting on a solid block of ice.

For the time being I shorted out the switch and the machine works!!

Thanks again.