What's your hoe doing?

[eKretz]

Ack. If it ain't one thing...

And that being clay means it will probably stay there until it evaporates. Oughta just fill it and dig another.

 

[aighead]

New pond day eKretz!

 

[aighead]

Well, my hoe decided, yesterday, that it no longer wants to start. The past few times I've used her there have been a time or two where I turn the key, the dash lights up properly, and nothing happens. I'd then mess with the direction shifter to make sure she was in neutral, then it'd fire up, so I'm assuming something has gone wonky in there? This time was the same deal, I turned the key, lights on dashboard light up properly (seemingly), key is turned farther and nothing but a faint click I think in the engine area, and a bunch of changing from forward to neutral to reverse and back to neutral, while attempting to turn the key more.

Could it be a dirty connection in the forward/reverse stalk? Could it be a solenoid sticking somewhere? Could a starter be out on it? Help me Rhonda!

 

[rumblecloud]

Sorry to ask the obvious, but I'm assuming all the battery cables are good?

 

[Willie B]

Track down a schematic. It'll save time diagnosing.
There are two systems at work here.
One is high current. Electrons leave the battery, pass through a series of cables, connections, & devices. Each cable has termination of some sort, might be crimped on, might be mecanical connection. Then each termination interfaces with another. Some cry for help! I had a call Sunday morning; "My generator didn't come on, my sump pump won't run!"
I drove down in steady rain, found he had pushed every button at random, fouled up the "brain of the generator. Removed cowling to find a tennis ball sized gob of blue oxidation on the positive battery terminal.
Installer of a six year old generator had dropped the ball. A smear of nearly any grease on the battery terminal would have prevented the failure.
That fix was easy to diagnose, it jumped out at me.

 

[Vetech63]

Well, mine just finished breakfast and is leaving for work in a...................oh wait

 

[aighead]

The battery cables were good a couple days ago. I guess with the slow roll of this happening, where it took a try or two, then took a couple tries, then won't turn on at all, maybe something isn't right with them.

I should have a schematic in one of my books, now if I understand the schematic may be a different story.

I don't know why I feel like it's in the directional gear shift but that's my initial guess. I've never cracked that open but it seems like, if I can get to the connections there it should be easy to determine if that's the problem. It feels like it's a safety circuit just not engaging. When it's hit during the past could times it fires right up, doesn't feel sluggish or wrong, but it's just some switch no getting pressed or unpressed enough that would do it, I think.

 

[Swetz]

Just some food for thought.

 

[eKretz]

Absolutely use the flowchart, they're very helpful. In conjunction with a schematic, you can pinpoint the cause of just about any problem.

 

[aighead]

As per usual Swetz comes in with something helpful, regardless of whether it fixes my problem or not. Thanks man!

I guess I should also mention that the clicking I hear is just one faint click, upon turning the key full on. Not a click-click-click-click-click etc. I hear it again when I release and retry full key turning.

 

[eKretz]

Here is what my workflow would be: Check for voltage out on the fat wire from the solenoid to the starter first. If that has power, you have either a dead starter or big internal engine problems. If nothing there, check the signal wire going into the solenoid and see if it's getting voltage there. If nothing there, check the switch. If that's good, check interrupt switches. If those are good, check for a short somewhere or bad connections at positive or ground connection points.

By the sound of things, you *may* need a solenoid or starter replaced. That click you hear makes it sound like the switch is working and trying to send power out to the solenoid via relay (click) but it's not going from there to the starter. But definitely follow the workflow. The interrupt or neutral switch being the issue would likely mean you got no click at all.

 

[aighead]

I need to bone up on my volt meter skills. I don't really know anything about that junk but it's probably about time I learn... Thanks for the suggestions guys.

 

[edgephoto]

4 voltage measurements and you will know where your problem is.

1. Measure battery voltage when you try to crank
2. Measure for voltage at the small wire on the starter solenoid when you attempt to crank.
3. Measure voltage drop of positive cable
4. Measure voltage drop of negative cable

If you don't know how to do a voltage drop test on your starter, Google it. There are some good videos that explain it.

One of those 4 tests will tell you where to go with your diagnosis.

 

[Willie B]

Good to visually check all the high current connections first. Sometimes they look different. 12 volts is not enough electrical pressure to get through a high resistance connection. A bad connection doesn't fail suddenly. It creates heat while functioning for a time before failure. Check the whole circuit visually. It is a complete circuit, from one battery terminal to the other.
A voltmeter is very helpful. With a helper check voltage at the starter. While they are trying to start it, do you have over 12 volts? Starter problem.
about 12 volts? Might have engine stuck.
Under 12 volts? Revisit the connections in the circuit.
A voltmeter across each connection will show where it failed.
A likely fail point is the solenoid.

 

[Willie B]

If current not flowing through the solenoid, its contacts might be bad, or the control circuit might be the problem. The click you hear I expect is the solenoid actuating. I'll guess it is getting a complete circuit through the magnet. Pretty common a weak battery is enough to engage the solenoid magnet, but not enough cranking amps in the battery to rotate the starter.

 

[HarleyHappy]

Or you could just stick a junk screwdriver across the big post to the small post on the starter solenoid, with the key on and start it.
Lol

 

[kshansen]

Figured this would be a good place as any for this picture:

 

[casey518]

The snow was gone, it was 50 degrees, I went to change a few hoses out and then...

 

[Swetz]

The snow was gone, it was 50 degrees, I went to change a few hoses out and then...

The next thing you know it will all be mud

 

[stinky64]

It already is, we got a little over a foot other side of the state as well, only snow left is where pushed with bucket. Plowed more snow in march than most of january and february combined.