My TO30 won't start

Ron in NY

New User
I am bumping this post up to page one, because I do not seem to get any new response from page three. Really anxious to get this tractor to work.

fully charged battery. Hot started the starter with jumper cables and the starter works ok.

Checked switch out with an ohm meter, checks out ok.
Putting a voltmeter from ground to the battery terminal on the switch reads 12.4 volts.
Now when I turn the ignition switch on, the voltage drops to 7 to 8 volts both on the battery and ignition points on the switch.
I cleaned the ground on the battery cable that is connected to the steering housing. Cleaned the positive connection down on the start solenoid connection.
Tractor is converted to 12 volts with alternator and solid state ignition. The starter won't even click

I am stumped, what would cause this voltage drop? The only thing left I can think of is something is askew in the start solenoid.
 
Is it wired correct? Maybe something loose.(wire) Can you use jumper cable from your vehicle straight to starter and will it run? Ground to good ground and use hot cable to starter post. Be sure it's out of gear. This will tell you its not the starter. Then work back to key and wiring. Check (gear shift)starter switch.
 
Try checking voltage from hot wire on back of key switch then turn key on and check voltage after it leaves switch. Is there a drop in voltage? If so you have a bad key switch. If no drop in voltage there proceed to the next point of contact, possibly the amperage meter and disconnect and test voltage there and reconnect and test to see if the voltage drops. You are simply testing each point of contact and isolating them to see the voltage coming in and leaving to find where your voltage drops. When you find the voltage drops leaving an instrument, you have found your culprit.
 
What page are you on in the manual? You got to have a printed manual no mater how many apps are out there.
Do you know about the switch miner is mentioning?
You do not have a solenoid on this tractor, the 'S" position on the gear level pushes a rod in the transmission housing to a starter switch, which needs a good bit of pressure. These were designed before WW1 for a heel or toe to cram it, some petite women couldn't do it without a fight, or they were in the same fix as you.
If the level isn't in adjustment anymore, you will not get enough voltage to the starter terminal, and if the terminals on the starter facing inside the tranny housing are corroded, same story.
I can't find my old pics of this mechanism, but maybe some one else with a 20 or 30 can photogragh it for you... but there are pictures in the manual... btw, search the archives on here, I think there are threads and pics on this not long ago.
 
Guys, thanks for the suggestions,

Flaz, Good idea, and I did not check the voltage at the solenoid when trying to crank it, but I assumed that with the voltage drop, it would be the same. But i will check that in the morning for sure and get back.

Fireman, As mentioned in my post, there is 12.4 volts at the hot wire on the switch. Also on both sides of the amp meter and also down on the alternator. BUT as soon as I turn the switch to on, the voltage drops to about 8 volts BOTH on the hot wire and the ignition side of the switch. Really odd. I do have a new switch on hand and will try it tomorrow.

Miner, No changes in the wiring have been made since it ran with no problems. I did jump start the starter directly from the on board battery and it cranked normally, but I did not see if it would start and continue to run due to the low voltage.

The thing that baffles me is how the voltage drops on the hot wire to the switch as soon as I turn the switch on to run. Odd. Just wondering, the battery is about 5 or 6 years old, but takes and hold a charge well. So I don't think it would be the battery.
.
 
Tony, thank or the post. I do have a copy of the original manual, but I didn't think this problem was explained there. Will take another look. Ok on the push rod to the starter switch.
If the rod was out of adjustment or the switch was corroded, do you still think this would cause the voltage drop as soon as I turn the ignition switch to run?. I would think that the
voltage drop would be from what I am seeing at the key switch.
 
(quoted from post at 16:36:04 05/19/15) I am bumping this post up to page one, because I do not seem to get any new response from page three. Really anxious to get this tractor to work.

fully charged battery. Hot started the starter with jumper cables and the starter works ok.

Checked switch out with an ohm meter, checks out ok.
Putting a voltmeter from ground to the battery terminal on the switch reads 12.4 volts.
Now when I turn the ignition switch on, the voltage drops to 7 to 8 volts both on the battery and ignition points on the switch.
I cleaned the ground on the battery cable that is connected to the steering housing. Cleaned the positive connection down on the start solenoid connection.
Tractor is converted to 12 volts with alternator and solid state ignition. The starter won't even click

I am stumped, what would cause this voltage drop? The only thing left I can think of is something is askew in the start solenoid.
f a 12v battery drops to 7v just by turning on the key.....it's bad. Try a different battery or replace it. That's assuming you were checking battery voltage across the battery terminals. If you had the meter lead on the battery terminal and the other grounded someplace other than the other terminal, then you have a bad ground.
 
Success, "she's alive".

This morning we went out to the tractor to tackle this problem. Thinking back that the starter turned over fine when I jumped it directly off the battery, led me to think that there might be a ground or bad battery cable. Bingo, the ground cable off the battery was intermittent. Replaced the cable, and super cleaned all the connections on all three cables including the battery posts. She started like champ as it did before. Then got to mow 10 acres of tall grass.

What a challenge a bad ground or cable can be. Just the moderate load on the battery when the key switch was turned on dropped the voltage considerably. Will know from now on to keep the connections clean. This is one of the main reasons I changed to 12 volts. With 12 volts and solid state ignition it starts like a lightening bolt hit it.

Thanks everyone for your replays. Very helpful.
 

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