1680 problem

this past fall while I was running corn and had a chain break on the head, so by the time I got repaired it was getting darker and I wanted to finish the field. so I flip the lights on and it disengaged my header controls and the corn head stopped working, the rotor kept turning. I tried it 3 times and also shut it down turned the lights on then started the header and it would not turn on. has anyone had a similar problem? I need to work on this summer as I will be putting out a lot of corn this year and know I will be running at night. I was never impressed with the way caseih did there wiring in these model combines so looking for a starting point if need be I guess I will bit the bullet and spend the money for the wiring diagram.
thanks for the help.

I have read your post several times and racked my brain trying to figure out how it could be that you would turn on the lights and the drive for the header would stop. If I understand you correctly, you will have the header working, then flip on the lights and the header stops? If you turn the lights off does it start again? I don't have a clue but this would have to be a problem someplace where the two circuits come together. Wonder do they share a relay or such? Sorry I cannot help you other than to say I have the service manual for my combine (1660). They share the same book but there is a serial number break to consider. I think there is an early book and a later model book. If there is anything in there you need a picture of, like a schematic, I am happy to send it over.

I will throw this out there. I know there is a hydraulic lockout for the header and other things on the combine that is tied to oil pressure and a sender that controls it. If you don't show good pressure from the sender, nothing works. I do not remember if the actual drive was affected though. Since it is not hydraulic, probably not. But I will throw it out there in case the light thing is a phantom and the real issue is elsewhere. Other than that I would wonder have you or a prior owner done any wiring changes and somehow got the light switch crossed into the header control somehow. I hate electrical stuff. Almost always comes down to a mouse nest somewhere.

tHE 1660/80 were bad in having mice build nest in the consul right of seat. That can really screw things up. Always take that panel off outside of cab on right side when storing for winter. 10/12 screws, takes 5 minutes. Second, and I can't remember if my 1660 was this way but my 2144 is, I can be driving along and all of a sudden my header would disengage. Reset switch and away she goes. Might not happen again rest of day or might happen again in 5 min. Puzzled my for one whole season. Finally figured it out. There is a safety switch on the seat so if you exit the machine it will turn header off in 5 seconds. Like the blades on your lawn mower. My combine problem only started acting up when I had been running machine for several hours. Just about the time the fatigue of sitting in seat all day would set in. So I would find myself repositioning on the seat by leaning on one or other arm rest. Come to find out it was taking pressure off the switch.

thanks for the ideas I know my combine does not have a safety switch on the seat its a 92 model with the 8.3 motor, i know what you are taking about on the oil sending unit as I had problems on my first 1680 and it was a 86 model with the dt466 motor. what I am thinking is if I can't find what the problem is I will end up running a new power wire for the lights and see if it still does it, caseih had a bad habit of running the power for one switch to the other and makes it hard to trace. I open to ideas thanks.

Running a jumper when diagnosing combine electrical issues is sometimes the only way to go. I run a continuity check with the meter to find the wire because even if it still has the color indicated on the schematic, it is likely caked in crud and buried inside of loom for 99% of it's length. There is a lot of light wiring in the roof of the cab and that is mouse heaven up there. I'm interested in what you find out. Post back with updates.

People like to laugh or bash Gleaners, but besides their simplicity, there is also their practicality. The wiring diagram is in the operator manual that comes with the combine....

I loved that. Not only was there a wiring diagram, there were individual diagrams for each circuit! I'd never seen that anywhere else. Plus, there was the suitcase test kit, which checked out the modules, etc.

You won't hear me bashing Gleaner. I wanted one. I looked really hard locally for one but just could not find one that I thought was priced right. Then the 1660 came along. The price was right but turned out not so much when it busted a rod the first season...lol. Does a great job. I have no budget for two combines so a Gleaner is just not going to happen unless I pick up a really old one just for the heck of it.

Come to think of it...pheasant feeder or some such epithet? Seems like I heard that more than once. I dunno...still like em.

If you ever use a red one you'll be parking that gleaner.

Not pheasant feeder it's silver seeder lol

We had a similar problem on the 2366 once it turned out to be low voltage and the lights draw enough to lower it more and the solenoid wouldn't stay on. The alternator had quit working and the batteries were going dead. A new alternator and charged the batteries and everything worked fine. Now to what caused failure of the alternator was the fine dust that built up in it and on the cooling screen they need to be blower out periodically. This one was actually smoldering under the cover the dust was glowing good thing I found it before the whole combine was on fire

When I had problems with my grain header stopping on my 1680 it was a bad ground on the electric clutch on the left side of the feeder housing. Is that the chain that broke? The ground wire is bolted on the top of the feeder housing. Maybe the chain ripped it off. Lights could be a separate issue. See if you have power at that clutch.

hey guys thanks for the replies, gives me a few things to look at. and enjoy the remarks on different brands of combines, that's the fun of it. I will let you guys know what I find how ever be this summer.
thanks

Run lots of red 1680 to 2388 and they are a good combines, I have also run an R75 and there is no way I would park the 75 for the red one.

When it was time to update, a few years ago, I would have stayed with Gleaner, but the dealers are all gone. I got a CaseIH 1660. It's been a challenge to get it tuned up to take small grain, but I think I've finally got it. I still miss my Gleaners.

Most likely problem is low voltage when you turn your lights on. Those combines don?t put out a lot of electrical power as it is and the lights will draw a lot of it. Most likely your alternator is getting week or you have some bad connections or a bad ground