LisaK

Member
Before I do any trouble shooting and i'll mention I didn't search the pages for an answer....51 side mount 8n...rebuilt engine, completely rewired correctly...no problems until yesterday. 12v EI, 12v round can coil from napa no resister required. diode is in line if I am remembering the correct tracotor....I went to start the tractor to hook up a small trailer to haul parts out of the shop to the new shed finally...First noticed when I turned the key on voltage was low...below 10v more like 9 it was in the red on the gage but I tried maybe 3 times to try to get it to pop off it fired once and that was it. I know the "special way" regarding choke to start it so I went back to assuming the battery drained a bit.. Hooked up the 12v charger for maybe 1/2 hr and she was fully charged. Turned the gas on...hopped on turned the key on and it was like someone bumped the starter button. Never heard it do that before. Shut key off turned back on....wot to clear the gas out and it started....my long story over now...gauge shows 14 v whilst tractor is running so I know alt is charging...but I don't understand why all of a sudden a drain. I have a boot covering the wire going to the starter button. battery terminals are bright and shiney. Restarted just fine after sitting and voltage remained good all day. So it must be a slow drain. No lights hooked up yet. Sorry if I jumped around in the post
 
How long did it set?
Could be a small drain, remove a battery cable and put a
test light between it and the battery to see if it lights up.
Could also be a battery getting weak.
I am always suspicious of batteries that charge too quickly.
 
Last time I ran it was when we brought the last 3 home...I think 2 weeks ago? And its sat longer than that this summer before with no problem. However now that you mention maybe the battery going bad....its an interstate econo power (reman) battery off my husbands tractor that's a couple years old. I originally had the same one in it not even a year old before and it froze last winter after sitting a few weeks...so maybe all along theres been a small drain? Or the reman batteries are crap! it will be Wed or Thursday evening before Im back there again to load up the other one and deliver it. Easy enough to pop the key in and see what the vm says
 
turned the key on and it was like someone bumped the starter button

Maybe the starter solenoid has metallic debris / faulty / loose terminal inside causing a drain and the ignition switch back fed into the relay causing it to jump which broke the connection ? Maybe the starter was hot ?

Do you have the OEM starter solenoid with the one terminal that gets grounded to activate or a later automotive style ( some have one small most have two small terminals ) that needs a hot wire to activate ( which is a popular conversion for people that are not familiar with the tractor type )

I am just guessing on the info I read .
 
I was wondering if maybe they solenoide was acting up. Starter should not have been hot as I didn't crank and crank on it. I also learned long ago to let it stop spinning before hitting the starter button again to avoid a broken Bendix. Pretty sure it has 2 small terminals... After rereading I'm editing to say I'm now confused. My starter solenoid has 2 wires/posts. One to the starter push button in front of the shifter and I'd have to look to see where the other one goes cause I don't remember.
 
Take a voltage reading from any place on the flat top of the battery to ground...any dust or grime will conduct a charge from one terminal to the other / over time will discharge a battery. I did not believe this myself until I checked, need to keep the battery clean.
 
put a small test lamp in line with one of the bat cables see if it lights up with nothing turned on. if no, then put an ammeter inline with it and see if there is current flowing.

any chance you have power going to the #1 terminal accidentally ( on alt? )

if there is current flow.. disconnect alt.. see if it goes away.
 
Test lamp did not light up when hooked in line. No power to #1 terminal. Didn't have time to check with ammeter as I have to take tool box out. Starter sylenoid is 6v part # 8n-11450. Voltage key off is 12.5 and 14.6 running. My gauge showed below 9 when turning key on and just under 14 when idiling. So alt is working. My husband thinks I flooded it last time but still doesn't made sense when I turned key on it was like someone hit starter button. I'm sitting on the tractor and voltage dropped to 12 and little rough idle and died and won't restart. I didn't choke it so I'm sure I didn't flood it. Had it wot no smoke blowing out exhaust.
 
If it is working fine now, solenoid contacts may have stuck, not super common bit not rare either, happens more often with weak bat starts
 

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