Left battery disconnected overnight now 8N will not start

fredharts · Oct 25, 2016

The keys to my tractor fell behind a table and I couldn't find them for 2 days. I came to the conclusion I was going to have to replace the key switch. I disconnected the battery, and took the key switch out of the mount so I could see what kind it was. All I disconnected was the battery. I put the switch back in the mount hole and left the tractor.

When I got home I immediately saw the keys at the back corner of the table. So the next day I hooked the battery back up and tighened up the plate over the key switch a bit.

The tractor is a push button start. Turn the key to the right, push the button and it starts. Well when I got the battery hooked back up, turned the key, and pressed down on the ignition nothing happened. Not even a sound.

I'm hoping the battery just died, but how would leaving it disconnected overnight drain the battery? I'm going to grab it on my lunch break and have it checked if I have time and if not I will after work.

Any reason disconnecting the battery would cause the tractor not to start? Could I have shorted something by just disconnecting it? I mean I press the button and it is silence.

Thanks.

HCooke · Oct 25, 2016

"I'm hoping the battery just died, but how would leaving it disconnected overnight drain the battery?"

Very likely you have a corroded battery terminal and cable and did not get a tight clean connection when you reconnected the battery. First
try cleaning things up and see if it starts.

fredharts · Oct 25, 2016

(quoted from post at 11:10:06 10/25/16) "I'm hoping the battery just died, but how would leaving it disconnected overnight drain the battery?"

Very likely you have a corroded battery terminal and cable and did not get a tight clean connection when you reconnected the battery. First
try cleaning things up and see if it starts.

That was the first thing I tried. Would the fact that is does absolutely nothing indicate a drained battery?

Bruce (VA) · Oct 25, 2016

" Would the fact that is does absolutely nothing indicate a drained battery? "

No.

"...pressed down on the ignition nothing happened."

That's not an ignition switch. It's a starter switch. When you press it, the circuit to the solenoid is completed. The key switch provides power to the ignition circuit.

Disconnecting the battery means you have no load on it. As Harold said, you've got a bad connection, bad cables, dirty terminals or a combination of all 3.

Put your battery on a charger. (see tip # 60)

You need a strong battery to:

1. Close the solenoid

2. Spin the starter

3. Engage the bendix

4. Provide voltage to the coil.

As the battery gets weaker, the first thing to fail is your spark. If the battery is almost totally dead, all you will hear is the solenoid clicking.

In addition to charging the battery, chances are you need new cables as well (tip # 41). And, don't forget to clean all the grounds, to include the mating area between the starter & the block.

The more current you use to spin the starter, the less you have for the ignition.
75 Tips

Dell (WA) · Oct 25, 2016

Fred.........batterys don't just abruptly die, they fade away. Based upon yer description, you have an OPEN in yer little middle solenoid terminal to yer BIG push button by the tranny shifter. #12 brogans kenn kick the wire climbing on and off the tractor. The solenoid is GROUNDED by the BIG push button to make it operate. Try replacing the wire with new stranded wire. Use insulated terminals.........HTH, the amazed Dell

fredharts · Oct 25, 2016

(quoted from post at 12:26:50 10/25/16) " Would the fact that is does absolutely nothing indicate a drained battery? "

No.

"...pressed down on the ignition nothing happened."

That's not an ignition switch. It's a starter switch. When you press it, the circuit to the solenoid is completed. The key switch provides power to the ignition circuit.

Disconnecting the battery means you have no load on it. As Harold said, you've got a bad connection, bad cables, dirty terminals or a combination of all 3.

Put your battery on a charger. (see tip # 60)

You need a strong battery to:

1. Close the solenoid

2. Spin the starter

3. Engage the bendix

4. Provide voltage to the coil.

As the battery gets weaker, the first thing to fail is your spark. If the battery is almost totally dead, all you will hear is the solenoid clicking.

In addition to charging the battery, chances are you need new cables as well (tip # 41). And, don't forget to clean all the grounds, to include the mating area between the starter & the block.

The more current you use to spin the starter, the less you have for the ignition.
75 Tips

Well it was literally running up until I disconnected the battery. I doubt the cables are bad...

I mean it does nothing. No noise. No clicking. I'm going to get the battery checked after work. It's just weird it was running fine. Disconnected the battery and the next day it wouldn't start. I don't see how the battery would have died but I also don't see how the cables would be bad. I mean if it were what you were sayings wouldn't it at least make some noise?

fredharts · Oct 25, 2016

(quoted from post at 12:32:09 10/25/16) Fred.........batterys don't just abruptly die, they fade away. Based upon yer description, you have an OPEN in yer little middle solenoid terminal to yer BIG push button by the tranny shifter. #12 brogans kenn kick the wire climbing on and off the tractor. The solenoid is GROUNDED by the BIG push button to make it operate. Try replacing the wire with new stranded wire. Use insulated terminals.........HTH, the amazed Dell

Right they fade away. That's why I said surely it didn't just die.

What middle solenoid terminal?

#12 brogans kenn kick - What?

fredharts · Oct 25, 2016

Bruce, you say the battery isn't drained, but to charge it. Why if you don't believe it is drained any?

Dell (WA) · Oct 25, 2016

Fred..........the starter solenoid mounts on top of the starter motor. It has 2-BIG terminals and a little middle terminal to the BIG tranny push-button. I'm certain you realize you kenn NOT start yer 8N until the tranny is in NEUTRAL. The ignition key only controls the sparkies NOT the starter motor. That is what the solenoid is for. Unfortunately, as you climb on and off, yer #12 brogans kenn kick the solenoid wire and break it. Try replacing it with #16 stranded insulated wire with terminals. Understand?..........HTH, the amazed Dell

Caryc · Oct 25, 2016

(quoted from post at 12:45:54 10/25/16) Bruce, you say the battery isn't drained, but to charge it. Why if you don't believe it is drained any?

You'd be surprised how many times over the years on this forum we've heard people complaining about how there tractor won't start and their battery must have died.

You'd also be surprised how many of those people found out that their battery was not the cause of the non start.

Connections can look clean and look great. That doesn't mean they are conducting the power to start your engine. Did you clean your battery terminals and the clamp with a real battery terminal brush before you reconnected them? The connections at the starter might also need cleaning. Do yourself a favor and check them. That doesn't mean "look at them". Wire terminals and ends can be cleaned with files or sandpaper.

fredharts · Oct 25, 2016

(quoted from post at 12:55:37 10/25/16) Fred..........the starter solenoid mounts on top of the starter motor. It has 2-BIG terminals and a little middle terminal to the BIG tranny push-button. I'm certain you realize you kenn NOT start yer 8N until the tranny is in NEUTRAL. The ignition key only controls the sparkies NOT the starter motor. That is what the solenoid is for. Unfortunately, as you climb on and off, yer #12 brogans kenn kick the solenoid wire and break it. Try replacing it with #16 stranded insulated wire with terminals. Understand?..........HTH, the amazed Dell

I think I do. Basically trace the wire from my start button, take it off, and replace it. Not sure if brogans refers to a wire type or not. And yep i can only start in neutral. And yep the key doesn't actually do anything but control the spark.

What I don't understand is how this started happening immediately after I disconnected the battery. Maybe I tugged on the wire and didn't know.

fredharts · Oct 25, 2016

(quoted from post at 13:02:33 10/25/16)

(quoted from post at 12:45:54 10/25/16) Bruce, you say the battery isn't drained, but to charge it. Why if you don't believe it is drained any?

Click to expand...

You'd be surprised how many times over the years on this forum we've heard people complaining about how there tractor won't start and their battery must have died.

Actually, I said surely it didn't die. And simply mentioned it as a possibility. I don't see any reason for it to die just sitting there over night like it has many another nights and never was found dead in the morning.

I used some fine grit sandpaper I had.

fredharts · Oct 25, 2016

(quoted from post at 12:55:37 10/25/16) Fred..........the starter solenoid mounts on top of the starter motor. It has 2-BIG terminals and a little middle terminal to the BIG tranny push-button. I'm certain you realize you kenn NOT start yer 8N until the tranny is in NEUTRAL. The ignition key only controls the sparkies NOT the starter motor. That is what the solenoid is for. Unfortunately, as you climb on and off, yer #12 brogans kenn kick the solenoid wire and break it. Try replacing it with #16 stranded insulated wire with terminals. Understand?..........HTH, the amazed Dell

I think i'm starting to understand you. brogans are shoes..

HFJ · Oct 25, 2016

particularly in a situation like this, a hand-held VOM (preferably analog, cheap modern digital meters don't like the noise generated by an N's ignition) and a battery charger are your friends.

fredharts · Oct 25, 2016

(quoted from post at 13:44:58 10/25/16)
particularly in a situation like this, a hand-held VOM (preferably analog, cheap modern digital meters don't like the noise generated by an N's ignition) and a battery charger are your friends.

My battery charger is horrible. I'm just going to the advanced auto around the corner after work and have them charge it if it shows it needs it.

I don't have a meter, but i do have a current tester. One that lights up.

Tim PloughNman Daley RIP · Oct 25, 2016

HiYa Fred-
OK, what Dell and Bruce and Harold said...plus old batteries don't die (like old soldiers) they just fade away, meaning: They get drained. Is your tractor 6-volt or 12 volt? Did you do a static voltage check with a voltmeter to see what the charge rate was? Battery age? A fully charged 6 volt battery should read about 7.6 volts, a 12 volt battery around 14 volts. Battery can be checked at your trusty local starter/alternator shop under load to verify it will sustain a charge. Next, Ford Tractor key switches are all universal, meaning one key fits all. The 8N-3679 ignition switch new comes with two keys, #A1053. If you lost yours, can go to your local trusty CNH dealer or equivalent and get one. If the switch is anything, you're SOL and will need a new switch and key set. Also, as mentioned, is the gear shift in neutral position? Did you connect the battery up correctly? Original setup was 6 volt positive ground but not likely the problem.

Tim *PloughNman* Daley(MI)

fredharts · Oct 25, 2016

(quoted from post at 15:02:07 10/25/16) HiYa Fred-
OK, what Dell and Bruce and Harold said...plus old batteries don't die (like old soldiers) they just fade away, meaning: They get drained. Is your tractor 6-volt or 12 volt? Did you do a static voltage check with a voltmeter to see what the charge rate was? Battery age? A fully charged 6 volt battery should read about 7.6 volts, a 12 volt battery around 14 volts. Battery can be checked at your trusty local starter/alternator shop under load to verify it will sustain a charge. Next, Ford Tractor key switches are all universal, meaning one key fits all. The 8N-3679 ignition switch new comes with two keys, #A1053. If you lost yours, can go to your local trusty CNH dealer or equivalent and get one. If the switch is anything, you're SOL and will need a new switch and key set. Also, as mentioned, is the gear shift in neutral position? Did you connect the battery up correctly? Original setup was 6 volt positive ground but not likely the problem.

Tim *PloughNman* Daley(MI)

It's 12. I don't have a voltmeter. It's definitely in neutral. I put it in neutral every time before I stop the tractor. Plus the button will not press down if it is not in neutral. I found my keys so I'm good there.

Like i said. Tractor ran, lost keys, disconnected battery, let sit over night, reconnected, now pressing the button makes no sound. It has to be more than the battery otherwise it'd make some sound.

I'll get the battery charged and run sandpaper over the connectors and battery posts again and hook it all back up. I just think there is more going on because pressin the buttondoes nothing. So I think I may need to replace that wire dell said to.

Royse · Oct 25, 2016

"I don't see how the battery would have died but I also don't see how the cables would be bad."

Let's see if I'm understanding correctly. 12V battery that has been
working fine, the only change was removing the battery cable.
Right?

If the only change was moving that cable, I'd check that cable.
Bending a corroded cable is enough to break the connection
sometimes. Including the connection on the other end.

Which cable did you remove?

Your key switch on an 8N has nothing to do with the engine
turning over if it is wired as it was originally.
As long as it's in neutral the engine will spin, just not start.
So you can take it out of this equation unless it was left on
or left touching something after re-installing and connecting
the battery such that it ran the battery dead.

HFJ · Oct 25, 2016

"My battery charger is horrible. I'm just going to the advanced auto around the corner after work and have them charge it if it shows it needs it.

I don't have a meter, but i do have a current tester. One that lights up."

so - what did your current tester tell u about your battery? did it tell u what voltage it currently has? if not, i'd suggest to u that it's not useful for this situation

a cheap analog (or digital too, since your tractor is not running) meter will eliminate this guesswork. so will a working battery charger. why guess when u can know?

fredharts · Oct 25, 2016

Your key switch on an 8N has nothing to do with the engine
turning over.

Nope it doesn't. Not sure if I said it did? I don't think I said it did? I just mentioned it because the key needs to be turned for the rest to work. Pretty sure that is what i said.

As far as the cable. Yeah it is all i removed.

I removed the positive cable and the ground is a braided cable. The nut on it was i na weird spot and my wrench wouldn't fit and I didn't have sockets with me. So I removed the ground all together and just left the cable attached to the battery.

All I did was disconnect the battery. Nothing else. Dell says I might have kicked the wire but the wires never come into contact with my feet. Only way that would happen is if I tugged it when removing the battery but I didn't tug any wires. The battery came out easily.

That cable was what i thinking at first when cleaning everything up with sand paper didn't help since it is al lI really fiddled with and tugged on.

fredharts · Oct 25, 2016

(quoted from post at 16:59:21 10/25/16)
"My battery charger is horrible. I'm just going to the advanced auto around the corner after work and have them charge it if it shows it needs it.

I don't have a meter, but i do have a current tester. One that lights up."

so - what did your current tester tell u about your battery? did it tell u what voltage it currently has? if not, i'd suggest to u that it's not useful for this situation

a cheap analog (or digital too, since your tractor is not running) meter will eliminate this guesswork. so will a working battery charger. why guess when u can know?

Because funds are low. I may grab one here if I see a decent one for a decent price. If the battery says around 14 I'll know that's not it.. But if it says something close and I'm getting no sound no crank no nothing I'm still back to guessing.

Royse · Oct 25, 2016

(quoted from post at 20:04:17 10/25/16)

Your key switch on an 8N has nothing to do with the engine
turning over.

Nope it doesn't. Not sure if I said it did? I don't think I said it did? I just mentioned it because the key needs to be turned for the rest to work. Pretty sure that is what i said.

As far as the cable. Yeah it is all i removed.

I removed the positive cable and the ground is a braided cable. The nut on it was i na weird spot and my wrench wouldn't fit and I didn't have sockets with me. So I removed the ground all together and just left the cable attached to the battery.

All I did was disconnect the battery. Nothing else. Dell says I might have kicked the wire but the wires never come into contact with my feet. Only way that would happen is if I tugged it when removing the battery but I didn't tug any wires. The battery came out easily.

That cable was what i thinking at first when cleaning everything up with sand paper didn't help since it is al lI really fiddled with and tugged on.

Click to expand...

Dell is referring to the little wire that runs from the starter
button near the gear shifter to the solenoid. It can be kicked
and broken and if that happens it won't engage your solenoid.
You can test that with a jumper wire from ground to the small
terminal on the solenoid. Make sure it is in neutral first since
you are bypassing the neutral safety switch.

Got jumper cables? You can somewhat test the ground cable
connections by hooking one end of the black lead to the grounded
connection of the battery (should be the negative post on yours
assuming you have a 12V conversion with an alternator) and
the other end to a clean, paint/rust free spot on the tractor
frame to temporarily add another ground connection.
If that works you ground cable has an issue.

If that doesn't work you could hook one of the red clamps to
the battery side of the solenoid and then touch the other red
lead to the starter side. Expect it to spark and the engine to
spin. Again, make sure it is in neutral first so it doesn't move.
If that works, you have an issue in the solenoid engagement.

Still no good? Try one red lead to the battery non-grounded
terminal (should be positive in your case) and touch the other
to the starter side of the solenoid. Expect the same spark/spin.
If that works then your positive cable has an issue.

Any of them could be as simple as a dirty/loose connection.

No, it really doesn't matter which colors of the jumper cables
you use as long as you use the same ones.
I used the colors just for clarity.

fredharts · Oct 25, 2016

(quoted from post at 18:22:45 10/25/16)

(quoted from post at 20:04:17 10/25/16)

Your key switch on an 8N has nothing to do with the engine
turning over.

Nope it doesn't. Not sure if I said it did? I don't think I said it did? I just mentioned it because the key needs to be turned for the rest to work. Pretty sure that is what i said.

As far as the cable. Yeah it is all i removed.

I removed the positive cable and the ground is a braided cable. The nut on it was i na weird spot and my wrench wouldn't fit and I didn't have sockets with me. So I removed the ground all together and just left the cable attached to the battery.

All I did was disconnect the battery. Nothing else. Dell says I might have kicked the wire but the wires never come into contact with my feet. Only way that would happen is if I tugged it when removing the battery but I didn't tug any wires. The battery came out easily.

That cable was what i thinking at first when cleaning everything up with sand paper didn't help since it is al lI really fiddled with and tugged on.

Click to expand...

Dell is referring to the little wire that runs from the starter
button near the gear shifter to the solenoid. It can be kicked
and broken and if that happens it won't engage your solenoid.
You can test that with a jumper wire from ground to the small
terminal on the solenoid. Make sure it is in neutral first since
you are bypassing the neutral safety switch.

Got jumper cables? You can somewhat test the ground cable
connections by hooking one end of the black lead to the grounded
connection of the battery (should be the negative post on yours
assuming you have a 12V conversion with an alternator) and
the other end to a clean, paint/rust free spot on the tractor
frame to temporarily add another ground connection.
If that works you ground cable has an issue.

If that doesn't work you could hook one of the red clamps to
the battery side of the solenoid and then touch the other red
lead to the starter side. Expect it to spark and the engine to
spin. Again, make sure it is in neutral first so it doesn't move.
If that works, you have an issue in the solenoid engagement.

Still no good? Try one red lead to the battery non-grounded
terminal (should be positive in your case) and touch the other
to the starter side of the solenoid. Expect the same spark/spin.
If that works then your positive cable has an issue.

Any of them could be as simple as a dirty/loose connection.

No, it really doesn't matter which colors of the jumper cables
you use as long as you use the same ones.
I used the colors just for clarity.

Click to expand...

Thanks I will try that. As far as that cable I've never kicked it. I actually pulled the gasket back and checked it near the button and it seemed fine when it initially wouldn't start. Thanks.

Tim PloughNman Daley RIP · Oct 26, 2016

I'd take it to a good, trusty, local, starter/alternator shop and they will usually test the battery under load for free...sometime scgarge it for free too if it checks good...

Tim *PloughNman* Daley(MI)

Tim PloughNman Daley RIP · Oct 26, 2016

A continuity tester isn't going to tell you if your battery is good or not...

fredharts · Oct 26, 2016

(quoted from post at 13:09:00 10/26/16) I'd take it to a good, trusty, local, starter/alternator shop and they will usually test the battery under load for free...sometime scgarge it for free too if it checks good...

Tim *PloughNman* Daley(MI)

I took the battery to the auto store around the corner and they checked it for free during lunch. It is good and read it had a good charge.

(quoted from post at 13:10:15 10/26/16) A continuity tester isn't going to tell you if your battery is good or not...

Well no, why would it?

They don't sell a lot of things around here you think they would. I have to have a lot of local shops order a lot of simple things online. The dang ol' Briggs dealer didn't have a metal banding recoil spring here a while back and had to order one for me. Even then the notch wasn't right and I had to grind that thing a bit. Mower runs great now. Then the dang old sihl dealer didn't have a fuel line and the repair shop wouldn't sell me one. The dealer got me one in and I got it replaced and saw is up and running now.

I went and looked for a cheap analog mete but they just had these digital ones that have lights that light up. Said they could order me one but I don't want to wait a couple days for it.

I got the battery checked and grabbed some 16 gauge wire and a couple terminals. I even grabbed a battery cable since they had a decent on for a decent price. Figured I'd just get one and have it in case.

Ran off an forgot my crimper and sand paper this morning. Will have to run home and grab it after work and see if I can get her started.

Theres a blockage somewhere fuel related I need to address after this (before I start the tractor I have to pour the gas in and open up the gas 4 and a half turns and start the tractor and once it is started I have to get it moving to get the gas flowing. Once I do that she runs great. I resorted to using my momentum to nudge it off a hump one evening and come to a sudden stop at the bottom. I could hear that gas glug glug and she started right up.), but I only get about an hour and a half of daylight after work each night and can't devote it all to the dang old tractor you know.

I have to admit I've been playing a little dumb just because of some of the responses. Thanks again everyone. I will report back on the status after I try cleaning the posts and connectors, then if that don't help I'll replace the wire running from my starter button, and if that don't work I'll replace the positive batter cable.

Thanks again.

clange · Oct 26, 2016

FWIW - I had a problem where my starter wouldn't turn over recently despite good connections. Bruce (VA) suggested a few whacks with a hammer (or board) to see if it would free up the bendix. Nothing too violent. Voila - she started!

JMOR · Oct 26, 2016

(quoted from post at 16:52:11 10/26/16)

(quoted from post at 13:09:00 10/26/16) I'd take it to a good, trusty, local, starter/alternator shop and they will usually test the battery under load for free...sometime scgarge it for free too if it checks good...

Tim *PloughNman* Daley(MI)

Click to expand...

I took the battery to the auto store around the corner and they checked it for free during lunch. It is good and read it had a good charge.

(quoted from post at 13:10:15 10/26/16) A continuity tester isn't going to tell you if your battery is good or not...

Click to expand...

Well no, why would it?

They don't sell a lot of things around here you think they would. I have to have a lot of local shops order a lot of simple things online. The dang ol' Briggs dealer didn't have a metal banding recoil spring here a while back and had to order one for me. Even then the notch wasn't right and I had to grind that thing a bit. Mower runs great now. Then the dang old sihl dealer didn't have a fuel line and the repair shop wouldn't sell me one. The dealer got me one in and I got it replaced and saw is up and running now.

I went and looked for a cheap analog mete but they just had these digital ones that have lights that light up. Said they could order me one but I don't want to wait a couple days for it.

I got the battery checked and grabbed some 16 gauge wire and a couple terminals. I even grabbed a battery cable since they had a decent on for a decent price. Figured I'd just get one and have it in case.

Ran off an forgot my crimper and sand paper this morning. Will have to run home and grab it after work and see if I can get her started.

Theres a blockage somewhere fuel related I need to address after this (before I start the tractor I have to pour the gas in and open up the gas 4 and a half turns and start the tractor and once it is started I have to get it moving to get the gas flowing. Once I do that she runs great. I resorted to using my momentum to nudge it off a hump one evening and come to a sudden stop at the bottom. I could hear that gas glug glug and she started right up.), but I only get about an hour and a half of daylight after work each night and can't devote it all to the dang old tractor you know.

I have to admit I've been playing a little dumb just because of some of the responses. Thanks again everyone. I will report back on the status after I try cleaning the posts and connectors, then if that don't help I'll replace the wire running from my starter button, and if that don't work I'll replace the positive batter cable.

Thanks again.

ood to know, I guess. I was remaining silent, but now that you 'fess up, I had been thinking that you should take the tractor back to where you got it and ask to return it on the grounds that you were too dumb to own it. :wink:

fredharts · Oct 26, 2016

All right. I got her started, drover her in a circle, and parked her just in time for daylight to fade away.

When I first had this issue I didn't clean the posts that great. When I took it to the store to have it checked for free I noticed in the light of the store that the battery cable and ground cable had been on so tight and so long metal had actually come off of their connectors and I had this thin layer of metal around my posts.

I removed the old battery cable because it was so rough and sanded the bolt coming out of that solenoid connected to the starter. I sanded everything I was working with. The bolt coming out of that solenoid, the washers, the bolts, the face of my ground cable, the place on the tractor the ground bolts to, etc. I put on that new battery cable, and re-attached the ground.

Only thing I didn't mention was that behind the battery cable on that bolt coming out of the solenoid connected to the starter was this 18 gauge looking wire. The terminal was broke. I didn't have pliers so I used my crescent wrench to bend it more into a U and put it over the bolt behind the cable and bolted them both in place. I didn't have a terminal on my bi enough to go over the bolt. No idea what that wire is for. I traced it and it bolts into the frame behind the light switch.

Tractor started right up. Sounds great. Now all I need to do is solve that fuel clog at some point.

Thanks.

Caryc · Oct 26, 2016

(quoted from post at 17:54:56 10/26/16) All right. I got her started, drover her in a circle, and parked her just in time for daylight to fade away.

When I first had this issue I didn't clean the posts that great. When I took it to the store to have it checked for free I noticed in the light of the store that the battery cable and ground cable had been on so tight and so long metal had actually come off of their connectors and I had this thin layer of metal around my posts.

I removed the old battery cable because it was so rough and sanded the bolt coming out of that solenoid connected to the starter. I sanded everything I was working with. The bolt coming out of that solenoid, the washers, the bolts, the face of my ground cable, the place on the tractor the ground bolts to, etc. I put on that new battery cable, and re-attached the ground.

Only thing I didn't mention was that behind the battery cable on that bolt coming out of the solenoid connected to the starter was this 18 gauge looking wire. The terminal was broke. I didn't have pliers so I used my crescent wrench to bend it more into a U and put it over the bolt behind the cable and bolted them both in place. I didn't have a terminal on my bi enough to go over the bolt. No idea what that wire is for. I traced it and it bolts into the frame behind the light switch.

Tractor started right up. Sounds great. Now all I need to do is solve that fuel clog at some point.

Thanks.

Glad you got it started. Now, I guess you can kind of see where I was going when I talked about people (in general) believing their battery was dead. Their connections can look so good that they just don't want to take the time to go through them to find the bad one. A lot of believers have been made here. :wink:

Royse · Oct 26, 2016

There shouldn't be an extra wire on the starter side of the
solenoid, only the brass bar, but there should be one on the
battery side. Powers everything else. Glad you got it going.

fredharts · Oct 26, 2016

(quoted from post at 18:13:02 10/26/16) There shouldn't be an extra wire on the starter side of the
solenoid, only the brass bar, but there should be one on the
battery side. Powers everything else. Glad you got it going.

It is on the battery side. It sits on the bolt behind the battery cable. Maybe it fell down from something? When I took off the battery cable it appeared to have been behind it but because the terminal was broke it was exactly attached so hard to tell.

showcrop · Oct 27, 2016

When I first had this issue I didn't clean the posts that great. When I took it to the store to have it checked for free I noticed in the light of the store that the battery cable and ground cable had been on so tight and so long metal had actually come off of their connectors and I had this thin layer of metal around my posts.

Fred, I can picture that "thin layer of metal". It was not actually metal but a layer of oxide from arcing due to the connection being loose and contaminated. I have seen it. It appears to be metal but is actually a non-conductor.

fredharts · Oct 27, 2016

(quoted from post at 05:25:19 10/27/16)
When I first had this issue I didn't clean the posts that great. When I took it to the store to have it checked for free I noticed in the light of the store that the battery cable and ground cable had been on so tight and so long metal had actually come off of their connectors and I had this thin layer of metal around my posts.

Fred, I can picture that "thin layer of metal". It was not actually metal but a layer of oxide from arcing due to the connection being loose and contaminated. I have seen it. It appears to be metal but is actually a non-conductor.

Probably was. THose connectors were stuck on there pretty good. It was clearly an issue.

As far as that mysterious wire. I searched Google for an image to post here to ask and I found an exact image with the wire and I clicked visit page and it led me to a thread on this here site! Apparently it goes to my amp gauge. Which makes sense because that is what it was behind when i traced it. But there were several terminals affixed by it. So I'll grab an eye and crimp it on there and be good to go.

http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=ford&th=420964

Left battery disconnected overnight now 8N will not start

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