deutz dx160

rummm64

New User
Hi to all.
I've been lurking for awhile now and learn some valuable
info here. But I've run into a problem that really got me
pulling hair. Thought I might jump on here and ask if anyone
else has run into this trouble. I'll tell the whole story that began last fall and hopefully you won't fall asleep before the end.
Anyway when I went to start the tractor I turned the key
and the starter wouldn't crank (just a click) so I turned the
key a couple more time rather quickly and tractor pops right off.
I didn't think to much about it and went on with mine business.
Well this spring thing continued to get worse with the starter
so I got a new battery cleaned up all the battery connections
(including the ground) installed a new ignition switch ($100)
and to no avail. I fought the starter during planting season.
Now normally this tractor sits in the the shed, but I had the
the shed floor poured (concrete) and the tractor sit out for a
month. So monday I was combining some beans and got the combine stuck. So I jump on the deutz and after about 30 tries
it starts and pull out the combine. I pull the tractor in the shed
and low and behold I can't get starter to kick in. So I have starter rebuilt & new solenoid ($300). Still nothing. I pull the gear neutral switch check the voltage 12.5 in and 12.5 out
and it's not stuck. So I turn the key on jump the starter to solenoid and bam tractor starts. So I start tracing the wiring from the gear neutral switch(GNS) back and probing the volt meter thru the wire and get about 2 feet from the GNS and the volts drop to 10.3 volts. I'm thinking OK somewhere between here and the GNS I've got a short. So I replace that section of wire and check volts before splicing together 12.5 volt.
I splice it together and check and I'm back to 10.5.
I check it at the solenoid and it's 7.8 volts. (What The Heck)
So the resistance must be in front of the splice, well this is where it begins to go back into cab and into dash. I'm digging around in there and I'm thinking I should be able to just splice
a wire from the switch straight to the solenoid. Wrong, I've got nothing but clicks at the glow plug and a clicking on the fuel pump side(there's a Bosch plug with a single wire running to it
I can't seem to find correct name for the thing or what it does)
So I'll go back and undo the splice from switch to solenoid.
My first thought is maybe I'm missing a another safety switch some where, but I can't find one. I'm at about at my wits end
with this thing. So any ideas? Is there a relay some where I'm missing? Something is drawing the volts down before it gets to the solenoid but I can't seem to find it.
 
Have you checked the voltage on the "bat" side of the ignition switch? Could be the power isn't making it to the ignition switch. Just a matter of tracing it back.

You're not looking for a "short", that would be a wire going to ground. You're looking for "high resistance", a bad connection. Not likely to be in the middle of a wire, but at a connection, like a corroded end connector, a plug together connection, etc. Look for heat discolored, melted plastic, green stuff growing out of a connector... Might want to go at it from the battery end, see where the incoming power from the battery goes, should go to a power distribution block, branch off to various components. You are on the right track checking for voltage drop under load.

I'm assuming the starter is probably a Delco (or similar) with the plunger type solenoid on top of the starter. Those solenoids draw a lot of current, therefore expect to see some voltage drop. Even when everything is right you're still reading the resistance of the wire, so the farther from the battery you get, the more drop you'll read.

This is a common problem with those type starters. Why did it work for ever then decide to start acting up? A mystery of the universe... A solution is to mount a Ford type solenoid down close to the starter (which requires much less current to actuate). Use the wire from the neutral switch to pull in the Ford solenoid, connect the power lugs with 10ga wire from the battery terminal on the starter, back to the terminal where the original start wire was. Should solve the problem.
 
I just went through something similar with the
3 rd function on a Stoll loader. Everytime it
rained or got foggy I'd have a problem. I
bought a tube of dielectric grease and applied
to 3 connections from joystick to valve and
stopped that problem. These were spade
connections.Tractor is shedded too. So when you
go back through connections apply that and it
will rule out each connection.

Also I don't think you mentioned the fuse for
that line. I've seen fuses that needed to be
reseated too. Had a 2610 Long that had the old
style volkswagon fuses in it. I finally changed
the fuse block and fuses to normal round fuses.
Took care of that problem.
 
OK guys thanks for the replies.
Yes, I have 12.5 volts on the start side of ignition switch.
Well I got things back to factory, still won't start with ignition switch but I jumped across the solenoid and tractor popped right off but the starter hung up on flywheel. I popped the starter with a dead blow and it disengaged. I'm beginning to thing the solenoid is the culprit. I'm going to take it off and have someone different look at it, maybe talk to them about that ford type solenoid.
Somethings not right with starter/solenoid rebuild. If I hadn't jumped off the tractor I would have burnt that starter up.
Thanks again guy's.
 
Well there was a solenoid problem, sorta. Had a new solenoid put on but a no-go on starting with ignition switch. I found a voltage
kill switch on the front of the engine,(if blower belt (air cooled)
breaks the spring loaded idler pulley will slap over and push a kill switch button) problem is someone has been in there and there are only 2 wires running to a 3 prong plug. I found which one of the wires are the power source and I plugged it in to the kill switch and using the multi-meter I can only get 1.2 volts to come thru the switch (i tried a variable of combination at prongs with the same results) Pushed the kill switch button with no voltage change (as if the blower belt had broken). I still don't understand how I can only be getting 1.2 volts thru the kill switch and be getting 7 to 8 volts at the solenoid?? Could that kill switch be the resistance? Oh by the way I started at the battery and checked all grounds and I also went to the fuse box sanded all the fuse seats (bullet style fuses, I hate them). I'm going to have maintains guy at work double check to kill switch and see what he thinks. Anyone have any thoughts?
 

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