Ford 3000 Electrical malfunction

Anyone who may have an idea, please advise. I recently notice the red lights in the instrument panel were on on my Ford 3000 and the key was in the off position. Replaced the key switch, but still does it with the battery hooked up. Should I consider replacing the Generator first or where should I start? Is it best to switch to an alternator instead of the 12V Lucas Generator #22756?
I have inspected all the wires for a short and find nothing. The instrument panel fuel gauge and temperature gauge have not been working either for a few months, perhaps start with a new instrument panel? Thinking could it be one of these 2 items malfunctioning causing a short in the system? Totally puzzled and new to this tractor since purchasing just over a year ago. :?
 
My first guess is that your key switch is mis-wired. If you're sure it's OK, then it about has to be a short somewhere in the
harness, or else your light switch circuit (or similar) is back feeding into your gauge circuit somehow. If BOTH lights are
on, it's not the generator or regulator, and it's not the instrument cluster.

I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being rodent damage on top of the fuel tank.

Another thought - are you sure the lights in question are not the illumination lights for the cluster, stuck in the wrong
holes?
 
(quoted from post at 16:25:29 10/08/18) My first guess is that your key switch is mis-wired. If you're sure it's OK, then it about has to be a short somewhere in the
harness, or else your light switch circuit (or similar) is back feeding into your gauge circuit somehow. If BOTH lights are
on, it's not the generator or regulator, and it's not the instrument cluster.

I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being rodent damage on top of the fuel tank.

Another thought - are you sure the lights in question are not the illumination lights for the cluster, stuck in the wrong
holes?

bad/stuck vr regulator, along with a bad cluster ground will cause a back feed to the other light and the oil sending unit will complete the circuit to make both lights stay on as well???(grasping at straws here)
 
Oh boy. Same old stuff. Those idiot lights will give you problems ad infinitum. I finally gave up, drilled two, 2" holes in the dash and added an oil pressure and volt meter to them courtesy of Auto Zone. Now I know what the Hell is going on. I also took out the bulbs in the idiot lights. I used an actual oil line from the block for the oil pressure gauge and patched in a wire to the circuit for the voltmeter gauge. The wire can be patched in anywhere along the charging circuit. If you want to keep it stock, then everything I said is inconsequential.
 
(quoted from post at 14:25:29 10/08/18) My first guess is that your key switch is mis-wired. If you're sure it's OK, then it about has to be a short somewhere in the
harness, or else your light switch circuit (or similar) is back feeding into your gauge circuit somehow. If BOTH lights are
on, it's not the generator or regulator, and it's not the instrument cluster.

I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being rodent damage on top of the fuel tank.

Another thought - are you sure the lights in question are not the illumination lights for the cluster, stuck in the wrong
holes?


Thanks Bern, You are absolutely correct it started out as what appeared to be mice that had built a nice nest on top of the gas tank, having had the instrument panel out several times now I thought I had looked the wiring harness over pretty good and found no damage.
I truly feel that I copied the key switch wiring correctly, and it is doing the very same thing that it did before I changed it.
I really don't think it is lights in the wrong holes, because the day I walked in the barn and found them on was prior to taking anything apart. Really no lights at all should have been illuminated. So I am leaning towards damaged wire(s) I am just going to have to get a little deeper into the wiring to find something. I think you are right it happened after the mice had set up home. Makes me really feel stupid not being able to put a finger on this. I will keep trying. Thanks again, Todd
 
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Looking at the schematic, I would search for a path the allows voltage to be applied to the sender side of oil pressure and gen warning lamps (path should not be there with all shutdown). Disconnect wire normally connected to oil pressure switch and see if that wire has voltage on it. It should not.
 

Per a recent survey, 7 out of every 10 mice prefer a ford tractor for a nest.[/quote]eems as though the other 3 sorry b@$I@*&s prefer the wires on top of my 1992 Chevy 2500 gas tank! What is it? Do they like the smell of gas or what? :evil:
 
(quoted from post at 07:51:47 10/10/18)
Per a recent survey, 7 out of every 10 mice prefer a ford tractor for a nest.
eems as though the other 3 sorry b@$I@*&s prefer the wires on top of my 1992 Chevy 2500 gas tank! What is it? Do they like the smell of gas or what? :evil:[/quote]


JMOR, Lol......that is a good one and probably a fairly accurate survey. Darn rodents have a great home with a tractor having so many open chambers to build nests in. Then when you have it parked near the chicken feed makes it convenient for the little destructive creatures!

I am gonna spend more time tracking wires for a short, but gonna try a new Voltage Reg this weekend! Thanks all! Todd
 
:D Thanks for the time you invested to replying to my post about the electrical issues on my Ford 3000. I am happy to share that after several attempts of trying the things suggested to me in this forum, I found that my problem was with the solenoid switch to the starter.
I figure the contacts, even under low voltage welded together creating the open circuit back to the key switch and draining the battery. I thought about it when I had the tractor running prior to the malfunction and wondered why it would not shut off with the key switch, that something had to change and that change in how the solenoid was functioning made the most sense.
This forum is a awesome tool for those as confused as I was over the issue. I hope I can give back to the next person who may have similar experiences. Thanks again, Ford owner Todd
 

Hi Sotxbill I found my electrical problem to be with the solenoid switch. Obviously the contacts had welded together creating the constant open circuit which drained the battery.
The contents with what the mouse nest was made of behind the instrument panel indicates to me that the nest was only about one year old, so no damage from that. Thanks for your input in the forum and your support with narrowing things down in the right direction. Hope I can repay the next person whom has this problem. Thanks again, FordownerTodd
 

I had a customer that had a real nice low mileage bronco 2 a cream puff it shined like new money her mother brought it new. About 2 times a year i had to repair a plastic fuel line where mice are squirrels would eat a hole in it.

The last 3000 I worked on the gen light stayed on, the ignition switch was wired wrong...
 

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