Ford 3000 Diesel no power when key is on

Rambler25 · Jul 17, 2020

My first tractor so lots to learn. When the key is in the spring loaded start position the lights on the control panel go out and the starter is silent. I changed out the key switch...then the voltage regulator... then bypassed the safety starter switch...no change. Found a bare end hot black wire under the dash next the a relay unit which is hanging to the left of the steering wheel below the key switch that I can't find on the wiring diagram in the manual. So how do I remove the sheet metal cover that the key starter switch screws into to gain access to the wiring to see what that loose wire came off, why is there a relay unit by the key switch and what else can cause everything to loose power with the key turned to on? Thanks.

sotxbill · Jul 17, 2020

the lights should go out on a diesel,,

is the neutral safety switch working? the hi/lo lever must be in the middle position and that safety switch working or the tractor will NOT crank... the switch could be bad... or the wire that feeds this from the ignition switch could have come off at the ignition switch or at the starter. But I would look at the safety switch first.

hightech1953 · Jul 17, 2020

There is no relay on my 66 3000

Sean in PA · Jul 18, 2020

The title of the thread is:

Ford 3000 Diesel no power when key is on

But in the description of the problem you say:

When the key is in the spring loaded start position the lights on the control panel go out and the starter is silent.

The start position on the key switch is not "on". It is the start position. The "Run" position is the "on" position. Do the charge and oil pressure warning lights on the instrument panel go on when in the "Run" position? If so then that part is working properly. As sotxbill said, they should go out when the key is in the "Start" position. There's probably something else disconnected. Is one of the wires going to the neutral safety switch hot when the key is in the "Start" position? If not, then there's your problem. If yes, then connect them together again to bypass the safety switch and measure at the small post on the solenoid that's not connected to ground when the key is in the start position. If you have voltage there then the problem is in the solenoid itself if you're not even hearing a click.

Why did you replace the voltage regulator for a no start issue? The voltage regulator only affects the charging voltage going to the battery once the tractor is running.

That relay hanging under the dash isn't stock so some previous owner added it. Maybe for more powerful headlights or work lights. Is the "hot wire" hot with the key off? How many terminals does the relay have and how many of them actually have wires connected?

Rambler25 · Jul 20, 2020

(quoted from post at 05:49:41 07/18/20) The title of the thread is:

But in the description of the problem you say:

The start position on the key switch is not "on". It is the start position. The "Run" position is the "on" position. Do the charge and oil pressure warning lights on the instrument panel go on when in the "Run" position? If so then that part is working properly. As sotxbill said, they should go out when the key is in the "Start" position. There's probably something else disconnected. Is one of the wires going to the neutral safety switch hot when the key is in the "Start" position? If not, then there's your problem. If yes, then connect them together again to bypass the safety switch and measure at the small post on the solenoid that's not connected to ground when the key is in the start position. If you have voltage there then the problem is in the solenoid itself if you're not even hearing a click.

Why did you replace the voltage regulator for a no start issue? The voltage regulator only affects the charging voltage going to the battery once the tractor is running.

That relay hanging under the dash isn't stock so some previous owner added it. Maybe for more powerful headlights or work lights. Is the "hot wire" hot with the key off? How many terminals does the relay have and how many of them actually have wires connected?

Click to expand...

Thank you all. This is a learning experience. So terminology corrections are appreciated. I will try out these suggestions tonight. I replaced the voltage regulator mainly because its contacts were corroded and like the relay I wasn't sure if it was in the circuit.

How do you remove the covering over the fuel tank to gain access to the wiring? Thank you all.

Click to expand...

sotxbill · Jul 20, 2020

usually work around the cowling as its a LOT of work to remove. I disconnect the tach cable at the gen to get enough slack to pull the instrument panel backwards around 4 to5 inches... you can also take the ring nut off the ignition switch and in most cases there is just enough slack to drop it out the bottom of the cowling so you can work the back of it. but you have to work the slack wiring to you to do this. And there is a hot lead on the back of the ignition switch that must not touch the chassis anywhere.

Its not unusual to see a flasher unit installed under the dash by the owner to make the rear lights blink with "roading" the tractor between fields. As the factory lights were an option, or long gone.

Rambler25 · Jul 20, 2020

(quoted from post at 17:09:35 07/20/20)
usually work around the cowling as its a LOT of work to remove. I disconnect the tach cable at the gen to get enough slack to pull the instrument panel backwards around 4 to5 inches... you can also take the ring nut off the ignition switch and in most cases there is just enough slack to drop it out the bottom of the cowling so you can work the back of it. but you have to work the slack wiring to you to do this. And there is a hot lead on the back of the ignition switch that must not touch the chassis anywhere.

Its not unusual to see a flasher unit installed under the dash by the owner to make the rear lights blink with "roading" the tractor between fields. As the factory lights were an option, or long gone.

Thank you. I had dropped the ignition switch down to change it.. as you said...just enough wire. There seems to be a hot that touches ground when the ignition switch wires are moved so I need a source for how to remove that cowling so I can find and fix it.

sotxbill · Jul 22, 2020

Most damage is due to rodents nesting on top of the gas tank and chewing up the insulation, so common...

You... can disconnect the wires the go down the the safety switch, and rear lights (if they exist) and usually pull the harness up to the instrument panel. You can also unplug the front of the dash harness where it plugs in,,, just under the hood at front of tank...

Or pull the cowling... but... you must pull the steering wheel off first and that almost always requires a puller. Then taking off all the bolts to pull the cowling off. And that of course requires you to donate lots of blood to the tractor gods as there are plenty of sharp edges to cut your fingers up... thats why i have found clever ways to work around pulling the cowling in most cases... So you should be have to remove the whole dash wiring harness in most cases with out doing it on most. And again, most all fords have rodent damage... seems that 9million 200 thousand rats seem to prefer a ford over john deere.

Ford 3000 Diesel no power when key is on

Rambler25

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sotxbill

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hightech1953

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Sean in PA

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Rambler25

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sotxbill

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