3020 will not stop cranking when key turned off

I need some assistance please. I just replaced the starter on an early model John Deere 3020. After reconnecting all the wires to the starter (reconnected just as they were on the old starter)I turned the key to crank the engine. I turned off the key but the engine continued to crank (starter remained engaged). To disengage the starter I had to disconnect the battery cable (I chose the negative cable). The cables connected to the large post on the starter selinoid became extremely hot before I could remove the cable from the battery. So hot the insulation began to soften on the cables connected to the large post on the selinoid. After allowing the selinoid to cool down I breifly tried the start the engine again with the key and once again had to remove the negative cable from the battery to stop the engine from cranking.

The first attempt at cranking the engine lasted for probably 2 minutes. The second atempt was about 6 seconds. In both cased the engine did not start and run (it was too cold the the battery was nearly dead).

The old starter had a 'dead' spot but I could always turn the key off and the starter would disengage and stop. Not so with the new starter purchased at a JD dealership.

Have you any ideas what the problem is?

Thank you.

Soliniod bad or sticking because of the low battery. Yep low battery can/will heat up a soliniod to the point it sticks and that in turn causes that type of problem. But more likely it is just plain bad
Hobby farm

Possibly the small wires on the solenoid have been reversed. that might result in the solenoid being energized all the time there is current running to it, instead of letting off after the key is released.

Thanks Old
the old starter/selenoid would crank the engine and would contine to crank until the battery was too week and then the starter would just click repeatedly. Should I assume the new JD starter was just 'bad out of the box"?

thanks again.

same thing happened on my Freightliner truck. Its the solenoid. Take it apart & lube it. It is sticking. Or replace it with the old solenoid.

It has to be your soleniod thats where the volts start and get to your starter. You must have wired it wrong or else bad and stuck solenoid. Next time just unhook cable at solenoid or starter. You sure didnt do the new starter any favors. Probably why the old starter didnt work from the bad solenoid.

If you are sure it is wired correctly,then you don't have enough battery capacity,or they are not charged,or bad. Low voltage will weld the solenoid contacts. If it is a diesel tractor you need 2 batteries,or if someone has done some creative wiring,you need at least a 4D sized battery to give enough cranking capacity in cold weather.

Check the small wires leading to your solenoid with a test light. The one that is hot when the key is in the start position should be attached to the "S" terminal your solenoid. If this small wire is hot all the time you may have a bad key switch or the wires got hot behind the key switch and are now touching externally or internally in the key switch. When an engine cranks for along peoriod of time like that key/ignition switches can and will melt. A hot connection is a loose connection causing high resistance thus heating up and melting any thing close to it.

I had that happen last year on my garden tractor. I replaced the solenoid for about $5.00. Hal

You didn't state if you stll have the 24 volt system. At any rate, go to John Deere and buy two new batteries of the recommended capacity. Buy the ones with the most cold cranking amps that will physically fit and have them charge them. Next, buy new ground and feed cables from Deere that they recommend. Also, buy a new solenoid and you should get results. The combination of low or under capacity batteries and high resistance cables which cause low voltage is devastating on a starter. If you are starting in cold weather buy a block warmer as your tractor will love you for it.

Sometimes ,especially when its cold,your battery can have enough juice to make your starter crank,but it will cause your solenoid to stay engaged.Low voltage.Happens a lot on diesels.About all you can do is unhook a cable or hit the starter hard enough with a 2lb hammer to jar it loose.You also want to check that the wires all hook up the same.Might be the ignition switch.When hooking up the wires you might have some touching that arent supposed to be.

That little relay would be nice between the ignition switch and the starter solenoid, but a smaller lights cube relay is big enough. The solenoid at the starter is several times larger because it also pulls the starter drive into mesh. Its not a $5 part.

Gerald J.

I just went through that with mine changing cables. When I tighten the nut on my positive cable and wires going to the starter, one of them rotated over to where it touched the other terminal. I didn't have the battery cables on the battery yet and when I did, what a surprise when it kicked in. I was standing by the tractor wheel. Loosened up positive cable on the starter and held the wires when tightening them.

As others have said, it's most likely the solenoid. They're mechanical and just like everything mechanical they give you problems in the cold.

My plow truck has two, one for the starter and one for the plow's hydraulic pump. The one for the starter sometimes won't engage until I tap it. The one for the plow is also under the hood and it won't engage until the engine warms up a bit. Luckily, mine don't stick ON though.

If it's not the solenoid, it could also be a bad keyswitch (or starter button if you have that like my 4020D does), but that seems less likely to me.

Well since you have a new soliniod if your ignition switch has the start function in it you may have a bad ignition switch and that would cause the same type of problem