Help - snowed in with JD3020 problem

Matt Stanton · Mar 25, 2013

Have a "65 JD3020 Diesel syncro-range shift, push button start. Started yesterday and hooked up blade to prepare for snow storm. When trying to start today heard a short type sound when pushing button and wouldn"t crank starter. Odd part is that when I turn on the key the oil and generator lights barely come on then slowly glow bright within 5 seconds. Battery is fully charged and output is 12.6 volts. All connections to solenoid tight. Occasionally over the past year when button pushed I would hear a click on the first or second push then it would catch and crank starter. Need to get green tractor started to clear drifts because smaller tractor is useless! Thanks in advance for your help. Matt

Roger in Iowa · Mar 25, 2013

With the lights acting the way they are, you have a bad connection somewhere. Corroded or not tight ground, something somewhere.

Matt Stanton · Mar 25, 2013

Thanks Roger. I want to correct one thing, it's a gas tractor, not diesel, the gas is 12V and the diesel 24V and a lot different set up in case I get more responses. I'll start with the ground on the tractor frame and work back from there.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 25, 2013

Sounds like a bad connection. Start with all the battery posts and keep going until the tractor starts like it should. Just because the connection is tight doesn't mean you have a good connection. Take the connections apart and make sure you have good metal to metal contact. Any corrosion, oxidation, or burning (from arcing) can cause a bad connetion.

Tx Jim · Mar 25, 2013

I'll agree with Roger. Loose/corroded battery cable terminal

John B. · Mar 25, 2013

It's either a bad connection or a bad starter solenoid. If you have two 6 volt batteries hooked in series to make 12 volts this is a very common problem. Everything I owned that had two 6v batteries hooked in series had this problem, I put two 12v batteries in and hooked them in parallel. Never had this problem again.
When you have batteries hooked in series (2 or 20 batteries) if one has a bad or weak cell it effects the total output.

Geo-TH,In · Mar 25, 2013

Had a similar issue, good battery, no crank. Bolt on ground cable came loose.

MSS3020 · Mar 25, 2013

Ive had the problem off and on for years. Ive replaced starter cyl. etc. I found that at the connections to the starter/cyl my voltage dropped down to 9 volts sometimes lower. I figure wiring problem. Mechanic told me once that I could fix it by replacing the wiring with next size bigger wire. Havent dont this yet. but notice as the battery ages the problem gets worse...

David G · Mar 25, 2013

I do not think it is a solenoid issue, either battery went bad or connection bad.

Matt Stanton · Mar 25, 2013

Got it started. Must have been the ground on the frame because it was somewhat corroded once I took it off and looked at it closely. Cleaned it up and it fired first push. Thanks for all of your suggestions. Matt

Help - snowed in with JD3020 problem

Matt Stanton

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Roger in Iowa

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Matt Stanton

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Anonymous-0

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Tx Jim

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John B.

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Geo-TH,In

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MSS3020

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David G

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Matt Stanton

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