D140 Will Not Start

I would make sure the ignition switch is good, and check the safety switches. Also make sure the PTO is off assuming it’s electric.

MiniHomesteader said:

I would make sure the ignition switch is good, and check the safety switches. Also make sure the PTO is off assuming it’s electric.

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Wouln't I be bypassing the ignition switch by jumping from battery+ to starter+. Shouldn't the starter engage?

Yes. Does the solenoid click when you do that?

MiniHomesteader said:

Yes. Does the solenoid click when you do that?

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The solenoid does not click at all. I measured the voltage from the purple wire on the solenoid to ground and got 12V when I turned the key to the start position. When I reconnect the wire to the solenoid and turn the key I get nothing. As a side note I have the seat and brake safety switches disabled per some youtube videos.

Sounds like a ground issue. Take a pair of jumper cables. Black to battery ground, other black to engine block. Try to start with key. If that doesn’t work. Then hook red to the cable at the starter and the other red to battery positive. Starter should spin engine over.

MiniHomesteader said:

Sounds like a ground issue. Take a pair of jumper cables. Black to battery ground, other black to engine block. Try to start with key. If that doesn’t work. Then hook red to the cable at the starter and the other red to battery positive. Starter should spin engine over.

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I did test the ignition switch and it appears to be functioning properly. I also have 12.7V between the battery terminal and ground terminal on the ignition switch connector.

It still could be a bad connection. You have voltage, but may not have amperage. For example, you only need one strand of wire to get battery voltage, but need a lot of strands to turn a starter motor. Did you use a voltmeter to read voltage at the solenoid? If you are familiar with a voltmeter. Remove the purple wire from the solenoid, and read resistance from that post on the solenoid to battery ground (tests the internal pull-n coil in the solenoid.). Should be a low resistance around 5 ohms if I remember correctly.

MiniHomesteader said:

It still could be a bad connection. You have voltage, but may not have amperage. For example, you only need one strand of wire to get battery voltage, but need a lot of strands to turn a starter motor. Did you use a voltmeter to read voltage at the solenoid? If you are familiar with a voltmeter. Remove the purple wire from the solenoid, and read resistance from that post on the solenoid to battery ground (tests the internal pull-n coil in the solenoid.). Should be a low resistance around 5 ohms if I remember correctly.

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I tried the jumper cable test first with just the ground, turned the key, and nothing, not even a click. Moved the ground on the engine to a few different places and got the same results(I even tested the votage between the free end of the black jumper and battery+ just to make sure I had a good connection to the battery, 12.7V). Connected the positve jumper cable to the battery+ and touched the starter+, again nothing. I tested the solenoid resistance between the purple wire post and battery- and got about 1.5Kohms.

If you had the cables hooked up directly to the battery, block and starter, that sounds like a junk starter. Or a failed battery. For grins, did you try jump starting the tractor?

MiniHomesteader said:

If you had the cables hooked up directly to the battery, block and starter, that sounds like a junk starter. Or a failed battery. For grins, did you try jump starting the tractor?

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When I tried to jump start it the solenoid clicked, but the starter did not spin.. Had the cables connected to battery+ and the engine block. When I moved the + cable and touched ot to the starter+, got a good spark and it spun right up. As a side note, when i am just running the tractor battery, or if I have the jumper cable- connected to battery- my headlights may or may not come on or there is a few second delay after I turn the key. Also the solenoid engages sporadically. When I connect the jumper- to the block I get good lights and the solenoid engages consistantly. I also have 12.7V at the starter when the solenoid engages. I have cleaned all my grounds at the battery, at the frame connection and checked the small ground wires that run up to the dash and their connectors and they look good. Tested the voltage between battery + and various parts on the engine and got 12.7V. Now I'm thinking there might be some kind of weird issue with the battery.

It was the battery. Took and had it tested and it wasn't putting out any amps. Put the new one in and it fired right up.

Glad you got it figured out.

MiniHomesteader said:

Glad you got it figured out.

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Thank you for all your comments and suggestions.