Got nothing(electrical)

I need some help here. I had my tractor( Farmall M) running earlier. It quit because I forgot to turn the gas valve on. Anyway, in my rush to get it started again I flooded it. I pushed the starter pretty hard. I had the battery charger on it while I was starting it because it's about zero degrees here.
I gave it about an hour for the gas to settle down. I went to start it and I have no electrical anything. The headlights won't even light up. I know the battery is good and the tractor was running so my question is what to check? Something either fried or blew. I stink at electrical and it's too cold to be out there guessing on what's wrong.
thanks for any help
Mike

Sounds like one of your battery cable ends is not making good contact. Pull your battery cables off the battery and clean them and make sure they are good and tight. Also check where they got to the switch and where it is grounded to make sure every things is clean tight and bright

A VOM meter will go a long way to tracing down where you are losing contact but it's not a very long circuit to clean if you just want to run thru the connections first like old said.

Thanks for the two comments. After some work on the tractor I was able to get the headlights working but when I tried to start it I lost all power again. I believe I have a bad ground cable from battery to frame. Where it connects to the frame was partially gone at the end of the cable. Hopefully with a new cable I should be back in business.

You probably need all new battery cables with soldered lugs and clean all the lugs and battery posts and the area where your battery is grounded as paint & rust are good insulators. Hal

Absolutely, and don't skimp. I have taken to buying the cable and ends seperately and making my own. I think battery cables are the one thing I know for sure that I have had to replace on every used tractor I have acquired.

This "COULD" be as simple as just one dirty battery post. This is a classic symptom. Hit the starter and all power goes away---dirty battery post.

Go buy a good battery cleaner tool. Both the post and the inside of the clamp must be bright and clean. Don't do the "usual farmer trick" and just beat the thing on there. Do what it takes to take the bolt loose or out and replace it if necessary. If the clamp bolt is all that bad it probably needs to be replaced. Typical everyday parts stores do not sell what you really need if it's 6V in made up cables

I ended up buying two new battery cables(4 gauge) with the sealed ends. I put them on and was able to get it started. I just went to start it a couple days later and it turned over for a while. I stopped and hit the starter again and nothing at all. I have cleaned and or replaced all cable connections. My headlights work. I am wondering if the switch(the gold thing with the two posts on the back) and the kill switch should be replaced. Is there a way to test these two?

thanks
Mike

(quoted from post at 16:08:18 01/10/10) I ended up buying two new battery cables(4 gauge) with the sealed ends. I put them on and was able to get it started. I just went to start it a couple days later and it turned over for a while. I stopped and hit the starter again and nothing at all. I have cleaned and or replaced all cable connections. My headlights work. I am wondering if the switch(the gold thing with the two posts on the back) and the kill switch should be replaced. Is there a way to test these two?

thanks
Mike

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ouldn't be looking at kill switch, but the starter switch is a candidate. Use a jumper cable from starter direct to battery to see if that spins it over, or short the two studs on back of switch together with a wrench that you are not too proud of. Neutral...be safe!

JMOR,
I tried a jumper cable from both the batt + and - to the starter and it didn"t do anything. I also shorted out the two studs on the back of the switch and also got nothing. What are anybodys" thoughts on that? I"m still lost.

Mike

(quoted from post at 19:36:11 01/10/10) JMOR,
I tried a jumper cable from both the batt + and - to the starter and it didn"t do anything. I also shorted out the two studs on the back of the switch and also got nothing. What are anybodys" thoughts on that? I"m still lost.

Mike

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ounding a lot more like a starter problem. I would short those start switch studs together while reading voltage (meter on starter terminal).
If battery voltage under these conditions, I would conclude starter motor problem. While still have sw terminals shorted, wrap starter with a hammer, just in case brushes are not in contact with commutator, this will sometimes jar them into contact & make it spin. Again, be sure in neutral.

All you proved is that it ALSO could be a battery problem, it could STILL BE a battery post connection problem or a GROUND cable problem

GET A VOLTMETER OR A TEST LAMP

turn on headlamps: Nothing?

Ok, put the test lamp clip on a good ground, and probe the ground POST of the battery. Any light? No? Try the starter. Any light? No? Then the ground cable is probably OK

No put the probe on the hot POST. Any light? There is? OK try the starter

If no light, battery

If light, continue

Put the light on the hot CABLE clamp. Any light? No? It's the hot clamp connection

Light? Try the starter.

If a light, go onward

If no light, IT IS THIS CONNECTION

Put the probe on the far end of the hot cable

Light? OK? Try the starter Light? Then you're OK up to there, and it's the starter switch or starter

No light? Then it's STILL the cable, or the post clamp

See? easy. Took about 2 minutes to check all that out

JMOR,

I tried shorting those two studs on the back of the switch again and this time it turned the tractor over. So, bad switch obviously.
Is it easy for these switches to go bad? I replaced this switch about two years ago. Is there another switch out there that's more heavy duty than the ones I am buying?

Thanks for your help. I'll buy a new switch at TSC tomorrow and let ya know.

Mike

(quoted from post at 20:34:53 01/10/10) JMOR,

I tried shorting those two studs on the back of the switch again and this time it turned the tractor over. So, bad switch obviously.
Is it easy for these switches to go bad? I replaced this switch about two years ago. Is there another switch out there that's more heavy duty than the ones I am buying?

Thanks for your help. I'll buy a new switch at TSC tomorrow and let ya know.

Mike

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have no evidence as to good or bad , but I sure see too much in the way of bad reports on TSC parts. Sorry that I can't give a good source.