920h no start

[porschpow 7]

My 520h wheelhorse team find this other day. 

 

I ran over a dog toy which got caught up on the middle blade, so I had to stop cutting for the night. I put the tractor away and several days later I went back to start it.

 

Nothing I hear a click, that's all

The light blinks for oil pressure and it clicks every time I try to turn the key. What gives?

 

Battery is good. I made sure the PTO lever was disengaged and it was in neutral...I don't get it

[ZXT 2,394]

2 hours ago, porschpow said:

My 520h wheelhorse team find this other day. 

 

I ran over a dog toy which got caught up on the middle blade, so I had to stop cutting for the night. I put the tractor away and several days later I went back to start it.

 

Nothing I hear a click, that's all

The light blinks for oil pressure and it clicks every time I try to turn the key. What gives?

 

Battery is good. I made sure the PTO lever was disengaged and it was in neutral...I don't get it

Are you sure that the battery is actually good? Batteries will sometimes show 12+ volts when sitting idle but will drop to nothing once the load of the starter is placed on it. Do you own a multimeter? If you do, I'd attach it to the battery and see what the voltage drops to when you turn the key to the start position. If it drops to less than about 9v when you do that, I'd say it's bad.

 

Since you hear a click, which I assume to be the starter solenoid, I'm going to guess that safety switches aren't your issue. I'd clean both battery cable connections if the battery tests out good. Beyond that, I'd look at the starter solenoid. You should be able to jump across it with a piece of wire. If it cranks over when you do this and the solenoid trigger wire is receiving voltage when in the start position, then the solenoid is more than likely bad. 

 

Feel free to post a video of what's going on if you know how. It might better help us help you! By the way - looking at your username - do you own a Porsche? Just curious - I'm into older Porsches.  

Edited October 14, 2019 by ZXT

[953 nut 51,682]

[Ed Kennell 35,770]

Edited October 14, 2019 by Ed Kennell

[porschpow 7]

where does the ground go from there battery cable?

[953 nut 51,682]

The best place to ground anything on a  is the engine block. You should also run a smaller ( # 12) ground jumper from the engine4 ground point to the frame of the tractor.

[porschpow 7]

Is there a service manual and demystification guide for the 520 H?

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 10,498]

The Demystification Guide wiring is in this file for the 1997 520-H

Click on the picture and read the notes

If you want all 523 pages of the Demystification guide

There is no tractor service manual. Engines and transmissions have their own service manuals.

 

The illustrates parts list has a single page showing the electrical part locations.

Adding - Have now added the single page to the screen shots and one pdf. you can download

 

Garry

[porschpow 7]

So, it was pretty busy with our wedding and cold snap, power outage etc.  Didn't get a chance to get to the tractor. 

 

I did clean the contacts on the battery connections. with the key turned off, it measures 12.25-12.30 V.  With the key on, it measures 11.75-11.85 V.

 

I don't think it is the battery. Even if the battery was sluggish, wouldn't it at least crank?  This does nothing. With the key on, the red lights on the dash light up, with the oil light remaining after I try to start it.

 

Only  thing I could suspect is the 30 Amp fuse (which looks good), that 9 pin connector that you guys refer to (Can't find were it is located!), or the PTO Switch (again, can't find where it is located).

[troutbum70 857]

Removing the battery will make it much easier to locate the pto safety switch, and probably also the 9 pin connector. 

[pfrederi 17,147]

12.2 volts is only 50% charged that it drops to under 12 just tuning on the ignition switch sounds like a very weak battery.  so many electrical problems here stem from faulty batteries....

[953 nut 51,682]

On 10/14/2019 at 6:22 AM, 953 nut said:

Have the battery load tested!

[porschpow 7]

So, here's an update.

 

Before I jumped in, I decided to see if it will turn over. I turned the ignition and bam, it was cranking.  If i had pulled the choke out, it would've turned over. When I want to start it again, same symptoms as before, just click.

 

I took the battery out, cleaned all connections (that I can get to), and put the battery on the trickle charger. I did notice that where the fuses (top three) were, it was all cruddy, so i sprayed the crc electrical parts cleaner.

 

I looked at at the battery and I realized that the date was 2/2012!!!!

[porschpow 7]

In addition, assuming i need a new battery, the battery that came tout of it was a 360CCA, however, the specs for the tractor used a 240 CCA battery (from the factory). This true? can't find a battery comparable to the 360CCA. Only thing a saw close was the 300CCA wally world battery.

[lynnmor 6,777]

Autozone, Advance Autoparts and TSC should all have batteries rated higher than 300 CCA, I'm sure there are many more.  I like batteries made by East Penn, they are available in a number of brands, just Google it.  I believe that my 520H had a 280 CCA battery from new and I now use the 350 CCA available at a local battery store.

[porschpow 7]

Ok,

 

I hooked up a trickle charge for around 7 hours to my battery. Next day I checked with a multimeter and it was 12.89 volts

[pfrederi 17,147]

You need to Load test the battery.  if you do not have a tester do this..Hook up your multimeter and see what voltage you get then start cranking the engine it will drop if it goes below 9 volts new battery time.

[porschpow 7]

I trickle charged the battery.  It was around 12.89 V. After cleaning the connections all around the dash, I turned the ignition and according to the meter, the voltage stayed the same at appx. 12.67-12.77 V. It barely dropped.  Nothing happened. Nothing clicked at all. I know the battery is old, but the fact is that it wouldn't even click now.

 

So, ZXT posted that I could jump the terminals on the starter with a wire. Never did anything like this before.  I am assuming, you turn the ignition to just before you try to start it and jump the two studs on the starter, and if it doestry to crank, then the solenoid of crap?

 

Also, the other possibility is the fused connection.  I cannot seem to find this.  Does anybody have any pics or advice?

[953 nut 51,682]

On 12/5/2019 at 2:55 PM, 953 nut said:

Have the battery load tested!

If you don't have the battery load tested you will never know if it is the problem. Auto parts stores will load test a battery for free. Any lawn and garden battery will do the job for you,It has been my experience that the higher the amp/hr rating the longer it will live.

On 1/13/2020 at 8:20 AM, porschpow said:

I did notice that where the fuses (top three) were, it was all cruddy, so i sprayed the crc electrical parts cleaner.

Spray cleaner won't get much of the corrosion out. A thin blade screw driver will be useful here along with some dielectric grease.

[Ed Kennell 35,770]

What year is your 520.    If the motion control lever is on the console, it is a 1998 or 1989.  If it is on the steering column, it is 1990 or newer.

 

Here era some pictures of the fuses on my 1988 50H.

 

The 30 amp fuse at the starter.  Due to bad corrosion, I replaced the original fuse holder with this waterproof in line fuse.

 

The PTO fuses are located below this power terminal strip that I added for lighting.

[porschpow 7]

2 hours ago, 953 nut said:

If you don't have the battery load tested you will never know if it is the problem. Auto parts stores will load test a battery for free. Any lawn and garden battery will do the job for you,It has been my experience that the higher the amp/hr rating the longer it will live.

Spray cleaner won't get much of the corrosion out. A thin blade screw driver will be useful here along with some dielectric grease.

 

All right, I have used dielectric grease to get in there.  I will use a blade screwdriver  (small) to get in and get any crap out of the connector.

 

  I just thought it was weird that the voltage barely dropped when I tired to start it (as if the battery is ok).   In addition, I will take the battery to get load tested.

[porschpow 7]

19 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

What year is your 520.    If the motion control lever is on the console, it is a 1998 or 1989.  If it is on the steering column, it is 1990 or newer.

 

Here era some pictures of the fuses on my 1988 50H.

 

The 30 amp fuse at the starter.  Due to bad corrosion, I replaced the original fuse holder with this waterproof in line fuse.

 

The PTO fuses are located below this power terminal strip that I added for lighting.

 

Mine is a 1996-98 I believe. It is a 520H. So the speed control (and reverse) is on the column. 

[Ed Kennell 35,770]

I have found the legs of the fuses  completely corroded away  on some of mine.  Please check all the fuses and holders.

Also all the connectors can be cleaned by simply disconnecting and reconnecting several times.

Do this to the PTO switch connectors, the 9 pin molex, the seat safety switch, the neutral safety switch, and any other connectors you can find.

Oh, get a new battery...240 or more Amps.

[porschpow 7]

4 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

I have found the legs of the fuses  completely corroded away  on some of mine.  Please check all the fuses and holders.

Also all the connectors can be cleaned by simply disconnecting and reconnecting several times.

Do this to the PTO switch connectors, the 9 pin molex, the seat safety switch, the neutral safety switch, and any other connectors you can find.

Oh, get a new battery...240 or more Amps.

 

Ok, true! The fuses looked ok, however, i have't looked at the holder. Probably should do that, especially after seeing the pictures here!

 

Where can I find:

   - PTO Switch connectors (Especially)

   - 9 pin molex (Especially)

   - seat safety switch

   - Neutral safety switch (Especially)

[Ed Kennell 35,770]

The PTO switches and connectors are just to the rear of the two fuses below the right side of the battery.

I cannot locate my 9 pin molex connector due to it being blocked by my cab and battery.   With your battery removed, you should see it under the battery tray.

The seat safety switch is under the seat.   If you tilt the seat forward, you should see the switch button.  You may be able to access its connector thru the hole in the fender pan.

My neutral safety switch is under the console plate where it is activated by the motion control lever.    I am not sure where it is located on your steering column mounted lever.

It may also be under the console plate where it is activated by the linkage to the transmission.

 

Jeff @WVHillbilly520H, do you have a pic of the molex and the neutral switch location  on your newer 520?