Case 430, buzzing relay, won't crank.

[hondaracer2oo4]

Just transported my case 430 today. Started when it went on the trailer. Won't spin the starter now, just buzzing from the relay when you push the gear selector forward to start. It is a reverse polarity system which I know little about. I do have 12 volts that leave the little electrical connection on top of the transmission when I push the shifter forward. The 12 volts does make it down to the relay. All of the connections are tight. So does anybody have any ideas on how to isolate the issue? Is it a bad relay, if so how do I test it. Also how would I jump start it by bypassing the relay? Thanks.
 

[JGarner]

Sounds like your battery needs a charge. Unless you have a completely dead battery it can read 12V and not have enough amps to turn the starter. Starting to drive on the trailer drained it enough so it would not start again and if you have a generator you didn't run long enough at high enough RPMs to put any charge in the battery.

Try putting it on a charger for a while and see if that helps.

Jim
 

[hondaracer2oo4]

Ok, could I try jump starting it? If so is there anything special about doing this with the reverse polarity?
 

[JGarner]

I guess you are asking about positive ground or negative ground, a battery does not have reverse polarity it has a positive and negative pole. If it is a very early 430, made in the Rock Island plant then it will probably be positive ground unless somebody has reversed the polarity of your generator and converted it to negative ground system and then they would have had to switch the wires on the ammeter so it would read right and I doubt if a former owner would have gone to the trouble. If it was made after '62 I believe and in the Racine plant it will be negative ground or if it has been converted to an alternator it will be negative ground. You need to determine whether it is positve or negatve ground before you try to jump OR make sure you can see the POS/NEG molded into the tractor battery case and hook up your cables to the proper pole from battery to battery. Don't try to jump from the starter post and grounding on the tractor frame least you damage the system on the "donor" vehicle.

Jim
 

[hondaracer2oo4]

JGardner, Thank you for the reply. I believe the tractor is about a 65. The Positive side of the battery gets grounded. The negative side goes down to the starter relay. I have found that I took the starter off of the tractor and hooked the positive side of the battery(grounded to the frame of the tractor) to the body of the starter. I connected the Negative side of the battery to the post on the starter and the starter spun fine. I tested the relay by energizing the signal side of the relay which made the relay click and gave positive continuity of the starter circuit posts. But when I hook the relay back up to the starter when it is off of the tractor it will just buzz and click click click click when you push the gear selector to start. Is it possible that the relay is failing to switch the power under a load, thus the relay is actually bad even though it will switch under no load? Would I be able to pick up a starter relay that is appropriate at an auto parts store? Thanks.
 

[mEl]

Don't overlook a loose or corroded battery terminal or a bad connection if it has them dumb replacement cable ends on it.

mEl
 

[hondaracer2oo4]

MEl,

This is what I have determined. When I remove the relay from the starter, ground the body of the relay to the frame and push gear selector to start I get 12.54 volts between the starter side of the relay and a ground. When I hook up the starter into the system and put my tester on the starter side of the relay and the other side of the tester to ground I get 0 volts. It would seem to me that the relay will not switch the power if it is underload. It just makes this buzz/click sound.
 

[mEl]

[hondaracer2oo4]

Thanks guys for your insight. I bypassed the positive grounding wire from the battery with a jumper cable from the positive side of the battery to a good ground on the frame, she started right up. I feel stupid for chasing my tail, I do have a lot to learn about electronics!
 

[hondaracer2oo4]

One more question, this tractor is new to me so im not sure about some of the nuances. There is a red light that comes one when you turn the key to the on position. The light is on the dash just to the right of the steering wheel. When the tractor starts up this light turns off, is this normal and what is the purpose of the light? Thanks.
 

[JGarner]

I have had pretty good luck getting tractor parts at my local NAPA. Just recently NAPA has started replacing their knowledgeable counter help with computer looker uppers and I have to explain to them what I want (had to spell Heli Coil to the lady twice). That said if you can get them to find it they do have a paper Ag and industrial catalog that helps a lot. We also have an American Standard parts store and they are pretty knowledgeable too but Pep Boys, Auto Zone, etc is worthless for tractor realted stuff. If its not an automobile that is listed in their computer they are sunk.

Try NAPA and ask for a starter solenoid, I think '65 is pre relay.

Jim
 

[Joe Young]

That is a "Gen" or generator indicator that lights when the system is not charging, which would be the case when the switch is in the on position without the engine running.