Deere 310A Backhoe Circuit Breakers..???

[David Young in RI]

Hello again helpful experts...

I fixed my rear axle and have been using my 1980 JD 310A TLB. I have a replacement starter on order, but have not received it yet. Since I got the machine I have had difficulty starting it. I verified that the battery is fine. Up to now when I turn the key on and push the starter button I usually just hear a "click" and nothing happens. After pushing the starter button 20-30 times, the drive will usually engage and rapidly crank the motor and it starts up. I ordered a repacement starter motor a few days ago (not John Deere). Today I went out to dig a few stumps and it acted the same at first....after 20-30 clicks and still no cranking it simply stopped clicking. I waited a few minutes and eventually got a few more clicks out of her, then I climbed down and walked back to the barn for a big screwdriver. I tried to jump across the two big terminals on the starter mounted solenoid and I heard a different sort of a click, then nothing.

Now the horn won"t even blow.

The battery has a good charge on it. Are there cicuit breakers on this machine and if so, where might they be? Can they be reset?

Waiting for my new starter in RI....and grateful for any hints on this subject. David in RI

 

[JDemaris]

Sounds like you've just got a bad connection somewhere - but you need to use some sort of logical process to find the problem.

On a 300, the most common spot to cause such a problem is the big stud on the starter solenoid - since the main battery cable hooks there, and so does the main feed wire that goes back to the dash board. If that 9/16" or 5/8" nut is loose, it will give all kinds of erractic problems and show up the most when you're trying to crank the tractor.

The solenoid is a standard Delco, same used on my Chevy and GM cars. The "S" terminal must get power to engage.

 

[Mike M]

Yep sounds like a bad solenoid. And you don't jump the 2 large terminals at the starter.
The top one where the battery cable hooks to over to the small one like JDe says the S term.

MAKE DARN SURE IT IS IN NEUTRAL !!!!! OR PARK or else you will get run over. This is not a good practice to get into, but it is a good way to determine if the problem is in the starter or the wiring.

 

[Chris Tewell]

I have a 1977 John Deere 410 Backhoe and it had sat for a while when I bought it and it would never start, the same problem that you had. I would park it on a hill and drift start it and after putting about 30 hours on it, it starts up fine, there is still a loud click when I hit the starter but it cranks over and starts right up.

 

[David Young in RI]

Thanks for the advice. I guess I was trying to short out the 2 big terminals....(I did have the machine in park) but there wasn't a very big spark. No circuit breakers, eh? Thanks again, D.

 

[JDemaris]

Yes, there is a small circuit breaker behind the dashboard. You can see it when the battery box lid is open. But, from what you describe, I doubt the breaker is your problem.

 

[Mike M]

Pull starting and drift starting are a BIG NO NO on these tractors with a hyd. shuttle. I knew a guy tore the hi-lo unit out of a 2840 by doing that. Should be the same problem with the reverser unit.

The engine has to turn first to turn the charge pump which builds up oil pressure to drive the hyd. part of the unit. By towing it you can't built up pressure first and this slips the clutch packs tearing them up.

 

[Tracy Brown]

I have a 1975 JD 450 unit that would die like you cut the key off and would not do anything. It was like you disconnected the battery. We finally found a curcuit breaker (we think) that would trip and cause the problem. After a few minutes, it would reset itself. We took it out and connected the two wires and it has never occurred again. I would think you may have a similiar breaker giving you problems