Electrical Nightmare Massey 1130

[Old tractor gone bad]

So this is a long one. I changed the oil pressure gauge on my 1130 and a wire touched the dash and sparked. Didn’t seem to change anything, tractor fired up and I checked for leaks. I then secured the gauge and tried to start it again but nothing. No click or anything. There’s power to everywhere. I then noticed when I turned the key or the light switch there was power on every piece of metal on the tractor. So sounds like a short but I cannot find the wire. I’ve looked very throughly and still nothing. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Harry in Ky]

Power on all the metal surfaces sounds like it's missing a ground somewhere.

 

[Old tractor gone bad]

Ya and that’s what figured but I didn’t do anything other than switch the gauge, and it only has power like that when I turn the key or turn on the light switch as they as wired together.

 

[Dieseltech]

MF diesel tractors use an oil pressure switch to turn on the charging system and fuel gauge. That switch is on the back of the oil pressure gauge, one wire is hot all the time from the starter. I'd look closely at all the wires in that area, there should be fuses at the starter that might be bad, or not working right.

 

[Old tractor gone bad]

MF diesel tractors use an oil pressure switch to turn on the charging system and fuel gauge. That switch is on the back of the oil pressure gauge, one wire is hot all the time from the starter. I'd look closely at all the wires in that area, there should be fuses at the starter that might be bad, or not working right.

Oh ya ok. Ya there wasn’t fuses on this one at the starter but I added them in now. Ya there’s one wire on the oil gauge with power. The other one that goes to the fuel gauge has power too but just enough to light up the test light. The oil gauge is also the one that hit the dash when I was assembling it, but thought it was running after

 

[Old tractor gone bad]

Oh ya ok. Ya there wasn’t fuses on this one at the starter but I added them in now. Ya there’s one wire on the oil gauge with power. The other one that goes to the fuel gauge has power too but just enough to light up the test light. The oil gauge is also the one that hit the dash when I was assembling it, but thought it was running after

One wire goes from the generator gauge and that one has power. The other one has two wires, one that goes to the regulator and one to the fuel gauge. That has no power

 

[Jim.ME]

One wire goes from the generator gauge and that one has power. The other one has two wires, one that goes to the regulator and one to the fuel gauge. That has no power

Welcome to the forums.

You need to get the Operator's Manual; MF put the wiring diagrams in the operator's manual back them.

Your oil pressure gauge is mechanical, the only wire to it would be to the backlight in the gauge, if it has a light inside it.

As Dieseltech posted, the oil pressure switch controls charging and turns the fuel gauge on. It should have constant power from the ammeter on one terminal. The other terminal has a wire to the alternator and another to the fuel gauge. That second terminal should only show power when the engine is running and there is oil pressure up to the oil gauge and oil pressure switch. If it doesn't have power when the oil pressure is up, the switch may have been damaged when you shorted things, but it should not have affected start and lights.

The start (key) switch and the light switch get constant, non-switched power from the ammeter via separate wires. I don't have an 1130 manual. My 1105 manual shows a 20-amp fuse in the wire to the light switch and another in the wire that powers the start and oil pressure switches.

I would start at the start switch and work back to the ammeter to find where power is lost. If no there is power at the ammeter you need to chase the other wires back to their other ends to find the one supplying battery power source. It will be a heavy wire as will the wire from the output of the alternator to the ammeter.

I am having trouble understanding how you have "power on every piece of metal on the tractor", without having a smoke show. Are you using a test light or a multimeter/voltmeter? How/where are you hooking the leads up? That sounds like you have one lead on a power source and every metal piece you touch with the other lead probe is making a ground.

 

[Old tractor gone bad]

Welcome to the forums.

You need to get the Operator's Manual; MF put the wiring diagrams in the operator's manual back them.

Your oil pressure gauge is mechanical, the only wire to it would be to the backlight in the gauge, if it has a light inside it.

As Dieseltech posted, the oil pressure switch controls charging and turns the fuel gauge on. It should have constant power from the ammeter on one terminal. The other terminal has a wire to the alternator and another to the fuel gauge. That second terminal should only show power when the engine is running and there is oil pressure up to the oil gauge and oil pressure switch. If it doesn't have power when the oil pressure is up, the switch may have been damaged when you shorted things, but it should not have affected start and lights.

The start (key) switch and the light switch get constant, non-switched power from the ammeter via separate wires. I don't have an 1130 manual. My 1105 manual shows a 20-amp fuse in the wire to the light switch and another in the wire that powers the start and oil pressure switches.

I would start at the start switch and work back to the ammeter to find where power is lost. If no there is power at the ammeter you need to chase the other wires back to their other ends to find the one supplying battery power source. It will be a heavy wire as will the wire from the output of the alternator to the ammeter.

I am having trouble understanding how you have "power on every piece of metal on the tractor", without having a smoke show. Are you using a test light or a multimeter/voltmeter? How/where are you hooking the leads up? That sounds like you have one lead on a power source and every metal piece you touch with the other lead probe is making a ground.

All the wires that need to have power do have power. There’s power at the starter up to regulator up to the generator gauge down to the ignition and over to the lights. I checked the fuses and they’re fine. I do have a manual for it as well but can’t figure this one out. I’m mechanically inclined but this one is stumping me. I’ve used a multimeter and test light and that confuses me too. I’m using the ground of the battery so maybe that’s a bad idea if there’s power to the ground? Hmm I’m not sure

 

[Jim.ME]

All the wires that need to have power do have power. There’s power at the starter up to regulator up to the generator gauge down to the ignition and over to the lights. I checked the fuses and they’re fine. I do have a manual for it as well but can’t figure this one out. I’m mechanically inclined but this one is stumping me. I’ve used a multimeter and test light and that confuses me too. I’m using the ground of the battery so maybe that’s a bad idea if there’s power to the ground? Hmm I’m not sure

If you have the ground lead of your test light on a battery negative terminal you are saying the light comes on whenever you touch it to any metal on the tractor? If you did that with a multimeter set for ohms or continuity it would read since it would be showing the battery negative is working as a ground. Set for DC volts you should not get a reading.

Have you removed and cleaned the battery terminals, cable clamps and the cable ends where the cables attach to the starter and ground points?

 

[Old tractor gone bad]

If you have the ground lead of your test light on a battery negative terminal you are saying the light comes on whenever you touch it to any metal on the tractor? If you did that with a multimeter set for ohms or continuity it would read since it would be showing the battery negative is working as a ground. Set for DC volts you should not get a reading.

Have you removed and cleaned the battery terminals, cable clamps and the cable ends where the cables attach to the starter and ground points?

It only comes on when either the ignition switch is on or the light switch is on. Any other time there’s no power to the metal. Yes I’ve cleaned them.

 

[Jim.ME]

It only comes on when either the ignition switch is on or the light switch is on. Any other time there’s no power to the metal. Yes I’ve cleaned them.

Where do you have the test light lead connected and where are you touching the probe.

 

[Old tractor gone bad]

Where do you have the test light lead connected and where are you touching the probe.

Have one end on the ground of the battery and other end I can put to any metal and it will do it but I’ve tested all the major points. Starter, solenoid, gauges etc

 

[Jim.ME]

Have one end on the ground of the battery and other end I can put to any metal and it will do it but I’ve tested all the major points. Starter, solenoid, gauges etc

That sounds like your batteries are not grounded and when you turn the key on, the test light is making a ground back to the battery from the metal.

Hook your test light lead to either one of the ammeter terminals and touch the probe to metal to see if there is power all the time, there should be.

 

[Jim.ME]

Do you have a headlight sealed beam around to make a test light with? your voltmeter and test light may not be putting enough load on the circuit to show bad. They both require very little amperage draw to work.

 

[Old tractor gone bad]

That sounds like your batteries are not grounded and when you turn the key on, the test light is making a ground back to the battery from the metal.

Hook your test light lead to either one of the ammeter terminals and touch the probe to metal to see if there is power all the time, there should be.

Ok I’m just going there now. I can’t seem to get a ground anywhere else which is why I grounded to the battery

 

[Old tractor gone bad]

Do you have a headlight sealed beam around to make a test light with? your voltmeter and test light may not be putting enough load on the circuit to show bad. They both require very little amperage draw to work.

Possibly. I can’t seem look around. The other thing as well is on the other connection of the oil gauge sensor, the one that goes to regulator and fuel gauge it has just enough power to barely see the test light

 

[Jim.ME]

Possibly. I can’t seem look around. The other thing as well is on the other connection of the oil gauge sensor, the one that goes to regulator and fuel gauge it has just enough power to barely see the test light

The second terminal of the oil pressure switch should not have any power unless the engine is running and has oil pressure. It is a switch not an oil gauge sensor It turns the charging system on and turns the fuel gauge on.

 

[Old tractor gone bad]

The second terminal of the oil pressure switch should not have any power unless the engine is running and has oil pressure. It is a switch not an oil gauge sensor It turns the charging system on and turns the fuel gauge on.

It’s only like that with the key turned or light switch on.

 

[Jim.ME]

Ok I’m just going there now. I can’t seem to get a ground anywhere else which is why I grounded to the battery

If you can't get a ground on the metal of the tractor that is your problem. You have bad ground cables or bad connections of the cables to the tractor chassis metal. Hook one clamp of a booster cable on a battery negative post and the other clamp of that same cable to a starter mounting bolt and see what happens when you try to start it..

 

[Jim.ME]

It’s only like that with the key turned or light switch on.

You may have damaged that switch when you shorted the wire, but likely something is trying to get to ground that way