Hard Starting

[Nickc711]

First off I just rewired the tractor and just got the battery tested.(6v super a) The tractor has some electical issues still. Even when the battery is full sometings it will be very hard starting other times it will be fine. Yet other times when it sits it will drain the battery. And when it is dead it will not even start with the crank untill you touch the battery with a full battery. The starter was suppositly rebulit and when running the system is charging. Im not shure were the drain is coming from since i just rewired it.

Any help would be aprreciated
Thanks
Nick

 

[El Toro]

When your battery is drained there's no battery voltage for the ignition if you have a distributor. You need to check your ignition switch to see if there's voltage still being fed to the coil when its in the off position. Use a volt meter to check at the coil. Hal

 

[John T]

Until you find the problem you may wanna disconnect a battery cable when she sits to avoid a run down. On the starting Id remove, clean n wire brush n reattach each n every battery n starter n ground and any switch or solenoid cables n ends/terminations and I like 00 gauge cables on 6 volt systems.

With everything shut off if you remove n light touch/scratch (try it in the dark) an ungrounded battery cable back to its post n see any lil sparkies then theres a short or current drain somewhere thats discharging the battery. If you remove the hot ungrounded battery cable and place a test lamp or voltmeter on the bare battery post and touch the other end somewhere n it lights up (or voltage present) that place is getting a ground (so light glows). If placed on the removed battery cable end n it lights up theres again a path to ground somewhere, thats why there would be a spark if you light touch/scratch that cable end to the battery post.

With ignition or lights switches off there shouldnt be any voltage present on ignition coil inputs (like Hal was talkin about) or to lights etc (test lamp will indicate) and if there is that can run down the battery when she sits. maybe a short in the wiring somewhere???

If it has a Voltage regulator or Cutout relay thats sticking closed that will run down the battery really really fast plus the genny would get hot and a working ammeter swing to heavy discharge when shut off, it dont sound like thats happening but just so you know. If the batetry was tested a bad cell should have shown up so for now Im assuming its NOT just a bad self discharging battery problem

John T

 

[old]

A bad ignition swithc will cause a problem like that. Reason is because some times it will wqork and some time it will not and then the times it doesn't it will not start and then some times after it has been on a few mintues it will arc and strat working. I would try a hot wire from the battery to the distributor and see if that works if so then the switch is bad
Hobby farm

 

[Nickc711]

I found the drain problem by intuition. The light switch is not correct and has an extra position,basically two off positions..and one is the drain position!....I think the starter is bad now when i try to turn it over it just sparks at the positive terminal and does not even attempt to start...Would that be the top switch on the starter or something on the inside??