I've got JD 3020 gas. Earlier last week, I was out moving hay and had an electrical issue. The plate that holds the key switch, starter, and lights is loose, got bumped and started to arc across some terminals to the tractor body. I stopped as quick as I could and grabbed the panel open but it was real cold and some of the wires came off the key switches spade terminals and kept arcing and then the tractor just died. Prior to this, the tractor was running fine.
I put everything back together and turned the key, no dash lights anymore.
Here's what else I did:
1. Took the panel back off checking for any loose connections. Didn't see any.
2. Pinched the ends of the 2 black and 1 white down a bit so their female connectors would stay tight on the male spades on the key switch.
3. Slammed the shift lever out of back into park to ensure the safety switch wasn't a problem. That happened to me once but I still had dash lights.
4. Screwdrivered across the starter solenoid and it cranks normally but won't fire.
5. I have a spark plug light tester but since it's on the other side of the tractor, I don't have anyone with me at the moment to see if it lights up when I crank it.
6. Checked the battery terminals. Tight and not corroded.
7. Checked the battery voltage and it is still good.
8. Checked for continuity on the three "upper" poles of the switch that have the 2 black and 1 white wire. Was ok. So assuming it's not the key switch.
9. Starter button itself was recently replaced but checked that too and continuity was good but no power.
Checked the forums:
1. Indicated the circuit breaker on the pull out panel with the switch may have been tripped. Seems the most obvious that it is a breaker or a fuse, but some posts say you need to reset it and some say it autoresets. Well, I looked very close at it (having reset a main breaker for an RV trailer with a wire into a hole), and I don't see any switch, hole or anything else to reset it. It's small, got too poles and some brown and blue wires attached. If it auto resets... how and when? It's sat out there in the field for a week now and nothing has changed. Still no lights.
2. Saw a post indicating there may be a relay that's bad. Well I don't see one in my manual so I watched a YouTube video of a guy replacing one on a 4020 (aren't many vids for 3020 gas) and I don't have anything like that on my tractor.
3. Saw a post saying there might be an inline fuse tucked up under the dash or something. Well I looked for the typical automotive inline fuse because that's what I'm used to and I don't see anything.
4. I don't see anything that looks like a fuse on the panel with the switches either.
I need help with testing ideas to help me narrow down where the problem is. If I can temporarily jump a wire here or there or something to help me narrow down the culprit.
I've got an owner's manual and one of those IT shop manuals they sell at Tractor Supply, but the latter has been absolutely worthless so far. I've had other electrical issues with this tractor, largely due to just worn out or corroded wires and the gas wiring diagram in that book doesn't help me. I was able to fix just by tracing wire and with a voltmeter.
I put everything back together and turned the key, no dash lights anymore.
Here's what else I did:
1. Took the panel back off checking for any loose connections. Didn't see any.
2. Pinched the ends of the 2 black and 1 white down a bit so their female connectors would stay tight on the male spades on the key switch.
3. Slammed the shift lever out of back into park to ensure the safety switch wasn't a problem. That happened to me once but I still had dash lights.
4. Screwdrivered across the starter solenoid and it cranks normally but won't fire.
5. I have a spark plug light tester but since it's on the other side of the tractor, I don't have anyone with me at the moment to see if it lights up when I crank it.
6. Checked the battery terminals. Tight and not corroded.
7. Checked the battery voltage and it is still good.
8. Checked for continuity on the three "upper" poles of the switch that have the 2 black and 1 white wire. Was ok. So assuming it's not the key switch.
9. Starter button itself was recently replaced but checked that too and continuity was good but no power.
Checked the forums:
1. Indicated the circuit breaker on the pull out panel with the switch may have been tripped. Seems the most obvious that it is a breaker or a fuse, but some posts say you need to reset it and some say it autoresets. Well, I looked very close at it (having reset a main breaker for an RV trailer with a wire into a hole), and I don't see any switch, hole or anything else to reset it. It's small, got too poles and some brown and blue wires attached. If it auto resets... how and when? It's sat out there in the field for a week now and nothing has changed. Still no lights.
2. Saw a post indicating there may be a relay that's bad. Well I don't see one in my manual so I watched a YouTube video of a guy replacing one on a 4020 (aren't many vids for 3020 gas) and I don't have anything like that on my tractor.
3. Saw a post saying there might be an inline fuse tucked up under the dash or something. Well I looked for the typical automotive inline fuse because that's what I'm used to and I don't see anything.
4. I don't see anything that looks like a fuse on the panel with the switches either.
I need help with testing ideas to help me narrow down where the problem is. If I can temporarily jump a wire here or there or something to help me narrow down the culprit.
I've got an owner's manual and one of those IT shop manuals they sell at Tractor Supply, but the latter has been absolutely worthless so far. I've had other electrical issues with this tractor, largely due to just worn out or corroded wires and the gas wiring diagram in that book doesn't help me. I was able to fix just by tracing wire and with a voltmeter.
