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Starting problems

NorthernRedneck

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
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Time to fess up. I'm a little limited on my knowledge of electrical systems. I can work on all the mechanical stuff including hydraulics and such but could never quite figure out electric systems.

With that being said, I've got a question. The past few times we went out to fire up the Lamtrac, turn the key and nothing. Absolutely nothing. Try it a few more times and nothing. Then, it's like something engages in the electrical and the thing fires right up. It did this this morning when I went out to fire it up. Click, nothing, click, nothing, click........vroom!` Let it run for a half hour to warm up. Shut it off then tried to start it again and the same thing, nothing....no sound, no grinding from the starter, not a single sound. Any ideas on what this could be????????

I was kinda thinking solenoid but I had the operator turn it over while I listened and I couldn't even hear a click or anything from the starter or solenoid.
 
This honestly sounds simply like dirty or loose connections. I've had vehicles in the past that exhibited the same symptoms as you describe in your post. It always turned out to be a poor/dirty/loose connection. In my case(s), the problem has always been a connection at a battery post. It's interesting how sometimes a good enough connection can be made to start the engine but othertimes not enough to even engage the starter solenoid. Presumably this has to do with arcing at the connection. The offending terminal could be hot after a succesful start. I recently had a friend melt a lot of skin off 2 of his fingers by touching a poor connection on a battery for an electric dump trailer after trying to dump a load. Seems there was a lot of arcing going on at the connection..................

I hope it is simple as that!

grd
 
Well from what you discribe, it sounds like you should check out the key switch first. It may work on the dash stuff, but the contacts that get the starter going could be suspect...

It may even have a loose wire to it.
 
I was kind of thinking it might be the key switch too. I checked the battery terminals and cleaned them up. It has a new battery. Could there possibly be a wire going to the staer that's loose and not always making contact. I'll have to do some searching on this cause the last thing I want to do is get called out on a rescue mission because one of our operators shut the machine off 40 miles out in the bush and can't get it to start again.
 
groomerguyNWO said:
I was kind of thinking it might be the key switch too. I checked the battery terminals and cleaned them up. It has a new battery. Could there possibly be a wire going to the staer that's loose and not always making contact. I'll have to do some searching on this cause the last thing I want to do is get called out on a rescue mission because one of our operators shut the machine off 40 miles out in the bush and can't get it to start again.
Click to expand...


Replace the key switch as cheap insurance, then tear the old one apart to see if the contact was fried or corroded.

By your description of your actions and the non working of the starting system, the only thing that will do what you described is a key switch with bad contacts. When you repeatedly turned it on and off with no noise, and then it started, sounds pretty suspect... or a wire that is connected to it and the key switch assembly can turn to allow the wires to move, even if only a little.

As a drill, make sure both battery terminals are taken off and cleaned then put back on. Sometimes you get some corrosion and it will cause some weird effects too.
 
I plan on looking at the key switch in the next couple days when I get a chance to get back out to the garage where we park it when not in use. I did remove the terminals yesterday and cleaned them and the battery posts. I know those deisels can be a pain to start in the cold weather but we've never had a problem with it in the past. Which leads me to beleive the ignition switch might be worn/whatever......
 
Problem solved!!!! Went out today to see if I could trace the starter problem. I brought my tester with me to see where the problem was. The switch was fine. But there is a relay box between the ignition and the starter. I checked it out and found that one of the terminals was showing signs of corrosion so I unhooked it and cleaned the terminals then put it back together. That did the trick. Fired right up! I tried it a few times just to be sure it wasn't just dumb luck that it fired first shot. Worked great. Started every time. So, I then diverted my attention to changing four quick couplers on the back of the machine that connect to the drag. I also changed the ends of the hoses on the drag so everything is new there. I was tired of dealing with leaking hydraulic fittings at the back end every time I went out. It was time for them to be changed. I kept the old ones though as spares for those times out in the bush when one fails and I have to change it out.

After I was done with that, I figured since I'm out there, I might as well fire up the BR160 and give it a good once-over since it's heading out on Thursday on a roughly 200 mile run (one way)
 
Congratulations!

Your experience is mostly consistent with mine!

Dirty, corroded, loose connections..........

Have fun out there!

grd
 
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