I'm in need of some help We have a case CX130 where I work and it decicded not to start after being loaded on the lowboy. Turn the key on and it says Electrical Problem on the information screen. Won't crank at all.. when trying to start the cable going to the starter smokes like crazy.. Lead shop mechanic has checked grounds and we can't seem to find a bad one.. any idea how to read the codes on this thing. We're scratching our heads. Machine is still on the lowboy trailer.. so we've been down a trailer and machine for two days now
Good day Smoking cable must be a dead short suggest check out the starting motor. Kind regards Uffex
Missed this may help KR Uffex
I have experienced two situations with 'smoking cables' when trying to start. Both wound up being bad starters, and both times I was told 'it can't be the starter'.
Most mechanics would start with some basic troubleshooting. A quick check is reading the voltage at the batteries with the key on and again when the key is turned to the start position. A high current draw with low voltage is a common reason for electrical components to fail. Another thought is that properly sized battery cables will handle all the current the batteries are able to put out. Smoke from the cables would indicate a problem in the cables such as corrosion at the terminal ends, damaged insulation allowing shorts to ground or just plain undersized cable diameter. Basically there is nothing to burn inside a cable except the insulation that will cause smoke. There will be visible evidence of cable issues many times being the green powder stuff growing between the copper or lead terminal ends and the insulation. There are lots of things inside a starter that will burn and cause smoke. The two most common items are the lacquer coating around the windings and the insulation around the wires inside the starter.
The starter is bad not unusual for these machines, also check the starter safety solenoid, they will go bad and allow starter to stay engaged. There is a diode in the charge circuit that could be bad and allow alt to back feed and keep starter engaged.