My 2004 model Deere 650J's yellow check service code light is blinking. No codes are in the main console read out screen or the transmission control readout screen. The transmission control unit shows !CAL when the dozer is running and the parking brake is off. The check service code light first started blinking at start up after running a few hours one morning last week. At that time the dozer throttle would not respond to increase; it would only idle. After sitting a few days, the machine now functions normally, but the check service code light still blinks and the transmission control unit shows !CAL which I am told means it is in calibrate mode. The walk through steps for calibration are not appearing on the controller read out screens. I have been told not to calibrate the machine as this could create additional problems. How can I get out of calibration mode or get the check service code light to stop blinking and get the !CAL code to go away? I have disconnected the battery which did not change anything. Thanks in advance for any help.
Hey. If its the older one with the tcu in the rear of the cab you have to use it to calibrate. Go in to the menu to cal and follow it through until its calibrated. If there is active codes in the tcu it will not calibrate. If it doesn't complete the calibration then find out the code in the tcu menu and fix the problem then try again. If it calibrates with no problem and the light is still on then the tcu needs changed. I have seen a few things cause the calibration to fail. Decel pedal sticking, throttle pot traveling too far if the stop has moved or not far enough, the steer lever because there is a pin in there that likes to fall down enough to stop it from calibrating and also the pump null adjustment a little out. Edit. Heres a post with a good picture of that tcu.
Andrew C, Thanks for your input. The picture in the post you referred me to is the same as my TCU. The local Deere tech rep told me that you should never calibrate an older machine without a very good reason because a bunch of minor problems will come up that will shut the machine down. His recommendation was to keep running it and just ignore the blinking check service codes light. what do you think?
I think there may be something out of cal but I would calibrate it, its the only way to know. Can you do it when your down sometime?
I am worried that I will get dozens of nuisance codes. The Deere tech rep tells me that some of these indications could shut the machine down. Is there a down side to operating in the !CAL mode? It might be a long time before I get to a point that I am down and can actually risk the calibration sequence if there is actually a real risk. Thanks for your help with this. These electronic problems are a black art that not many know much about.
Can you go into the code list on the tcu and post them?
I cleared the stored codes, operated the dozer for four hours and checked the codes again. Nothing new came up. I haven't checked for new codes in a week or so. I will do this next week when I am back on the ranch and post the codes if there are any new ones. Thanks!
If there are no codes that is a good indication. I would calibrate it. Keep an eye for codes on the tcu in the corner of the cab not the monitor .
I will do that. Thanks again!
Hi, just was wondering if you ever figured out what was wrong with your deere dozer. My 650j is doing the same thing as yours. Thanks, Ken