I just bought a JCB and the all wheel steer mode does not work,I put in a new switch but it still will not work fuses and relay are good, any ideas?
So, you have front wheel steer only? Did you replace switch with the proper 3 position switch? If all the fuses are good, switch is putting out correct voltage outputs, then you may have either a proximity switch not working properly or you have a problem with the steering selector valve at rear of machine.
The first place i would look is the prox sensor on the front axle. From 2 wheel steer, select 4ws. Then climb under the front end with your pocket knife and rub the end of the sensor with the blade. If the system switches modes, then you know the sensor is good. In this case you are not sensing the big steel ring that is on the front axle steer cylinder. When you turn the steering wheel left and right, the big metal washer looking thing that is on the cylinder must pass in front of that sensor. Clearance should be about the thickness of a dime. Otherwise the sensor won't pick up the washer, which tells the system the front axle is centered. More details on your specific symptoms would help. Obviously, you have to verify all the wires are intact as well. Good luck
Yes I did replace it with the same 3 position switch. I have checked the power coming to the switch it is intermediate on a wire that has 820 on it that says its rear proximity switch to steer switch. but there isn,t any power on any of the other wires and the power that comes and goes on that wirer. all the wires are intact.
Jcb is famous for running the all the circuits together. The engine thermostat, 3rd gear shift solenoid, and left turn signal might all use the same relay or switch. Its freakish. A wiring diagram take a lot of the confusion out of it. Anyway, what's your machine doing? What mode are you in, and what mode is not working?
If you put your knife under the proximity switch like watglen said there should be a little led light come on on the sensor! if not the switch is faulty! the front switch is for the 4 wheel steer ( on the telehandlers anyway and i think the 214 is the same) i had this last week on a telehandler ! The proximity switch is a common enough problem on a JCB Aiden
Its in two wheel steer all the time no mater where the switch is positioned.
Thank you thank you thank you all how have replied the front sensor was to far away.
Is there a adjustment on the sensor or did you buy a new one
There is a adjustment on sensor.
I'm a little confused on this. Way back when I crawled under one or two of these the proximity switch that controlled a backhoe for four wheel steer was on the back axle. I also seem to remember machines that had a manual switch to center the rear wheels. You all are absolutely correct about JCB wiring diagrams. First one I saw made me think I was working on a Lucas electrical system.
I may buy a JCB 215S series 3 machine today. The rear steer is not working and it drives sideway. It sounds like you have addressed this on this thread.
Good luck on your purchase. I hope the price is low enough to cover the expense of fixing the steering problem. I don't know if Eaglex ever got it fixed. He never posted the outcome of his dilemma. That thread and problem is over 3 years old. You may be in over your head on getting that steering issue fixed.
It sounds like it could be simple or it could be bad. This is a 97 model with extend a hoe and 4 in 1 bucket and has the large wheels on the front, 4wd. cab. It is a beast. Surely someone has done this repair before. BUT, the preliminaries as listed above first. This is a government machine and sometimes they just don't want to try repairs they just buy a new one. It is money stolen from the people so they are usually not concerned with saving like I am. I think I will go to 12k or something. Thanks, Jim
Just FYI, the JCB 217S that I purchased from a long time neighbor, had a problem with the 4 wheel steering as well. The issue turned out to be a $5,400 repair. I don't remember the problem off hand, but it was the major component that selects the different modes. This was years ago long before I bought it and haven't had any issues since. You should factor in this cost for a proper value.
Thanks Gentlemen, I did not get the tractor. I stopped at 12,600 and that is plus 12.5% premium and 7%tax. I figured that was as much as I wanted to risk.
For your sake I was hoping you wouldn't buy it.
Way to be over dramatic. 9 times out of 10, the problem is the proximity switch on the axles.
Over dramatic ? I don't think so. Piston spent $5400.00 on his JCB. No way in h@ll would I buy a tractor with a screwed up steering system on the chance it is just a switch.
There's not much to the steering system. A switch, computer, two proximity sensors, and a small manifold with a couple solenoids to divert hydraulic flow. I don't know how he spent 5400.
Just to clarify, “I” did not spend the $5400, the previous owner did. I won’t even have that much into it after buying a new/used hydraulic cylinder!
I bought a 214s series 3 Perkins engine the allsteer is a mess but I will change the switch before checking rear sensor
Just fixed (in process of fixing) my recently purchased 1994 217S all wheel steer last week. Only front wheel steer was working. Previous owner replaced switch but that wasn’t the problem (I’d check it before changing it, don’t just guess). Front proximity sensor was bad (checked as described in this thread but also disconnected and tested it with 12v applied). Then to be sure, we jumpered it at the connector, and after replacing the fuse we blew messing with it, all wheel steer worked fine. Now awaiting new sensor to arrive but confident it will work. Interestingly, the crab steering still didn’t work, so we eventually checked the solenoid coils on the steering control unit by feeling which ones got warm in different switch positions (but I later read you can just check which ones become magnetized). Comparing what we found with the diagram in the service manual we realized someone had incorrectly swapped two of them. So we switched the two back, and crab steer then worked fine, but one coil was busted (or I broke it during removal) and we’re awaiting a replacement (which BTW we ordered for only $23 using the part number on it, otherwise very difficult to find for our model except through the dealer). I’m a persistent newbie and am just writing this hoping it might help others (as I benefited from reading your earlier posts on this thread).