I went to start my JLG lift this spring and the engine wouldn't crank. I left it for a while, and then it would crank. It took quite a bit of cranking to get the engine to start. However it finally did start. I shut it off and restarted it several times in a few days, both from the ground and the platform controls. I drove it to where I wanted to use it, raised the lift (scissors) and shut it off. Now it will not crank the engine. It doesn't even try - as in the battery is low, just no try. Is this a relay? Does anyone have any advice on where to start looking?
Is it the same from the base as well as the platform? I would hazard to check the contacts on the emergency stops at the top and bottom controls first. If you are getting a clicking during crank attempts then I would check the starter itself see if your having issues there.
Yes, it is the same from the base as well as well as the platform. No sound at all when the start button is pushed. I looked at the bottom stop, it looks clean. I have not checked the top stop, which I will do.
Ford or Deutz engine?
It is the Ford Engine.
This morning I went out and the JLG cranked and started from the bottom, first try. I drove it a bit and shut it off from the top platform. I tried to restart, from the top, it gave a couple of feeble attempts and then no go at all - either top or bottom. I looked at the stop on the platform controls. They look clean, with no obvious signs of corrosion or other problems. I did previously have the engine cover off and looked for damaged wires to the starter. I could not see any obvious problems. Does any one have any advice .... besides use a ladder?
You're going to need a volt meter and start doing some testing. The RTS were bad about cranking problems because the way the start circuit is wired, causes excessive voltage drop through the wiring from battery to the starter solenoid. Other JLG machines they fitted a starter relay in the engine compartment to remedy this problem, but the RTS wasn't fitted with this relay. So, without knowing exactly what's causing the problem, if it's the typical RTS problem, you have two choices, 1) check the start circuit with a meter and determine what's causing the voltage drop, or 2) install a starter relay in the engine compartment. But first thing, check the terminal strip at the rear of the engine, the start circuit should be a Black/White wire going to the terminal strip. Connect your meter to that terminal and see what voltage you're getting when you hit the starter button. If it's low, disconnect the blk/wt wire from the terminal strip and test the voltage on just that wire when you hit the starter button. If it's still really low voltage, you probably best try and figure out why.
Willie59 Thank you for the input. Its looks like the engine has been fitted with a starting relay. The black/white wire has been connected to a relay. From the relay, one wire goes to the battery terminal, one to ground and the other one (Blue and Red) goes into the wiring harness. This must make its way to the starter? I will have to take the engine cover off to see. At the same time I can check for power to the starter. The ST terminal on the strip has no wire to it. Could the relay be bad?
Looks like a previous owner has already discovered a problem with this and tried to remedy it. If the machine is wired proper (original JLG colors) the blk/wht is the start circuit from the lower control box and is correct, the wire that goes to the starter should be red/blue. That's the two wires that would have originally joined at the terminal strip. You need to check the voltage at the blk/wht wire at the relay when you hit the starter button, test it connected to the relay as well as disconnected. BTW, what type of relay did someone install?
Willie59, Thank you for your reply. I will respond once I do some tests. We are forecast for snow and rain for a couple of days, and my volt meter is at another site, which I will get back on the week end. I will continue the discussion next week.
No hurries. BTW, keep the snow up there, I'm only a couple of weeks from tomato planting season, have no use whatsoever for the worthless white stuff.
Willie59, are you still willing to offer advice on the JLG lift? It has been quite a while, but I would like to get it starting to use it. I checked the voltage at the relay on the engine side (aftermarket), and the red wire has battery voltage, while the other three have no voltage that I could read.
The other three wires would not normally have voltage on them. One of them is ground for the relay, the red/blue should be the wire that goes to the starter and would only have power when the relay is powered up, and the blk/wht wire would only have power when you push the start button, that's the wire that trips the relay. Is that a Bosch cube type relay like the pic below?
As recommended, I started to check some of the electrical. The start relay on the panel side, had no power to the terminal that supplied the black/white wire. I put a new relay on this side and the starter now cranks. On the engine side relay, the black/white wire now has power when you hit the start button! The battery seems a little week, so I will put a new one in and give it a try. Thank you for your assistance.