Hi all, I'm new to this forum stuff, and I'm looking for some info/help, I have moved to Italy and I bought myself a late 90's peljob mini digger to do work arround my property and also get some work while I'm here, it's been a great little machine until the other night after finishing a days work with it, I went to load it back onto the trailer it wouldn't start, when I turned the key the battery and oil lights came on as always and a buzz again as always but nothing else. This lasted maybe only a couple of minutes and turning it over maybe ten times, then it kicked in, I loaded it onto the trailer, switched it off left it for five minutes while strapping it down and tried to start it again, and it started first time. Then this morning I unload it from the trailer again started first time, it's when I went to move it after that it won't start, the same problem as the night before, I can hear the fuel pump going but that is it. I was thinking it was the stater motor maybe, but where I'm ok driving and general looking after, I'm not that mechanical minded, any ideas before I call someone out, just in case it something simple. Cheers Roncone
Welcome, check your batteries and find the starter, check the connections, then you will need a test light tocheck power through the starter circuit. Overworked
Exactly what he said. If you're not getting a distinct click from the starter area then you might have a "neutral switch" issue somewhere, loose connections somewhere, or a bad solenoid coil. It's much easier with a helper to turn the key while you listen and tap, if somebody else holds the key to start, you can check voltages and tap the connections and then the starter and see what you get.
Ok thanks Overwork I will give it a go, had about enough today been messing about all morning. I will let you know if there are any results.. Roncone
Cheers Delmer, Sounds like I will have to rope the wife in to help me, she won't be impressed. Roncone
Check the ground cable from the battery to the frame,starter, or might be grounded also to the engine block.They get rusty and don't make good ground.Will ground enough to start then other times won't.Good luck
On the starter motor is an inbuilt solenoid, these burnout. And cause intermittent start faults, if whilst holding the key in start, and it's nit turning over, give the starter solenoid a whack and it should fire up. If that's the case it's pointing to worn contacts. What type if engine?
Hi all, thank for your suggestions but still nothing, what I did find while checking under the seat at the battery was four connectors that should go somewhere, and on closer inspection I found a relay balanced on two oil pipes, the way it was balanced, it would have fallen out of the bottom of the digger when working, loading or unloading, I can only imagine that it came off when the digger started having this problem maybe, and this is the reason it won't start. Now when I said mechanics wasn't my thing electrics is a no no. So any ideas from the photos?? Cheers Roncone
No idea what those connectors are, but if something fell off, then the machine wouldn't restart until you put it back together. Since you said that this wouldn't start, then started, then wouldn't start again, you want to look for a loose connection, not one that fell off. Loose battery cables, engine/chassis ground, etc. Get an electrical multimeter (volt ohm meter or just a test light) and check to see if you have a "signal" going to the starter when the key is turned. You can do this alone if you use a long test lead (just a piece of wire clipped to the solenoid wire). Check the small wires on the starter solenoid to see if the voltage turns on and off with the key. This will tell you if you should look at the starter and big wires, or the ignition switch and small jumbled wires. edit: Do you hear any click from the starter/solenoid? Did you whack the starter with the key on? ( a wooden stick or plastic screwdriver handle works good with enough force)