# Massey Fergusson 1250 - engine stalls once I put it in gear.



## MF1250 (8 mo ago)

Hello,
New to tractors and this forum. Forgive my ignorance.

I was riding my tractor -* Massey Ferguson 1250* minutes after shoveling some gravel when the tractor suddenly stalled. I managed to start it, but it stalled again after I attempted to invoke the gears. After trying different sequences of engaging the gears, it moved but with some power loss. 

*In short, the tractor runs, but stalls once the gears are engaged*. There are two gear sticks on this tractor. The left one shows the rabbits and the turtles and the right one is supposed to show the gears from 1 to 4, but mine are not visible anymore, so I don't know which is which. I just wing it, assuming that they are similar to a car with 4 speed manual transmission.The tractor stalls once I engage the gears on the right. 

The forums are saying about the seat safety switch when I search for similar threads, but that is not the case. The tractor moves at slow RPM on a level ground, so it's not the seat safety switch.

Some indicate fuel filter being clogged, so I replaced it. It was very dirty, but changing it didn't help.

I put a video on Youtube here: 



 to show what it does. In the video, the tractor moves a little, but it will stall eventually once I raise the RPM.

Need your help, gents. Thank you.

Rod


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Your problem is electrical I believe, I was going to say seat sensor and that would be my first check, but then twice you use the brakes and the first time the engine died but didn't cutout, the second time after using brakes the engine cut out, it is not fuel because the engine seems to run ok, there are many things to think about, and to pull this problem apart we really need a wiring diagram to trace.

I am suggesting that if there is a 2 wire connector under the seat, remove and make a U shape connector out of a paper clip or like and push this into the connector, start the tractor and see if this fixes the problem, if the problem still fronts itself, replace the connector to the seat sensor.

Another thing you can try is to run a hot wire from battery positive to the fuel cut solenoid on the injection pump, disconnect the original solenoid wire and connect the hot wire, "don't forget to remove the hot wire after the test, otherwise the fuel cut solenoid will be in the run position and will be hot", doing this will bypass a relay if one is fitted (there is a relay, found a hard to read diagram) in the fuel cut solenoid circuit and possibly show the relay as the fault if the engine stays running.

Are you pushing in the clutch pedal when you apply brakes, then there may be a clutch sensor on the clutch linkage that could be the culprit, but then this sensor most times is connected to the start circuit, check this area also.

Does any warning lights show on the dash at stall?, without a diagram, it is guess work..


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## MF1250 (8 mo ago)

FredM said:


> Your problem is electrical I believe, I was going to say seat sensor and that would be my first check, but then twice you use the brakes and the first time the engine died but didn't cutout, the second time after using brakes the engine cut out, it is not fuel because the engine seems to run ok, there are many things to think about, and to pull this problem apart we really need a wiring diagram to trace.
> 
> I am suggesting that if there is a 2 wire connector under the seat, remove and make a U shape connector out of a paper clip or like and push this into the connector, start the tractor and see if this fixes the problem, if the problem still fronts itself, replace the connector to the seat sensor.
> 
> ...


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you Fred! Most informative.

About the seat sensor... It was removed by the previous owner, so not an issue, except the safety bit.

I will try your suggestions after I find what the "fuel cut solenoid" is, and where it is located. I have shop manual in .PDF format, so will consult it before attempting.
I also suspect the *fuel lift pump* (not sure that is the correct name for it) to be at fault so ordered one of those today. Will see what happens once replaced. Don't have high hopes, but you never know. 
Noticed, when I put it in gear a sound of a relay clicking. Loud enough to notice. Not sure what that's about, but a mate of mine will be visiting me this Saturday so will let him locate that sound whilst I tickle the gears. 

Will let you know how it goes. Appreciate your help.

Cheers,

Rod

*P.S.* I am attaching the electrical diagram if you care to give it a look. These diagrams look like alien rocket plans to me. Don't know how you guys read them.


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Hi Rod and welcome to the forum

Thank you for the diagrams, I don't believe your problem is fuel, the fact the tractor starts reasonably easy each time supports this, in the stop/start wiring you have a relay and the stop solenoid, most times these either work or don't, so if these are working, then the next bit is to check the wiring that feeds power to these units, could be simple as the copper core could be fractured under the insulation between the relay and stop solenoid, or between switch and relay, this assumption is probable but not likely just to give you an idea, (I have had this happen to me on a Dodge V8 truck, engine would miss and breakdown, the short tail in the distributor that connects the points/contacts had an internal fracture and when the vacuum advance worked, this opened the copper core, hence the missing and breakdown) another reason I suggested to hot wire the fuel cut solenoid from battery to bypass the fuel cut solenoid wiring circuit, doing this will show if the solenoid is faulty or if the relay is the culprit.

You will find the fuel cut solenoid and wiring attached to the fuel injection pump and this should be on the right hand side of the engine from the seat.

Fedup seems to be the MF man and he may post on your problem.


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## MF1250 (8 mo ago)

Hello Fred,
Ultimately, the problem WAS the seat safety switch. Rather, the wire that was leading to where the switch was supposed to be. 
The wire was ended with a connector and it got disconnected. I moved the seat forward and found it, connected it back and the tractor is working as it should.

Thank you Fred for pointing me in the right direction.

Rod


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

That is great, an easy fix then, and thank you for replying, you know I rerun your video many times and I didn't notice the seat move at all, goes to show how little things affect a tractor.


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