# MF35 Battery issue



## scottnumurkah (Jul 17, 2011)

Hi guys,

I need some help. I have lent my MF35 to my son, who had some issues with the tractor starting. He suspected bad/old battery so took out the battery from his V8 ute and put it in the MF35. He turned the key and there was sparks and a click. He replaced this with the original battery which at least cranked the engine. Now nothing just a click. THe battery from the ute was obviously way to powerful for the old MF35?.

My question is what needs replacing?, as i am pretty sure a fuse has blown or the Regulator needs replacing?, as that is where the click is now coming from. I now have my tractor back and want to start using it again. I see Voltage regulators are on ebay for $55.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Cheers
Scott


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## farmertim (Dec 1, 2010)

Scott, welcome to the forum,
Mate is the MF 35 6 volt or 12 Volt?
Cheers
:aussie:


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## scottnumurkah (Jul 17, 2011)

Sorry its actually a FE35 that has the same colors as a MF35. The battery that is in it is a 12volt willow battery. All it does now is just click.. and i can hear the click coming from the regulator. The motor doesnt crank at all now. I jump started it with the V8 ute a couple of weeks ago, so the battery is definately not a 6v as i understand you cant jump start a 6v with a 12volt battery.

Any clues?.


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## farmertim (Dec 1, 2010)

Scott, can you jump from the battery positive to the Positve pole on the starter motor?, check to see if it engages that way.


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## scottnumurkah (Jul 17, 2011)

I will give this a shot tomorrow.

So do you mean use a jump lead and plug one end to the positive of the battery and the other end straight onto the positive pole of the starter motor leaving the positive lead from the tractor unplugged?.


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## farmertim (Dec 1, 2010)

Yes mate, it might spark a bit but give it a good go and it should click the solenoid in and turn the starter over. we can work back from there.
you could give me a private message with a mobile number and I could call you sometime tomorrow?


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## scottnumurkah (Jul 17, 2011)

thanks mate.. i'll give it a go..

pm will be sent


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## Mickey (Aug 14, 2010)

You've not given a lot of info that could be of help in suggesting what the problem is. Are you sure the replacement battery was connected correctly (polarity)? Where did the spark come from? Have you given a close look at the place the spark came from? Spark could be from lose connection or possibly something amiss with the starter. There may be something wrong with the VR now but don't see how it was the source of the problem.

Can you supply more information?


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## farmertim (Dec 1, 2010)

Mickey,
all the more reason I was going to talk to scott, it makes it a littkle easier over the phone>
Cheers


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## scottnumurkah (Jul 17, 2011)

I have sent you a pm farmertim

Cheers


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## scottnumurkah (Jul 17, 2011)

Hi Tim,

Many thanks for your help, it is much appreciated. I just tried what you suggested (couldnt help myself) and yes it does try to crank. Well barely. There doesnt seem to be enough juice in the battery to kick it in. 

Cheers
Scott


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## scottnumurkah (Jul 17, 2011)

i forgot to mention, bridging just the two nuts on the top did nothing, but bridging the two nuts as well as the two cables attached to them got it slow cranking. Possibly dead starter solonoid?


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## Mickey (Aug 14, 2010)

You really need to measure voltage, at several places. What is battery voltage with no load? What is it when trying to start? Take these measurements at several places, at battery terminals, solenoid input connection and at starter. One can learn a great deal about starting issues if you spend a couple mins taking a few voltage readings.


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## scottnumurkah (Jul 17, 2011)

Hi guys

Just letting you know that i got another battery and starter solenoid today. Its a bareco one but the guy assured me it works fine on MF35. I will have a go at hooking it up tomorrow. One thing i did notice today. The neutral safety switch i think it is, that is behind the gears. Should that have two wires coming off it for a 4 cyl petrol mf35?. One of them was off, and the other end of that wire went into the Starter solenoid. This would be the smaller wire coming off the solenoid on the right shown in my picture. I havnt mended it yet, ran out of light again but i will screw that on to make contact again and see what happens. Might get lucky. 

New battery was in order though and it probly wouldnt hurt to hook up the new solenoid you think?.

Cheers
Scott


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## farmertim (Dec 1, 2010)

Try the battery in first you might not need the solenoid.


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## scottnumurkah (Jul 17, 2011)

Will do mate.

I'll report back.


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## scottnumurkah (Jul 17, 2011)

Quick update.

Installed the new battery. Got the clicking on solenoid still when i turned the key. However after i shorted Solenoid on this new battery with my trusty screwdriver, she started straight up, and kept running fine.

I will wack on the new solenoid tomorrow and see how it goes. All things point to the old solenoid one would think?. 

Cheers
Scott


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## farmertim (Dec 1, 2010)

sounds right to me mate, let us know?
Cheers


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## Mickey (Aug 14, 2010)

scottnumurkah said:


> Quick update.
> 
> Installed the new battery. Got the clicking on solenoid still when i turned the key. However after i shorted Solenoid on this new battery with my trusty screwdriver, she started straight up, and kept running fine.
> 
> ...


What do you mean by *wack*? Has the new solenoid been installed? What terminals did you jumper across to get the starter working?

Still think you could have saved yourself some time and possibly money if you had just taken a few voltage measurements.

Hope you get it all figured out and back on the road so to speak.


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## farmertim (Dec 1, 2010)

Hey Mickey,"wack" is a well understood term in Oz it means fit, place or attach in our own vernacular.
Cheers


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## Mickey (Aug 14, 2010)

Was thinking it might be something like that. Just wanted to be clear the new solenoid hadn't already been installed and was about to be the subject of getting pounded on.

Still interested in knowing between which terminals the jumper was placed as it could tell us something about root cause of the problem.


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## scottnumurkah (Jul 17, 2011)

Turns out it was as simple as new battery/starter leads. Got some nice new ones made up at my local Auto Electrician, and she fired up straight away. Obviously with the new battery the old leads showed their age.

Thank you to everyone with their help. It was invaluable.

Cheers
Scott


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## GregWSpring (Aug 8, 2016)

Greatly appreciate this 2011 post.
Helped me with my 1958 or 1959 Diesel Massey TO35.
Going to grab a new battery and leads tomorrow!
Greg


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