# Need help Massey Ferguson 1233



## FirstGear (4 mo ago)

I recently bought a used 2000 MF 1233 from a person who buys and sells tractors. 
I installed a 20 amp fuse in position # 7 in the fuse panel and the amber lights on the fenders started flashing. The switch on the left side of the panel was in the Off position. Turn signal lever was in the neutral position. I had no control of the lights. 

Removed the 20 amp fuse. Lights out. Removed the instrument panel to change the glass. With the instrument panel removed I tried operating the control switch. Turn signals worked just fine. Headlights worked in the HI and Low Beam mode. Horn works. All the lights worked properly. What possibly could be wrong? Instrument panel did have 4 burned out lamps. Replacements ordered. The tractor is a 2000 model, power steering, two wheel drive and was most likely used to mow the lawns of a golf course as its tires are Turf tires. Any help you folks can provide would be greatly appreciated. 

Glenn. 09/30/2022.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Welcome to the forum. I wonder if there is a grounding issue with the dash board in place? Have you tried placing it back to see if the situation happens again?


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## FirstGear (4 mo ago)

pogobill said:


> Welcome to the forum. I wonder if there is a grounding issue with the dash board in place? Have you tried placing it back to see if the situation happens again?


Good question. I have not tried connecting the instrument panel back in place. That will be the first thing I try when I get back to property. Thanks. Glenn.


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## FirstGear (4 mo ago)

Pogobill, move to the head of the class. Here's what I discovered. I cleaned the copper contact surface around the hole made for the installation of the lamp socket. All 12 sockets. Now, I used a product intended for the cleaning of jewelry, "TarnX". I used Q Tips to swab the surfaces of the brass metal which is part of the printed circuit behind the face of the instrument panel. Then I checked each of the 12 sockets for continuity. Half of the sockets and bulb combinations were electrically open. So, I corrected that discrepancy. I then put the lamp sockets back into their holes in the back of the instrument panels. I then connected the the instrument panel to the tractors' wire harness. All lighting on the tractor worked as designed. I turned the ignition key on and the panel lights came on. The Fuel Quantity gauge in the instrument panel worked. I turned on the head light upper and lower beams and the lighting for the instrument panel came on. So, apparently the lack of a complete circuit across the printed circuit of the instrument panel created an open in the circuit causing the lighting problems. In retrospect, the only problem was a lack of ground allowing the completion of a circuit. Problem solved. Now, what caused the open to exist in the light sockets on the printed circuit of the instrument panel? Corrosion. Corrosion existed between the small contact surfaces of the brass terminals of the light sockets and the copper surfaces of the printed circuit on the back side of the instrument panel. I speculate that this corrosion was caused by exposure to the elements. The MF1233 is 20 years old and I've only had it for about 5 months. So when I cleaned the corrosion off of the printed circuit board and contacts of the light sockets I corrected the problem.


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