B212 won't turn off with ignition key

So at this point I've checked all the cables (apart from the two running under the engine cover) for continuity and they're fine. This leaves me fairly confused, so I'm going to dump all the information I know about it here and see if anyone can help me out!

The image below shows the junction box and points cover on the side of the engine that I mentioned earlier in the thread.




Cable 1 in the image (white) runs from the ignition to where it can be seen in the picture. The other three cables coming from the ignition either run to the starter solenoid or the charging circuit, so I assume these are irrelevant.

Cables 2 and 3 run under the engine cover, however I'm not sure what their purpose is (if anyone could help me out here that'd be great).

The ignition is a Indak ignition with 4 terminals, labelled B D S and C. C is unused. The cables are plugged in to the back of the ignition correctly, and the connections seemed clean and secure, although I sanded them down anyway just be me sure.

I've recently been turning off the engine by unplugging cable 5 from the junction box. Not sure if this is good for the engine or not, but it works, and I figure it's better than choking it to death.

Make sure the ignition switch is well grounded and all of the connections are good.

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How is the ignition switch supposed to be grounded? Via it's connection to the plate steel, or through a cable? If from a cable, through which terminal on the ignition?

Thanks for any help,
B212

This begins to sound like a battery ignition setup, or it has the wrong ignition switch. I think that the terminals are B for battery, S for solenoid, and perhaps D is for 12 volts to the coil, or from the generator. Can you measure the voltage on pin D when the switch is on?

The engine dying when you pull cable 5 makes me think that you are cutting power to the ignition.

I could be all wrong on this; it would help a load if we had a schematic to look at.

The diagram I found here: http://www.simpletractors.com/images/wiring/wd_206.-212.jpg

shows that it has a mag and separate generator. It doesn't show the wiring that yours appears to have.

Fcubman said:

This begins to sound like a battery ignition setup, or it has the wrong ignition switch. I think that the terminals are B for battery, S for solenoid, and perhaps D is for 12 volts to the coil, or from the generator. Can you measure the voltage on pin D when the switch is on?

The engine dying when you pull cable 5 makes me think that you are cutting power to the ignition.

I could be all wrong on this; it would help a load if we had a schematic to look at.

The diagram I found here: http://www.simpletractors.com/images/wiring/wd_206.-212.jpg

shows that it has a mag and separate generator. It doesn't show the wiring that yours appears to have.

Click to expand...

The ignition switch used to work as intended, so I assume that it's the correct one. D is the white wire, and measuring the voltage with a battery hooked up and the ignition in the on position it read ~0.02 volts, so practically nothing. This was measured with the positive lead of my multimeter on cable 4's terminal (which leads back to pin D), and the negative lead on the batteries negative terminal.

The battery on the tractor is dead and only produces 4 volts, so if it was a battery ignition system the only source of electricity would be the starter generator after the jump leads have been disconnected. I'm unsure if this would be powerful enough or not.

You're right though, the wiring on the tractor doesn't seem to match the wiring diagram (which also seems to be true for every other vehicle I've ever worked on!).

That looks like a mess. If it were a battery ignition your sparkplug wire would run to an exterior coil. And yes it could run off starter generator. If it is a standard points and magneto ignition just rewire it to match your wiring diagram. There should be one small wire coming out from under the cowl going to the points and another leading from the points back to a grounding ignition switch.

Since it worked before, and now it don't, and you suspect the ignition switch, why not check the continuity of the ignition switch in all its positions. You may have burned up a contact within the switch for some reason.

If the switch checks out, then start poking into other stuff. The solution/problem might be right under you ignition key.

skunkhome said:

That looks like a mess. If it were a battery ignition your sparkplug wire would run to an exterior coil. And yes it could run off starter generator. If it is a standard points and magneto ignition just rewire it to match your wiring diagram. There should be one small wire coming out from under the cowl going to the points and another leading from the points back to a grounding ignition switch.

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The HT lead runs from under the engine cowl/cover, indicating a magneto setup? How should these cables coming from under the cowl attach to the points? An image of a correctly installed setup would be great if you have one! And I'm not quite understanding how the ignition switch should be grounded, so any explanation on that would be welcomed.

shamrockjack said:

If there is numbers on the junction box maybe some one here has the old diagram you need but Zippo takes them off and puts them back to stock I like electronic on my brigs engines but I have late modle engines made in the 90's no point boxes or places for them

I would think ignition switch is bad from old age and I alsu think your junction box is ignition module and you no longer use your points so without a Diagram breaking the 5 wire should work woth no trouble but thats just my idea not sure

I would think you could run a wire from the 5 post to a toogle switch on dash and back to cable and kil;l it from the seat don't be cheap run a good size wire

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I just did a little googling, and it looks like it is an ignition module. A little further searching came up with this diagram which looks very similar to my setup (with the exception of the lack of ignition).



and another diagram which looks more similar to my setup:



So I assume this means the points are no longer used? I also assume that since everything else seems to be wired up correctly, the issue must either be in the ignition or one of the two cables that runs to the magneto. Would there be a way of testing these cables without taking of the engine cowl (as this will require a fair bit of work due to engine placement). Should I get continuity when testing the end of each cable which leads to the magneto?

I'd also considered putting a switch on cable 5 back to the dash in order to kill the engine, and it may be what I end up doing if I don't find another solution.

engine2quarters said:

Since it worked before, and now it don't, and you suspect the ignition switch, why not check the continuity of the ignition switch in all its positions. You may have burned up a contact within the switch for some reason.

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This sounds like a good plan. What is the best way to go about testing the continuity of the ignition switch? Just test between each terminal combination with the key in both 'off' and 'battery' positions?

Thanks for the help guys!

there should be a long wire on ignition switch that goes to points area that should be kill wire you can ju,p ground to it and see if it stops engine while running if all that works all you have to do to fiv in pit a push button on wire and the other side to ground and you are home free or replace switch

shamrockjack said:

there should be a long wire on ignition switch that goes to points area that should be kill wire you can ju,p ground to it and see if it stops engine while running if all that works all you have to do to fiv in pit a push button on wire and the other side to ground and you are home free or replace switch

Click to expand...

I'm heading in to town later today to pick up a switch and some wire. When I get back I'll test earthing the white cable, and if that works then I'll switch it, if it doesn't I'll switch cable 5.

Slightly unrelated but I fired her up today to test some changes I made to the ignition, and it started real easy with no starter spray! It's starting to run nice and sweet with some of the changes and maintenance I've been doing. :fing32:

Well today I fitted a switch which grounds the white cable when turned on. The switch fits nicely in a pre-drilled hole on the dash and, best of all, it works! When flicked on it kills the engine. No more nearly burning my hands on the exhaust whilst pulling cable 5.

Thanks to everyone who helped. :fing32: