[squarethumps]

I have a John Deere 3010 D that I need some help with. My uncle bought this tractor about 5 years ago, and there has always been something that is not quite right with it. I don't have any experience with these kinds of setups and I need some help sorting it all out and making it the best that it can absolutely be.

The symptoms are that the tractor seems to crank weakly, when it cranks at all, because there seems to be some sort of drain on the batteries. We frequently have to jump the tractor. We are not fearful of spending some money to make this right, and if that means that we have to buy anything to make it right we will.

I'm not sure exactly what to ask or where to start with this project, but I suppose a general understanding of what is supposed to be there, vs what is actually there would be a good place.

I understand these tractors can be converted somehow to use 24 V on the starter but with an alternator that is for 12 V ? ( how the heck does this work ? ) How can I tell if my system is set up one way or another.

CURRENTLY : The batteries are tied together in PARALLEL ( That is, the negative of one battery is connected to the negative of another battery, and then connected to the frame of the tractor. ) The positive of the first battery, of course, is tied to the positive of the other battery, and then over to the starter, or more accurately the coil for the starter?? It looks like a starter on a starter ? Then there are wires going to the ignition switch and everywhere else from the posts on the starter starter. ( I really need to learn what that is )

I guess my goal is to make it as originally designed, IF that is the best outfit for the tractor ?

There is a ( broken ) aftermarket ignition switch that I'll be needing to replace anyway, but the switches that I've seen as OEM have more posts than mine.

I'm asking for all the advice I can get on these systems, including wiring diagrams, experienced people who know what these systems are supposed to look like, and possibly even ideas on where to buy the best products that I need.

Many Thanks for your time and effort in reading and answering.

 

[Upper5Percent]

Viewing a thread - jd 3010 24 volt

 

[Tx Jim]

From your battery cable description it sounds as if 3010 has be changed to 12 volts. Can you post a photo of the starter? Does tractor have a generator or alternator?

 

[squarethumps]

Here are some pictures of various things.

The "starters"






The ( I believe it is an ) alternator






In the above pictures you will note that there is an aftermarket electric fuel pump that is hooked up. Two years ago I bought a new fuel electric pump to replace the previous electric pump. The mechanical pump has not been used for quite some time it seems.

Below are ignition switches pictures. You will note the aftermarket ignition switch. Also not that I installed an aftermarket hydraulic splitter with remote switch. That is what the red ACC wire is with the in line fuse. We can consider that not part of this equation for now. I can hook that all back up after get these problems solved.

 

[Tx Jim]

Yes 3010 has definitely been changed to 12 volt system.

 

[squarethumps]

Ok, but how can you tell ? The starter ? The alternator ? Sorry to ask for such specifics.

Is it advisable to convert back to 24V ? Doesn't the starter _require_ 24V ?

 

[Tx Jim]

If starter is a true 12 volt model 24 volts will fry it AKA make toast of the field coil. Many JD 24 volt systems were changed over to 12 volt systems because of simplicity PLUS very few people understand JD's 24 volt wiring diagram & operation

 

[squarethumps]

Pardon my ignorance, but I don't quite follow your response.

How can you tell that my system has been converted to 12 V ?

How can I tell if the starter is a 12 V vs 24 V ?

I don't have any issue learning about a 24 V system and even swapping it back IF that is advisable.

If the entire system has been converted to 12 V why do I even need 2 batteries ?

 

[squarethumps]

I read the thread that you posted :

Viewing a thread - jd 3010 24 volt Upper5Percent

The "diagram" that was posted with the thread was posted on geocities, and it's dead now so I wasn't able to see the diagram.

However the thread did teach me a bit about the 24V system. Thanks.

I still have a lot to learn with this, but it seems as though I will not be converting back to the 24 V system.

 

[squarethumps]

Ok. The starter has this crazy tag on it with the model number and such. I never saw anything like it. A TAG ?? :bannana: LOL

It's a 12 V starter, which will lead me to my next questions :

Why do I need a second battery ? What advantage is it to have one, if any at all ?

As I said it's currently run in parallel, and I don't know enough about these kinds of systems to know if the alternator will charge both batteries evenly or not.

 

[hm12460]

Yes, you have a 12v system. 2-12 volt batteries connected in parallel will give you 2x the amperage, with 12 volts. Now, 2-12 volt batteries connected in series will give you 24 volts. Yes, both batteries will charge if all connections are clean and tight. The advantage here to having 2 batteries is doubling your amperage. This is especially helpful in cold weather. Hope this helps and let us know how things are going here.

 

[Tx Jim]

Pardon my ignorance, but I don't quite follow your response.

How can you tell that my system has been converted to 12 V ?

How can I tell if the starter is a 12 V vs 24 V ?

I could tell by shape of starter plus how it was wired that I was relatively sure it and alt were 12 volts.

Ditto what hm12460 stated concerning two 12 volt batteries attached in parallel and the fact that alt will charge both batteries. Many later model JD tractors came from factory that way including my JD 4255

 

[squarethumps]

I did some more testing and figured out that the electric fuel pump was not working. I also had the batteries tested and found out they were not good either, which I'd obviously suspected.

I put a new fuel pump and new batteries on and tried to start it. As I'm cranking it, I see the bolt that connects the negative terminals to the frame start to smoke. It's right there at that bolt that it is getting HOT, but ONLY when I'm actually engaging the starter, not any other time. The only thing I have hooked up to the ignition switch is the one wire from the starter at the center post, and the fuel pump connected to the IGN, and then the other 12v wire from the starter ( really from the battery ) and then the wire that goes to the alternator.

Any idea why it might be getting so hot at the ground point ? Is this an indication of a faulty starter ?

I might also add that the tractor still hasn't actually started. I hope there isn't dirt in the fuel rail. Last time ( 6 or 7 years ago ) I totally removed all the fuel lines and blew air through them and cleaned them all out. I'm hoping I don't have to do that this time.

 

[KDL]

the problem at the ground point is an indication of a poor connection. Clean and tighten it and the heat will go away.

 

[squarethumps]

I would have never guessed that dirt and grime could get in between the connectors at the bolt, but I have no other explanation.

I cleaned up the bolt, the washers and the battery cable and cranked it for about 10 seconds and was able to get the engine running.

Now I just have to fix some of the other wires that the mice chewed for the lights and such, put it all back together and put 'er to work !!

Thanks for the help and the moral of this story is that it couldn't crank on it's own because of the failed batteries, and we couldn't tow start it because the electric fuel pump was bad and wasn't pushing fuel to the pressure pump.

 

[squarethumps]

I do have one more question.

There is a wire that seemingly was connected to the ACC ( through the 12V fuse that is actually attached to the steel cover panel. ( There are two of these 12V fuses, kinda neat ).

A wire went from the ACC side of the ignition switch to one of the fuses, and the other side of the fuse went up to a switch which turns on the rear lights, fender lights, and the center dash light all in the same position. ( I'm going to see about separating out the rear light .. )

There is another wire that is connected to the other side of the fuse as well, so it's basically always hot 12v when the ACC is hot 12v. This wire goes up to the fuel gauge it seems, and then current goes from the fuel gauge to the oil light right above it, and then back out again to .... ? The oil sending unit ?

Is all that right ? Should that wire be getting hot 12v all the time ACC is hot 12v?

And the pathways of the wires I described are correct ?

 

[squarethumps]

Actually I have another question. While I was checking continuity of the headlight wires, I noticed that there IS continuity between ( what I thought was ) the 12V + wire that connects to the fender lights ( and the rear light, as the wire is split under the fender ), and the starter wire that is attached to the center post of the ignition switch. However, the wires, and both posts on the starter( not solenoid ) have continuity with ground ( chassis ).

I'm a bit confused by this ... why run a wire for ground unless it's the positive side of the batteries which are connected to the chassis ? This one was setup as negative to chassis. Could it have been set up incorrectly ? Starting to think it should be positive ground.

 

[Tx Jim]

squarethumps
The two fuses you refer to bolted to dash panel are circuit breakers. Nearly all 12 volt alternators are negative ground. I'm not following how 2 wires on starter travel to ground as only the negative battery cable should be grounded. Which wires in photo of starter solenoid are grounded?? How does relay operate correctly without being grounded?