180 diesel starter problems

I guess my questions is Whats your Cold Cranking Amps for your new Battery? And yes the starter should turn right over if you by-pass the solonoid with a scredriver. I am just thinking maybe the battery is not a strong enough battery to engage anything when its cold out. I doubt it but just throwing out ideas.

If your replacement starter is still under warranty, consider sending it back.  If the starter goes click, the problem will not be an interlock.  If you have 12 volts at the starter when cranking it, the problem will not be at a connection. This leaves you with the starter or solenoid as the usual suspects.

Edited by DougS - 21 Nov 2011 at 5:17pm

    Could it be possible that where the cables meet on the right hand side where they hook together for the manifold heating element could be a drop in voltage or ?   As I said you can put the booster to the battery with usually no success there but if you attach it to the heating relay(not sure if that is the correct description) it will generally kick the starter in.  This has been going on in a limited way for almost 2 yrs now, so the starter is out of warranty.  One of those things where we replaced the safety switch and some wiring and thought we had it licked but lately the same problem is rearing its ugly head again.   Had a starter on TL100 New Holland tractor a couple of years ago acting up very similar with the solenoid being the suspect.  Took it to a very reputable starter and alternator shop only to be told it was fine, only later we ended up buying a rebuilt starter from CNH and it has never missed a beat since, so I'm leaning towards the fact that the new starter was never up to snuff.  Those new stlye starters are great as far as installing with the light weight and smaller size makes it fit without removing any fuel lines or whatever.  Sounds like a old Dodge turning over,

bad ground, clean the ground at the batt. clean and install lock washers on each side of the frame eye ground (sandwich style).hm

The only way to really tell where the problem is, is to do what is called a voltage drop test on each componet while your trying to start the tractor but it is acting up. To do a voltage drop you take a voltmeter and check each side of a componet the only place there should be a major voltage drop is at the starter motor. Example is place one lead on the positve battery clamp and the other where the positve cable hooks to the starter soleniod try to start the tractor and read the meter if there is a voltage drop (3 or more volts) then your problem is the postive battery cable or the conection at the starter soleniod. If this don't make sense let me know and I will try to draw up a diagram to show you what I'm talking about.

You are right if the cable is good it will read some where around 0 volts. On a voltage drop test the problem will be between the to test leads in an area that shows voltage, unless you are checking across the load (in this example the starter motor).  It is called a voltage drop test, you are checking for were you are loosing voltage. If you attach the lead to the negative post and on the postive side of the starter all you know is that the starter circuit used 12 volts like it should. I deal with delicate computer circuits in heavy trucks every day you can't use a test light for load because you don't know what the draw is, and just checking voltage (like you are suggesting) don't put a load on the circuit and then all you need is 1 little strand of wire to conduct electricty and you will show the proper voltage. If you will systematicly eleminate each componet of the circuit you can find the problem with out guessing. After I assured that I was getting voltage to the starter soleniod I would check for voltage drop accross the positve cable like I discribe above then I would check the ground side negative post to starter housing. If both of them are very near 0 volts then I would check across both large termianls on the soleniod there you should also have near 0 volts. then form the large bottom post on the soleniod and the starter housing and you should have near battery voltage (12 volts). It is possible (but not common) to have a open circuit inside the starter and you will show voltage in the right places, but there won't be a voltage drop across the starter. One other thing keep in mind that you must be using the circuit to make this test work, in this case you have to be trying to start the tractor while you are reading the meter.

All of this is assuming the solenoid is able to pull in, making the high current connection, and completing the starter circuit.  Otherwise neither one of us is right.

Yes if the soleniod don't have enough voltage to work, you will have to check the soleniod control circuit.

yes exactly.

Didn't take it that way at all, you were just showing that I need to explain myself better.

Don't take this wrong but it may not be the starter, the truth on engine starting systems is many starters are changed when they are not bad. Get it in the predicament of clicking (hopefully in the shop), pull the starter and check the flywheel ring gear teeth at that place.  Six cylinder engines stop +/- four or five teeth at that same three spots on the flywheel, 4 cyl at two, v-8 at 4.  The teeth get worn over or flat faced and the bendix will not rotate enough to enter the gear until you bump it a few times as in click click crank.

Sharpening out the teeth to accept the bendix or replacing the gear is all you can do to 'fix' the issue and it will still at times go click click on a sharpened teeth old gear.