2007 S205 bobcat turn key and nothing happens

Wild-bobcat S205 · Jul 25, 2014

I parked my bobcat a week ago and when I turn the key nothing happens. I tested the battery and it is fine. Using a volt meter. I tested the wire from the battery to the start and its fine. I tested the 100 amp fuse above battery and its fine. I checked all the fuses below the seat and they are all fine. There is power to the cigarette lighter/power port. The interior light works fine. The lights won't go on. Nothing works at the control panel on the left nor the turn key on the right. Both completely dead. I looked at all the connections to the control panel and turn key and they are all good. All the wiring everywhere in the cab looks good. I took apart everything in the cab under the 'carpeting' and all the wiring looks good. I looked at all the wiring I could find in the engine compartment and everything looks good. I took out the battery and cleaned all the connections. I took apart many other connections and ground wires and cleaned them. I cleaned the connections on the 100 amp fuse. Still no change! Any ideas as to what is up?

antfarmer2 · Jul 25, 2014

Check and clean around the brake pedals

Wild-bobcat S205 · Jul 25, 2014

antfarmer2 said:
Check and clean around the brake pedals

Brake pedals? Do you mean foot pedals?

Tazza · Jul 25, 2014

Wild-bobcat S205 said:
Brake pedals? Do you mean foot pedals?

volt meter tells you very little. Just to be sure the battery is still good, jump between the +ve terminal on the starter to the small pin on the starter, see if it cranks.

reaperman · Jul 26, 2014

What are the chances more than one relay is giving you trouble? It may be worth switching some relays around to see if something changes.

Wild-bobcat S205 · Jul 27, 2014

reaperman said:
What are the chances more than one relay is giving you trouble? It may be worth switching some relays around to see if something changes.

Tried the battery on the starter - works fine but the two front panels are dead. I switched around all the relays - nothing. I looked at all the wiring under the cab, in the cab and in the engine compartment. I volt tested both of the plugs into the two panels - none of the wires have voltage on any of the plugs.

Tazza · Jul 28, 2014

Wild-bobcat S205 said:
Tried the battery on the starter - works fine but the two front panels are dead. I switched around all the relays - nothing. I looked at all the wiring under the cab, in the cab and in the engine compartment. I volt tested both of the plugs into the two panels - none of the wires have voltage on any of the plugs.

That is very strange....
With your meter, are you getting power across the 100A fuse? trace it back to the computer behind the seat. You should still be getting 12V there.
The fuses under the seat, are the legs corroded at all? the holders are prone to corrosion that stops power getting across.
Has to be something simple for there to be no power at the dash, you should have 12V at the switch.

Wild-bobcat S205 · Jul 29, 2014

Tazza said:
That is very strange....
With your meter, are you getting power across the 100A fuse? trace it back to the computer behind the seat. You should still be getting 12V there.
The fuses under the seat, are the legs corroded at all? the holders are prone to corrosion that stops power getting across.
Has to be something simple for there to be no power at the dash, you should have 12V at the switch.

I checked the 100amp fuse 12.53 volts on both sides. I checked all fuses and all wiring and can't find anything amiss. I phoned my local bobcat dealer mechanic and he told me to splice into the red wire of the three wires that heads to the key ignition switch behind the front right light and run a wire to a 12V source and see if that hot-wires everything to get it going. Well sure enough it worked. I checked the codes on the computer and it shows nothing. Obviously the wire heading to the ignition is broke or damaged somewhere and that is the cause of the issue. Bizarre that I can't find where it is broken or damaged. There where 2 wires that where rubbed to metal in the cab under the 'carpeting', I fixed and heat spliced those wires but it changed nothing. At least now I can operate the machine and have an idea of where the problem lies. Now I can at least get it on a trailer and to my bobcat dealer for repair. Thanks to all for your help! I may keep this as is for a while so I can keep working but when I finally do get it fixed I will post the results here.

Tazza · Jul 29, 2014

Wild-bobcat S205 said:
I checked the 100amp fuse 12.53 volts on both sides. I checked all fuses and all wiring and can't find anything amiss. I phoned my local bobcat dealer mechanic and he told me to splice into the red wire of the three wires that heads to the key ignition switch behind the front right light and run a wire to a 12V source and see if that hot-wires everything to get it going. Well sure enough it worked. I checked the codes on the computer and it shows nothing. Obviously the wire heading to the ignition is broke or damaged somewhere and that is the cause of the issue. Bizarre that I can't find where it is broken or damaged. There where 2 wires that where rubbed to metal in the cab under the 'carpeting', I fixed and heat spliced those wires but it changed nothing. At least now I can operate the machine and have an idea of where the problem lies. Now I can at least get it on a trailer and to my bobcat dealer for repair. Thanks to all for your help! I may keep this as is for a while so I can keep working but when I finally do get it fixed I will post the results here.

If the wire splice worked, i'd run a wire and keep it there. If you take it to the dealer, they will want to replace the harness, a harness will run you quite a bit, more for them to install it.
Do a little more checking to see where the issue is, don't rule out the fuse box. Check the fuse for the main +12v line, even remove the fuse box and peel back the rubber boot and see that the connection has not broken off at the back.
Do all you can before taking it to the dealer, you will come out a lot poorer as they do not try and find the break in the harness, they will only replace it.

Wild-bobcat S205 · Jul 29, 2014

Tazza said:
If the wire splice worked, i'd run a wire and keep it there. If you take it to the dealer, they will want to replace the harness, a harness will run you quite a bit, more for them to install it.
Do a little more checking to see where the issue is, don't rule out the fuse box. Check the fuse for the main +12v line, even remove the fuse box and peel back the rubber boot and see that the connection has not broken off at the back.
Do all you can before taking it to the dealer, you will come out a lot poorer as they do not try and find the break in the harness, they will only replace it.

Ya I am now definitely thinking of keeping the spliced wire there. I have a fuse on the wire as well for some added protection. When you say to check the fuse for the main 12v line do you mean the 100 amp MEGA fuse running from the battery? I have 12.52 volts on both sides of the the fuse according to my voltmeter. Perhaps I should still take it out and inspect it. I'll do that. I guess a crack in the fuse could possibly still cause it to read OK but not function when drawing enough volts from it.

Tazza · Jul 30, 2014

Wild-bobcat S205 said:
Ya I am now definitely thinking of keeping the spliced wire there. I have a fuse on the wire as well for some added protection. When you say to check the fuse for the main 12v line do you mean the 100 amp MEGA fuse running from the battery? I have 12.52 volts on both sides of the the fuse according to my voltmeter. Perhaps I should still take it out and inspect it. I'll do that. I guess a crack in the fuse could possibly still cause it to read OK but not function when drawing enough volts from it.

I was talking about the fuse box in the cab, you have fuses for glow, aux hydraulics, lights plus more.
It would never hurt to check the fuse, it may show 12v without load, but loaded it may drop. Never rule anything out without first checking it when there is an issue like this, stranger thing have happened

Wild-bobcat S205 · Jul 30, 2014

Tazza said:
I was talking about the fuse box in the cab, you have fuses for glow, aux hydraulics, lights plus more.
It would never hurt to check the fuse, it may show 12v without load, but loaded it may drop. Never rule anything out without first checking it when there is an issue like this, stranger thing have happened

OK sounds good. I will open the fuse box below seat and pull out the rubber fuse cluster and look behind to see if connections are corroded. Thanks. Will post if I find anything.

2007 S205 bobcat turn key and nothing happens

Help Support SkidSteer Forum:

Wild-bobcat S205

Active member

antfarmer2

Well-known member

Wild-bobcat S205

Active member

Tazza

Moderator

reaperman

Well-known member

Wild-bobcat S205

Active member

Tazza

Moderator

Wild-bobcat S205

Active member

Tazza

Moderator

Wild-bobcat S205

Active member

Tazza

Moderator

Wild-bobcat S205

Active member

Similar threads

Latest posts