T340 starting problems. After thousands paid to dealer mechanic, they say it needs a $6000 wiring harness. Help

[showme]

My neighbor's t340 has been sitting for a year now, and he's really getting irritated. He paid a Case mechanic to come out and fix it, but after two days of work and a bill of for thousands of bucks, it still doesn't start. The mechanic told him he'd need a full wiring harness, which he says will run 6-7,000 dollars, and that's just for the harness, supposedly, not labor. I've read a post here and saw a youtube video about bad battery cut off switches being bypassed, but Jeff is listening to the mechanic and fears he's just going to have to pay the money to get it. I asked if he could maybe ohm out the old harness and see if he could find a short or cut wire, but he admits he's not that mechanically inclined. So I told him I'd look around and see if I could find anybody who's been in the same predicament, and here I am. Has anyone had a problem where there was just no starting the rig and figured out how to repair it without pulling the whole wiring harness and replacing it? I'm an Ironworker, not a mechanic, but it sounds to me like the mechanic didn't want to try and trace down the actual problem and just told him to spend big bucks and replace the whole shebang. Any advice, comments or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Lee Butcher.

 

[mrbb]

well my advice would be to , have your neighbor have another tech LOOK at things, and actually determine what is wrong
anything else will be just you, me or someone else guessing what the issue he has is!

and costs on on an unknown issue cannot be accurately given, plus, NOT knowing what area he is in, also effects any prices on things

I am GUESSING that this machine is NOT able to be moved by your neighbor,
so that MEANS< you /he will be getting a service OUT charge to anyone that comes to look at it
which is a Normal charge!

from there some mobile service techs \have MIN charges they ask for and get paid!

what these prices are will be based on WHO comes out, what they ask for and where your located at, , cost vary by location of things, and or how remote the machine is for them to get to it!


NEXT< the amount of service techs in his area will also matter

He doesn't HAVE to get a CASE tech,. most any GOOD HD mechanic can normally find issues and fix them!
BUT there are times when CASE computer software maybe needed!
but again a good tech will know this and be able to tell him such or not!

If he doesn;'t know who to call, I suggest contacting some of the more local equipment rental shops, they typically have a few guys they use that does mobile repairs!

from there he can always use dealers(most any brand techs will work on any brand machine too, some maybe more open to doing so that others, but few refuse work when its offered

BUT they also have min rates and fee's they charge!, all normal stuff in today's world


if he wanted too, he could also try asking some local contractors that do excavating work, or likes,(as in they have heavy equipment they use often for things, )
they either have there own guy, or know someone that does repairs, and many will share this info, as it helps them, some times, by keeping local guys local, and not traveling for work !

so asking them that might lead to a guy and not a dealer!, if he prefers that!

as for his actual issue
again, no one here can know

But a GUESS on my part is, he may have had a mouse or likes, chew thru a wiring harness
first tech came out tried to repair, spent time(most guys get a 150+ an hr, so it adds up fast, add in a service call on site visit for repair and a few grand happens fast! again!)

so the tech he had may have TRIED< fixing without a new harness, but damage too much for that to happen, and now, the solution might be, anew wiring harness

OR the tech that cam out just didn;t want to re splice every single connection that was bad, I cannot say, as was not there , nor know what tech did or didn;t really do,
like apparently the owner, or you!

so, back to no way we can tell you more, as we just don't know!1

NOW< if your handy fixing electrical issues, or good at finding causes to issues
I would guess your neighbor might let you try
and you can do so, and charge what you feel or , do as a just a good neighbor deal?

BUT it sounds to me mostly like this is past your comfort or skill set and his

so, that means again, he's at the mercy of a tech, and sadly there costs

I would suggest the next tech he considers hiring, he asks up front what the costs will be to come look at things(service fee)
and then once he looks and finds issue, the costs for THAT
and the COSTS for repair, BEFORE he does any work to repair it
and keep in mind, estimate can CHANGE as a tech find more or bigger issues
BUT you can always tell them you want to be informed before they go spending your money without asking!


and you can also ask for a parts list of what parts needed

as odds are they won't have parts on hand, at this time, and would need to order themselves, some folks prefer them to do this, (it at times can help make sure right parts are gotten, as you do not want to order wrong parts, have tech show up to do work and then NOT be able top do work because you got wrong parts, , that won't help you save $$)

BUT if you know exact parts to get, , you can go online and find needed parts and buy himself!
which can many times save a LOT of money
I have seen dealers charge 200-300-400 +% over what the average idiot can buy them for online direct from OEM< or aftermarket parts
some times aftermarket parts are OK to use, sometimes I would NOT use them, its a personal call on spending money!

my rule of thumb is normally on ANY electrical part over 100 bucks, I go OEM< as too many made in china copies don't last long in MY experience! and you end up buying twice, twice the down time, and you lost any saving in price really fast!


but simple basic wear and tear things, can save a guy a few bucks, but to each there own on making this call

on a wiring harness, I would 100% go OEM


hope this maybe helps some?

 

[showme]

The parts list is a full wiring harness. He knows about the service charges, etc. He's had two different techs look at it.

 

[mrbb]

well was the recommended parts list different from each tech, or did they both say the same thing, s to what needed to be done to fix it??\


also, I did a quick look on his model and manufactured harness's are like $3900 bucks, from Messicks, but there are several different harness's to pick from and some different models that would have to be matched exactly by VIN
as it seems from open cab to enclosed to certain yrs, harnesses can be different

so that si a ball park price on a manufactured OEM harness, at $3900
so, if a previous tech found a 100% NEW OEM harness, odds are it could very easily be 6+ grand for just the harness and NOT counting labor to install it, which can be pretty penny as well, as its a time consuming project, that tends to end up with finding a lot of other things that need replacing at same time9tabs breaking off, connectors, seized bolts that snap off, to remove things to get to wires and so on!

and if having to work on it in the field s to a shop, I can see some techs either not wanting the job or charging a good fee to do it
sucks, but sadly its the nature of the beast

 

[showme]

Thanks, mrbb, I will pass this along to Jeff. He's a "retired" building contractor, and has another skidsteer back over in Illinois, but he's always telling me he just isn't good at fixing mechanical equipment himself, although he is an excellent carpenter and hard worker. But he bought this rig used, and has used it for 5 years before it started giving him trouble. He told me the other day he found another skidsteer that would cost what he's put into this one already. I'll let him know about Messicks and the harnesses there. I think the first time he had it worked on for some hydraulics problem, he had a dealer come pick it up and take it to the shop, which was expensive. I've only used Bobcat skidsteers, and I rent them when I do, so I'm not much help. Thanks, Lee.

 

[mrbb]

Thanks, mrbb, I will pass this along to Jeff. He's a "retired" building contractor, and has another skidsteer back over in Illinois, but he's always telling me he just isn't good at fixing mechanical equipment himself, although he is an excellent carpenter and hard worker. But he bought this rig used, and has used it for 5 years before it started giving him trouble. He told me the other day he found another skidsteer that would cost what he's put into this one already. I'll let him know about Messicks and the harnesses there. I think the first time he had it worked on for some hydraulics problem, he had a dealer come pick it up and take it to the shop, which was expensive. I've only used Bobcat skidsteers, and I rent them when I do, so I'm not much help. Thanks, Lee.

in todays world its very easy to sink more money into a piece of equipment than its worth, that's parts that gets tricky when one has to decide on what to do, with repair or take the loose,
nothing last forever
the way most company;s view things, is, asking if its paid for itself over the time they had it, if so, they feel they got there moneys worth

but private owners are harder to place worth on things,a s its very easy to look at just what a new one costs, or a replacmenst and then, they can have sentimental value to things as well,
don't like the new machines with gadgets and electronics's, emissions and so on!
plus there not using a machine to MAKE money with it(or not most of the time)
so, private home owners , tend to try to keep what they have alive, and as such, can many times sink money into something, without really looking at the full picture, or just like the devil they have, over gambling on a another one!

or just remember a time when parts and service wasn't so costly! and made owning things easier!

Since Covid, prices have really gone bonkers and have not come back down(nor do I think now they never will)
this is why, I strongly suggest asking in advance costs on things, and if when possible get in writing, (but keep in mind all estimates can change i other issues are found or happen)
and then taking a hard honest look at if its worth it



and keep in mind, that just cause you can buy another machine for less,
doesn't mean that machine won't need, or soon need some costly repairs too, its a gamble buying used always!
there's more crooked seller out there now than ever,
lots of folks buy, pretty things up and sell flipping things for profits, that ain't all that honest!, its profits there after, not a good reputation, and this goes for private sellers too!never so many scammers in the world than right now!