863 intermittent "hard to start"

[mmsllc]

ALRIGHT!!! STEVE, I got the electrical wiring issue repaired with the flow chart that you sent to me = I FINALLY found a broken wire (# 1850 that runs off of "R" terminal on my starter) behind a flipping huge wire tie. The wire tie was just loose enough that the wiring harness could chaff against it. It was worn through the front side of the insulation & through the copper wire, but not through the back side of the insulation. I was able to reconnect it & tape the ever loving you know what out of it. That was the entire problem with my machine not cranking for more than 3 seconds at a time. My next problem is apparently a glow plug issue. When I turn the key on, it does not start to count down like my 753 does. If I unplug the engine coolant temperature / ECT sensor on the engine block, the glow plug timer will count down from 30 seconds. Then it starts far easier. I know the glow plug relay is good, as I have gotten power through the entire circuit once the ECT is unplugged. The ECT sensor does appear to be good as it seems to feed back somewhat accurate to my temperature gauge. So, I am thinking that I am missing just a tiny little bit of knowledge. All of my fuses are good. The relay checks out good. I've even tested for continuity through each glow plug; they test good. What else keeps these plugs from turning on?? The ambient air temp was around 85 degrees all day long. Any body (STEVE, help me again, please!) got a flow chart for this circuit issue or other input for me?? I am pretty sure that this is the very last starting problem with this machine.

 

[mmsllc]

ALRIGHT!!! STEVE, I got the electrical wiring issue repaired with the flow chart that you sent to me = I FINALLY found a broken wire (# 1850 that runs off of "R" terminal on my starter) behind a flipping huge wire tie. The wire tie was just loose enough that the wiring harness could chaff against it. It was worn through the front side of the insulation & through the copper wire, but not through the back side of the insulation. I was able to reconnect it & tape the ever loving you know what out of it. That was the entire problem with my machine not cranking for more than 3 seconds at a time. My next problem is apparently a glow plug issue. When I turn the key on, it does not start to count down like my 753 does. If I unplug the engine coolant temperature / ECT sensor on the engine block, the glow plug timer will count down from 30 seconds. Then it starts far easier. I know the glow plug relay is good, as I have gotten power through the entire circuit once the ECT is unplugged. The ECT sensor does appear to be good as it seems to feed back somewhat accurate to my temperature gauge. So, I am thinking that I am missing just a tiny little bit of knowledge. All of my fuses are good. The relay checks out good. I've even tested for continuity through each glow plug; they test good. What else keeps these plugs from turning on?? The ambient air temp was around 85 degrees all day long. Any body (STEVE, help me again, please!) got a flow chart for this circuit issue or other input for me?? I am pretty sure that this is the very last starting problem with this machine.

Looking like my engine cylinder head temperature sensor might be bad. If I unplug that sensor, the glow plugs begin to count down from 30.Without starting the engine, after it sitting for a couple of days, If I plug it back in it reads in the lower portion of the green. So, the thinking is that sensor is telling the computer not to engage the glow plugs based on a very bad. Any body ever find these sensors going bad? I know they are very simple to change. I also know that as I unscrew the sensor, engine oil begins to leak out of the cylinder head = indicating that it is getting engine oil to the sensor. I ordered a new sensor from BOBCAT. The parts guy said he hasn't sold one in at least (2) years. Do they go bad often?

 

[Tazza]

Looking like my engine cylinder head temperature sensor might be bad. If I unplug that sensor, the glow plugs begin to count down from 30.Without starting the engine, after it sitting for a couple of days, If I plug it back in it reads in the lower portion of the green. So, the thinking is that sensor is telling the computer not to engage the glow plugs based on a very bad. Any body ever find these sensors going bad? I know they are very simple to change. I also know that as I unscrew the sensor, engine oil begins to leak out of the cylinder head = indicating that it is getting engine oil to the sensor. I ordered a new sensor from BOBCAT. The parts guy said he hasn't sold one in at least (2) years. Do they go bad often?

Never had to buy one for that machine, but i did need one for a 753 BOSS that had the bar graph temperature sensor setup. It was bad, read cold all the time, so they do seem to fail.
That does make sense as the cause of the starting issue though.

 

[mmsllc]

Never had to buy one for that machine, but i did need one for a 753 BOSS that had the bar graph temperature sensor setup. It was bad, read cold all the time, so they do seem to fail.
That does make sense as the cause of the starting issue though.

I agree. Nothing like those little sensors will last forever. I am still waiting for the BOBCAT dealership to call me with the news that it has showed up. Among the many issues machine has had, I am hoping to put all this behind soon. As soon as that part is in I willow how it worked out.