Can't fix it? Get a bigger hammer! ...or so the saying goes.
Over the past few months we've been having a problem with the ignition switch in one of the tractors. Sometimes when you put the key in the switch
will turn to the 'pre-heat'/'on' setting, but it won't let you turn it further to the 'start' position. It's frustrating as hell because it usually
happens when I really need to do something and I'm in a hurry. I simply can't think of something more frustrating than a piece of equipment which
won't start (I'm a nut about this, and it makes me crazy). Anyway, for a while if you dinked around with the key (for about 15 minutes) it would
eventually let you start it (usually about the time I'm so mad I want to start throwin' stuff!).
Over the past couple weeks it's been getting really bad, and sometimes you can't get it started at all...and THAT...SIMPLY...WILL...NOT...DO!!
Last night was the final straw! Damn thing wouldn't start, and I was as mad as a hornet with butt rash! So I got out the tools and took the whole
dashboard apart (BIG job!) and removed the ignition switch and wiring harness. I'd bought a new ignition switch to replace it, but the wiring was not
compatible. The existing switch had a 5 wire harness and my new switch was only 4 wire (no work-ee). Now it was WAR!
I couldn't get the tabs off the switch housing to get at the guts to investigate the problem, and no amount of prying or jimmying was working. Okay,
Plan-B. I put the switch in the vice and squeezed the crap out of it a couple different ways (just for some revenge). Then I stuck the key into it.
Upon much more careful inspection I discover the key isn't going in all the way. Hmmmmm...
Okay, let's get a hammer. Kind of worried a bit because hammers and electronic devices don't go to well together, but hey it ain't workin'. So I
whacked the top of the key a couple times. Still no work-ee. So I whacked it a couple more times. Still no work-ee. Nothin' left to lose now...
Time to get a bigger hammer! So that's just what I did. Grabbed one of my bigger ball-peen hammers and pounded the crap outta that dang thing. (boy
did that feel good too!) Well, well, well...looky there! Mr. big bad switch must be vewwy vewwy skeeerd of Mr. bigger badder ball-peen hammer because
now it works great! I'm in amazement, kind of disbelief actually, so I get out the multi-meter to check it. 'Pre-heat' checks good, 'On' checks good
and whatdaya know 'Start' checks good. Too good to be true, so I head out to the tractor. Still not really believing I fixed this thing with a
'bigger hammer' I decide to check out the functions without re-assembling the whole dashboard. So I put the wiring harness back together, but didn't
put the switch in the dash. Now let's try it. BOOM!!...tractor starts right up! Tried it a second and third time, works flawlessly.
Put the whole dashboard back together, and tried it again. Works like a champ! AMAZING!
So I guess the moral of the story is...Sometimes it really DOES take a bigger hammer!
edit on 8/4/2018 by Flyingclaydisk because: (no reason given)